Votes for Sale

I wasn't going to post anything this weekend, but I was out doing yard work, listening to podcasts, and I listened to an episode of NOW about clean elections in Arizona called Votes for Sale.  

Here's a clip...

Special Interests Spend over $235,000 to Wine and Dine Legislators

The Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board released a report yesterday showing special interest spent over $235,000 on events to wine and dine State Legislators during the 2009 legislative session.

From Iowa Independent...

Despite a poor economy, groups spent nearly $41,000 more in 2009 than they did in 2008. In fact, this year has seen the most spending on legislative receptions since 2005, according the the IECDB.

“These reports show that the political economy in Iowa remains robust,” said Charlie Smithson, the IECDB’s executive director.

Reports were filed for 90 receptions held during the session. Reports disclose the amount spent on food, beverage and entertainment regardless of the number of people who attend. Because every legislator is invited to attend, the parties are not subject to the state’s gift law, which prohibits gifts to government officials of more than $3.

This is just the tip of the iceberg when it comes to special interest money seeping into the pockets of state lawmakers. Iowa should expand the gift law to include events like these, as well as enacting a campaign contribution limits similar to the $2,500 limit at the federal level. These would be easy to steps to clean up fundraising and provide greater transparency in the legislative process.

Century of the Common Iowan Turns 3 Years Old

I glanced at the clock and saw there was just 5 minutes till midnight. I had forgotten that Monday marked the 3rd birthday for Century of the Common Iowan and I only had 5 minutes to put up a post to sum up those 3 years. Yeah right.

Well here's what I got written in an hour...

As I look back, it is interesting how the focus of the blog has evolved over those years. In the blogs first year I wrote a lot about issues such as the rising cost of college tuition and Iowa's Brain Drain, immigration, and the need for a trade policy that protects American jobs. Year two was all about the Iowa caucuses. The following year I was able to sit back and watch the primaries play out and lead up to the general election. With the 2008 elections behind us, I have been able to write more about policies and topics such as the emergence of Millennials, social media, education, and the need to invest in a creative economy.

3 years, 2,226 posts, and over 132,000 visitors later and here we are in the best of times, in the worst of times. Our current economic and political situation find us in a situation where remarkable change can take place (and if it doesn't, it's because we didn't make them do it) . It is time for big ideas. In the coming year I hope to focus on the big ideas that desmoinesdem laid out that I wrote about last month.

• Clean elections
• Promoting clean energy solutions
• Local control of hog confinements
• Passenger rail
  
• Rural broadband.

These are not new issues. Many I have written about since I started this blog, but now is the time to stop talking about these issues and start seeing real action. On the campaign trail, Barack Obama told the story that one voice can change a room, one room can change a city, one city can change a nation. It is my hope that over the past 3 years, I have been able to change 1 person's viewpoint on these key issues and encouraged 1 person to take action on these key issues.

I'd like to end by repeating what Rekha Basu wrote about activism that I posted about earlier today..

Still, it takes courage to be an activist. It requires putting yourself out there in public, daring to take the unpopular position and getting hostile feedback... But those who understand history know well the role activism has played in winning rights and making a more just, humane and accessible America.

Join in. Post comments. Attend your local Democratic central committee meeting. Call your State Legislators. Get active in a community group or city board. Start your own blog. Heck, run for local office.

It's time to make a ruckus. Let's go!

Big Ideas

Democrats have accomplished a great deal the past 3 years including increasing Iowa's renewable energy industries, raising teacher salaries, providing same day voter registration, expanding early childhood education, and enacting a smoking ban.

In a post yesterday at Bleeding Heartland, desmoinesdem laid an agenda of big ideas Democrats at the Statehouse can pursue over the next 2 years.

If Democrats can show that their governance made a tangible difference in the lives of Iowans, it will be easier to give voters a reason to back Culver and Democratic legislators again in 2010. I've got a few suggestions:

-Reduce the influence of money in politics by approving a voluntary "clean elections" system on the model of Maine or Arizona;
-Reject new coal fired power plants (as several of our neighboring states have done) and increase our capacity to generate wind and solar power;
-Allow "local control" of large hog confinements (agricultural zoning at the county level);
-Make progress toward providing light rail in the Ames/Ankeny/Des Moines and Iowa City/Cedar Rapids corridors.

I couldn't agree more with these issues and have written a lot about about each one in the past (read my posts on clean elections, coal plants, local control, light rail). If could add one more it would be high speed rural broadband access. I wrote last summer...

