Clean Election Update by Julie Archer

February 16, 2006

Clean Elections Clears Senate Judiciary, Needs Your Help in Senate Finance

After much anticipation, the “West Virginia Public Campaign Financing Act” (SB 124) made it onto the Senate Judiciary Committee agenda committee on Monday and after a lively debate the committee passed the bill. Although there are conflicting reports about the vote (the Associated Press reported a 7 to 5 vote, the Charleston Gazette 7 to 6, while our own count was 8 to 6) we're just glad the bill is finally on the move. You calls made the difference! The bill is now before the Senate Finance Committee and we still need your help. Please call contact Finance Committee members and and ask them to support “voter-owned” elections in West Virginia. Committee members are:
 

Billy Wayne Bailey (D-Wyoming)	bwbailey@mail.wvnet.edu	357-7807
Donna Boley (R-Pleasants)	donnaboley@mail.wvnet.edu	357-7905
Edwin Bowman (D-Hancock)	jwazell@mail.wvnet.edu	357-7918
Truman Chafin (D-Mingo)	htchafin@mail.wvnet.edu	357-7808
Larry Edgell (D-Wetzel)	edgell@mail.wvnet.edu	357-7827
Karen Facemyer (D-Jackson)	kfacemyr@mail.wvnet.edu	357-7855
Jesse Guills (R-Greenbrier)	jguills@mail.wvnet.edu	357-7959
Walt Helmick (D-Pocahontas)	whelmick@mail.wvnet.edu	357-7980
Shirley Love (D-Love)	shlove@mail.wvnet.edu	357-7849
Brooks McCabe (D-Kanawha)	brmccabe@mail.wvnet.edu	357-7990
Sarah Minear (D-Tucker)	smminear@aol.com	357-7914
Robert Plymale (D-Wayne)	grays@mail.wvnet.edu	357-7937
Roman Prezioso (D-Marion)	cglagola@mail.wvnet.edu	357-7961
Bill Sharpe (D-Lewis)		357-7845
Vic Sprouse (R-Kanawha)	vic@vicsprouse.com	357-7901
John Unger (D-Berkeley)	junger@mail.wvnet.edu	357-7933
John Yoder (R-Jefferson)	jyoder@mail.wvnet.edu	357-7957

On Thursday, February 23 (thanks to generous support from the Reform Institute) the committee will be hearing testimony from Todd Lang, Executive Director of the Arizona Citizens Clean Elections Commission, the state agency that administers Arizona's public financing program. We hope Mr. Lang's visit to West Virginia will provide a big boost to our efforts, but Senators still need to hear from their constituents that they support publicly financed elections over elections funded by special interest contributors. With the deadline for bills to be out of committee fast approaching its important for Legislators to hear from you this coming week.