Broadband penetration is a huge asset for economic development, especially in rural areas like Iowa.

When governments are trying to attract companies to locate in the area they should invest in infrastructure such as high speed broadband. It would benefit those companies and spark entrepreneurship among individuals living in the rural areas.

Unfortunately, I also agree with desmoinesdem that Democratic Leadership doesn't seem interested in pushing any of these issues at the moment. There are legislators here and there speaking on these issues, but progress likely won't be made without support from leadership.

Iowa CCI Lobby Day in Tuesday

I am bummed I can't make it to Iowa CCI's Lobby Day on Tuesday at the capitol in Des Moines.

However, I have emailed my State Senator and State Representive supporting two key issues that CCI has been fighting for - local control of hog confinements and the Voter-Owned Iowa Clean Elections bill, known as VOICE.

Here is information Iowa CCI sent out on how to contact your legislators...

Our rally and lobby day is tomorrow - Jan. 27!

If you're not able to join us at the Capitol, help us have a 'virtual' presence at the Statehouse:

E-mail or call your legislators! Urge them to stand up for what's right and protect everyday Iowans through CCI's low-cost solutions. Follow this link to find your legislators - click on your senator or representative, click on the contact tab and click on their email address to compose your message.

Hundreds of Iowans will be at the Statehouse tomorrow - imagine the impact of hundreds more Iowans filling their inboxes and voicemails with messages calling on them to protect all Iowans.

Give them a call, email a message or send a letter on Jan. 27 letting them know that even though you can't be there, you are supporting hundreds of everyday Iowans who are standing up for issues that you care about.

We're asking legislators for simple, no-cost solutions that benefit the common good:
- local control, local people should have the ability to say if a factory farm can build near them;
- strong worker protection laws and children's health insurance that work for everyone -- regardless of immigration status;
- moratorium on foreclosures and other efforts that protect homeowners and consumers; and,
- campaign contributions and VOICE so people talk more in our political process and money talks less.

After you get your email sent, check out this great post from Iowa Independent about Iowa CCI's efforts over the past twenty years.

**Update**
If you are able to make to Des Moines for the Lobby Day, here is the schedule...

Please join us for Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement's
January 27, 2009 Rally & Lobby Day
"People Before Polluters. People Before Politics. People Before Profits."
10:00 a.m. Rally at Wallace Building
10:55 a.m. March to Capitol Building/ Greet Legislators
12 p.m. Lunch and Lobby
1-4 p.m. Meetings with Key Leaders

Illinois Scandal Shows Need for Campaign Finance Reform

Ed Fallon wrote a guest column in the Des Moines Register yesterday about Rod Blagojevich's pay to play scandal in Illinois.

To learn that someone apparently would openly try to sell a U.S. Senate seat shocks and disgusts us.

Blagojevich is a menace and needs to go to the gated community where other Illinois governors before him have gone. But America's campaign-finance system is a far greater menace to democracy. If we can muster shock and disgust for Blagojevich, we should be utterly appalled at the pervasive role of money in politics.

Face it. What we call "elections" have become auctions. The auctioning of U.S. Senate seats occurs every six years - every two years for congressional and state legislative seats. Big donors, corporations and special interests "bid" on the candidate of their choice. In close races, the smart money bids on both candidates, and the one backed by the highest bidders usually wins.

We don't want to believe our elected officials can be bought. But as someone who served for 14 years in the Iowa House, I say with confidence that what big money wants, big money usually gets. Rank-and-file lawmakers may be well-intentioned but often are strong-armed by legislative leaders beholden to corporate donors and special interests. As a result, the most pressing challenges of our time - climate change, budgetary reform, health care, farm policy, to name a few - see practically no progress year after year.

So, while I hope the good people of Illinois fire Blagojevich and fire him soon, I have a more pressing hope that Americans across the country get fired up for campaign-finance reform. In Iowa, Senator-elect Pam Jochum is leading the charge on VOICE (Voter-Owned Iowa Clean Elections). This bill would make it easier for rank-and-file lawmakers to stand up to party leaders, allow more citizens to run for office and give the public far greater access to the halls of power.

To learn move about the VOICE bill and clean elections visit this site put together by Iowa CCI.

Join Gov. Culver Tonight for $5,000

If you have $5,000 you can socialize with Gov. Culver tonight...

Thursday, December 18, 2008
Governor Chet Culver

and

Lt. Governor Patty Judge

Chet Culver Committee

Please come and enjoy an evening of fine foods and friends.

5:30 p.m. -- 7:00 p.m.

Noah's Ark Ristorante (second floor)

2400 Ingersoll Avenue

Des Moines, Iowa

Patrons - $25,000

Hosts - $15,000

Guests - $5000

Please RSVP to Chris Khoury

Ph 515 288-2287 or email Chris@chetculver.com

Another example for the need for campaign finance reform. Iowa badly needs limits on campaign contributions and needs to pass the VOICE legislation that would bring voluntary public financing to campaigns.

Expanding the Majority: John Beard in House District 16

Iowa Democrats have a great chance to expand their majority in the Iowa House. Democrats currently hold a 53-47 advantage. With just over 2 weeks left until the election, it is critical to support strong progressive candidates in these close races.

This week I will be featuring some great candidates throughout the state that are in tight races and asking for donations through the Iowa Blogs Expanding the Majority Act Blue page. Please consider donating however much you can afford to help out these great candidates.

The first featured candidate is John Beard in House District 16, which includes Allamakee and part of Winneshiek County in northeast corner of Iowa. Beard is running in an open seat to replace the retiring Chuck Gipp.

I am supporting John because he has advocated for one of my top issues throughout his campaign. Beard supports clean elections and the VOICE bill, saying that it is a key to restoring accountability in our government.

We must adopt public financing of campaigns, or voter-owned clean elections. In the seven states which have them, they have been proven to restore accountability, to bring a focus on the common good, and to renew participation in the democratic process. Greater participation not only strengthens our democracy but improves almost every process we undertake.

John Beard is running to give common Iowans their VOICE back in Des Moines. Please support John by donating today.

A couple weeks the Iowa Blogs Expanding the Majority Act Blue page surpassed the $1,000 mark. We have a goal of 20 donors by the end of the month.

Please consider donating John and these great candidates today and help expand the Democratic majority in the Iowa House.

Iowans Support VOICE and Clean Elections

Iowa CCI conducted a poll of political donors across the state about their attitudes towards the influence of big money in politics and public financed elections...

CCI recently conducted a survey of current political donors to gauge their support of VOICE and taking big money out of politics. We conducted this survey because we believe that political donors would also support public financing to reduce the role that money plays in campaigning and the reliance on large contributions to candidates. The survey results show that those with a financial stake in the outcome of state elections believe that the current system is broken. We contacted 2,861 donors and conducted interviews with 1,502 people who were chosen because they donated to political candidates for state office. The charts that follow show the findings of this study, which break down support for VOICE by income, amount donated and political party.

http://www.voterownediowa.org/news/zata3-iapublicfinancingsurveyreport.pdf

While many may expect political donors to be content with the current system, our survey reveals that donors across the political and financial spectrum are in support of a system where people matter more, and money matters less.

The poll shows Iowans are against the influence of big money in politics.

When asked, "Many people believe there is too much money in the political process. Do you agree or disagree?" nearly nine out of 10 (88 percent of) donors said they agreed. Just six percent of respondents said they did not believe there was too much money in politics.

These sentiments go across party lines as well, with 89 percent of Democrats, 88 percent of Republicans, and 82 percent of Independents agreeing that there is too much money in politics.

The poll shows strong support across party lines for public financed elections and specifically the VOICE bill.

73 percent of political contributors support public financing as laid out in the VOICE Act as a way to reduce the role money is playing in our political process. (Only 20 percent were opposed.)2

This support also crosses party lines - 75 percent of Democratic donors, 70 percent of Republican donors, and 74 percent of Independent donors favor VOICE.

The support is pretty even across income levels as well...

Eighty-one percent of those polled that have a household income over $100,000 supported VOICE, and 74 percent of those with a household income less than $100,000 supported VOICE. (This leaves out a group who did not disclose their household income, which still supported VOICE at 65 percent.)

The last 2 legislative sessions, political leaders refused to allow the VOICE bill to come up for a vote. The VOICE legislation would bring voluntary clean elections to Iowa.

The VOICE bill would require candidates to get $5 donations along with their signatures to qualify. All of this money would go into a fund that would be used by candidates that have met the requirements to earn public money. The rest of the money would come from unclaimed property and a check off on your state income taxes.

Under the VOICE bill no taxpayer money would be used unless you want to mark the check off on your state income taxes. Overall, the system would cost around $10 million or less than 1/10 of 1% of the state's annual budget.

Tell Rep. McCarthy that it is Time to Get Big Money Out of Politics

From Iowa CCI...

Now is the time to get big money in politics out of our way!

Join us to tell Rep. Kevin McCarthy:

“The buck$ stop here!”

• Election season is the reason- let’s make this an issue for the ’08 elections!
• Everyday Iowans demand a VOICE in the policies that affect us.
• We will not go away until our voices are heard by our elected officials!
• CCI members know our strength comes from working together. Join us for this training on building power by going door to door!

Voter Owned Iowa Clean Elections (VOICE) would reduce the influence of big money in our political system. More candidates can run for office and spend more time listening to their constituents, not big business. It’s working in other states, and it can work here too!

Join us:

What: Canvassing Training & Door Knocking

in Rep. Kevin McCarthy’s district

When: Monday, September 22

4:30p.m.-7:30p.m. (with refreshments)

Where: Iowa CCI Office

2005 Forest Ave, Des Moines

Questions/ RSVP:

Contact Matthew or Adam at iowacci@iowacci.org

Alaskans Have Chance to Get Their State Back from Special Interests

Alaska has been inundated with scandals with Sen. Ted Stevens getting indicted, Rep. Don Young being under federal investigation for possibly taking bribes, and Gov. Sarah Palin facing a state probe.

This fall Alaskans will have a chance to take their state back from corruption and vote on a ballot measure that would adopt clean elections in statewide races.

"This is the most important ballot initiative, the most important people's initiative that we've had since statehood. If we get this right, we get our state back," said Tim June of Alaskans for Clean Elections.

The idea is to offer candidates money from the state to finance their entire campaign.

To qualify, candidates would have to get a certain amount of $5donations and signatures from voters in their district. Once that happens candidates would have to agree to give up any private donations as well as forego out-of-pocket cash expenditures.

"Instead of making a winner determined by who has the most money, Clean Elections levels the playing field by offering candidates an equal amount of funding to whoever they're running against," said June.

The measure hopes to limit the power of special interest groups.

"We have always been under pressure from very large multinational corporate interests, industry interest that are constantly trying to change Legislation," said June.

Alaska would be the eighth state in the country to provide public funding to state candidates."

There is a similar bill in Iowa that would limit the power of special interest groups called Voter Owned Iowa Clean Elections or VOICE. Like the measure in Alaska, the VOICE bill would require candidates to get $5 donations along with their signatures to qualify. All of this money would go into a fund that would be used by candidates that have met the requirements to earn public money. The rest of the money would come from unclaimed property and a check off on your state income taxes.

Under the VOICE bill no taxpayer money would be used unless you want to mark the check off on your state income taxes. Overall, the system would cost around $10 million or less than 1/10 of 1% of the state's annual budget.

Unfortunately, the bill has been stalled in committee the last two years by Rep. Jo Oldson. Sen. Gronstal, Rep. Murphy, and Rep. McCarthy. As the fall election approaches, ask your local candidates what their opinion on VOICE is and tell them it is time for Iowans to get their state back from the special interests.

John Nichols Calls on Iowans to Continue to Lead

Last weekend I attended the Iowa CCI convention where John Nichols was the keynote speaker. Nichols gave a great speech that made all of the Iowans in attendance proud.

His theme was that citizenship requires action, that it is more than just voting a couple times each year. It is Iowan's responsibility to pursue progressive goals that move the nation forward because Iowans has always been on the frontline of progressive change in the country.

Nichols outlined how Iowa has been leading the nation on the big issues ever since it became a state in 1846 and declared that it was not going to be a slave state. Wisconsin and Minnesota followed suit and this was the beginning of the end of slavery.

He then told the story of Smith Wildman Brookhart (Yes, Wildman was really his middle name.), who ran ran for the United States Senate in 1922 as a Republican with a populist message, saying...

Wall St. is a greater threat to America than any foreign enemy.

Brookhart won a close election and was seated in the Senate until he pissed off party leaders and the election was overturned. He is the only person ever to have the election results overturned after already being seated as a US Senator. Broookhart didn't give up though. He ran in 1926 against longtime Senator Albert B. Cummins, who was the chair of the Judiciary committee. Brookhart went on to beat Cummins in the Republican primary and went on to win in the general election.

Nichols then talked about Henry Wallace and I shot this video of him talking about Henry Wallace. I used my cell phone to take the video, so the quality isn't the best, but here it is anyway.



Nichols quoted George McGovern, who had this to say about Henry Wallace...

The only thing Henry Wallace did wrong was believe that America could be as good as Americans were.

Nichols then told how Harold Hughes spoke to end the war in Vietnam and against the strong-armed tatics being used by the Chicago police.

That led up to the 2008 Iowa caucuses. Nichols said that Iowans did what only Iowans can do. We asked the tough questions at the small town cafes and in the end, showed the rest of the nation Barack Obama could win.

Nichols stressed that our duties don't stop there. We must continue to push ahead on the issues of clean elections, local control of hog confinements, clean water, and worker's rights. If Iowans do that then the rest of the country will follow.

Iowa CCI Delivers Letter to Terrace Hill

On Saturday morning, members of Iowa CCI took a break from their statewide convention and headed to Terrace Hill to deliver a letter to Gov. Culver.

Culver promised back in March to continue pushing the issues of local control of hog confinements, clean water, and Voter Owned Iowa Clean Elections (VOICE). Even though, Culver has done a tremendous job responding the the needs of Iowans following the floods, he has done little since March on these important issues.

Here's the press release from Iowa CCI...

As the election season heats up in Iowa, more than 200 Iowans gathered at Terrace
Hill Saturday, July 19 to rally, protest and deliver a letter to Governor Culver, telling him to end his vacation and get to work on critical issues affecting thousands of everyday Iowans: local control, Voter Owned Iowa Clean Elections (VOICE), the rights of all workers and consumer protections. The protest was part of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement’s annual statewide convention, of which the theme was, “Real People, Real Power, Real Change.”

“It’s up to Governor Culver to use the power of his office to make things happen – he’s the state’s Chief Executive,” said CCI member and Board President Barb Kalbach from Dexter. “But he is failing Iowans who elected him and who he is supposed to represent. He has been ‘on vacation’ for the last two legislative sessions, and his ignoring of everyday Iowans and our issues has to stop – it’s time for him to get to work.”

CCI member Misti Craig of Des Moines said, “We deserve as everyday Iowans to govern what happens at the statehouse. We will show the governor and our legislators that we are a powerful voting bloc on these issues and cannot be ignored.”

Unfortunately, Gov. Culver was unavailable and couldn't come out and talk

Special Interests Spend Thousands to Influence Iowa Lawmakers

Special interests spent thousands wining and dining lawmakers during this past legislative session...

Well-heeled interest groups, businesses and some government agencies spent nearly $195,000 wining and dining lawmakers and their staffers during this year’s legislative session, according to new financial disclosure forms.

Groups ranging from the Iowa State Bar Association and the Greater Des Moines Partnership to Union Pacific spent a total of $194,848 on receptions, dinners and other social events during this year’s session, according to reports filed with the Iowa Ethics and Campaign Disclosure Board.

Some of the groups that spent the most were the Iowa Business Council, The Principal Financial Group, Iowa Gaming Association, the Iowa Wholesale Beer Dealers Association, and Hy-Vee Inc.

Now when you look at some of the big issues that were debated by lawmakers this past session you can see why these groups were so interested. These issues include: changes to collective bargaining, expanding health care to uninsured children, if casinos would be included in the smoking ban or not, and the expansion the bottle bill.

The article goes on to tell about the dramatic influence lobbyists and PAC's have on lawmakers and helping them get elected.

Disclosure reports for the year ending last June 30 showed that there were 610 groups who paid lobbyists a total of more than $8.5 million to influence lawmakers.

That financial influence was also shown in political action committee disclosures filed this month, with PACs having already given $872,509 to candidates this year.

I don't think I have heard a better reason for the need for clean elections and campaign finance reform in Iowa. Yet, political leaders refuse to allow the VOICE bill to come up for a vote. The VOICE legislation would bring voluntary clean elections to Iowa.

I'd love to sit down for dinner with Governor Culver, Sen. Gronstal, Rep. Murphy, and Rep. McCarthy and talk about the benefits of the VOICE bill, but I don't think I have enough money to afford it.

Looks Like Everyone Supports Clean Elections

I have written a great deal in support of Clean Elections in the past.

Could it be true that Real Sporer supports Clean Elections also?

Culver Warms to VOICE and Local Control

Yesterday, members of Iowa CCI held a lobby day at the State House where they met with legislators, DNR official Wayne Gieselman, and Governor Culver. Two of the issues discusses with Culver was VOICE and local control.

Governor Culver, in his meeting with CCI members, said he would continue pushing for local control of factory farms, an issue he pledged his support of during his campaign and for which his commitment was questioned. “I commend your commitment to this important issue,” Culver stated.

Culver also said he was “more open than ever before” to supporting Voter-Owned Iowa Clean Elections, a system where candidates can choose to run using public funding instead of fund raising and accepting monies from powerful special interests. After seeing the impact of special interests in the legislature firsthand, Culver stated, “We have to do something.”

Voter Owned Iowa Clean Elections

Popular Progressive had this post over the weekend asking if Voter Owned Iowa Clean Elections or VOICE will be heard during this session.

He also had a link to an interview with Adam Mason from Iowa CCI about VOICE.

What difference would Clean Elections make in IOWA, especially in reference to the issues you work on at ICCI?

Money talks less, and people talk more. The hope is that, with voter education, voter participation will be increased and to restore faith in government, and to reaffirm that the government is by the people and for the people. With Clean Elections, legislators can focus on constituents. In reference to farm factories, local people can have control of factory farms, giving them the chance to approve or deny farm factory licenses, where now legislators are backing out of their promise to give local control over factory farms because they fear the loss of their campaign contributions from factory farm owners and corporate interest wins, grassroots people lose. With Clean Elections, law makers would not have to rely on special interest money.

I have been disappointed about the lack of discussion about VOICE and clean elections. Before the caucuses, I heard over and over again from people on both sides about the ridiculous amounts of money candidates were spending on Presidential campaigns. Now is the time to have the debate.

Richardson Supports Clean Elections and the VOICE Act

Bill Richardson says VOICE legislation should be a priority in 2008.

New Mexico Governor and Democratic Presidential candidate Bill Richardson today signed a letter to the Dubuque County Democratic Central Committee in support of Iowa HF 805, the Voter-Owned Iowa Clean Elections (VOICE) Act. The VOICE Act would allow candidates for elective office in Iowa to use public funding to finance their campaigns.

“As Governor of New Mexico, as a candidate for the Democratic nomination for President of the Untied States and, most importantly, as an American citizen, I fully endorse the Voter-Owned Iowa Clean Elections Act, HF 805, and I applaud the efforts of Rep. Pam Jochum and Sen. Mike Connolly in moving this legislation forward,” Governor Richardson wrote in the letter.

Richardson added...

“When I’m asked on the campaign trail how we can counteract the powerful influence of corporate special interests and get America moving again, the first thing I talk about is campaign finance reform,” he continued in the letter. “In my state of New Mexico , we are engaged in the process of turning our state elections back over to the people.

It is good to see the VOICE Act gaining some support. Hopefully this continues and it can be brought to the floor for the debate in the 2008 Legislative session.

Ed Fallon Talks About VOICE

Ed Fallon and Lynn Heuss spoke to Dennis from Cornsong earlier this month about VOICE -Voter Owned Iowa Clean Elections.

You can hear the interview here.

Summary of VOICE

Iowa Voters has a great summary of the VOICE bill that failed to pass out of committee in the last legislative session.

Here is part of the summary. Follow the link to read the rest.

This new Act gives candidates for public office a choice in how they fund their campaign for elective office. It is completely voluntary on the part of the candidate. VOICE provides qualifying candidates—who agree to limit their spending and reject contributions from private sources—with a set amount of public funds to run for office.

In general, VOICE candidates receive full public financing for the primary and the general elections. They qualify for funding by raising a high number of $5 qualifying contributions from voters in their districts or state. VOICE is not an attempt to patch up the current system, but instead is designed as an alternative to it. VOICE reform provides another way for candidates to finance their campaigns.

A similar law has already been enacted in Maine, Arizona, and Connecticut. New Jersey, New Mexico, North Carolina and Vermont have enacted the “clean money” option for some races.

VOICE has passed constitutional muster to date by working within the confines of the U.S. Supreme Court ruling known as Buckley v. Valeo (1976). The Buckley ruling states that government can place limits on the amount of money an individual or PAC can contribute to a candidate. However, government cannot place limits on spending UNLESS public financing is offered and the system is voluntary.

VOICE is funded with $10 million from unclaimed and abandoned properties in the custody of the State Treasurer’s office. In other words, it is not funded with tax money. Other funding sources include a $5 income tax check-off ($10 joint return), voluntary contributions to the VOICE Fund with up to a $200 tax deduction, unspent seed money, and qualifying contributions.

VOICE will be brought back during the next legislative session. Most Iowans believe money has too much influence in politics. VOICE would give influence back to the common person. However, there are a lot of misconceptions about how VOICE would work, so it is important the public and our elected officials are educated about the bill.