January 11, 2008

Clean Elections Update  

The coalition partners of West Virginia Citizens for Clean Elections are ready to roll with our Public Campaign Financing Act again during the 2008 session. We have spoken with almost all our Senate and House sponsors of last year’s bill and are finding them very willing to sponsor again. We have a great core group of supporters with which to work! Lead sponsors will be Senator Jeff Kessler and Delegate John Doyle.

This year, we will be focusing our attention on the House, hoping to move the bill there after a couple of frustrating sessions in Senate Finance Committee. Coalition members will be doing everything we can to educate more Delegates and Senators about the bill, and the advantages it offers to both citizens and candidates. And we very much need you to contact your representatives and let them know you support public financing for West Virginia campaigns!

If we want public policy that reflects our desires and values, we need to be able to elect people with good ideas, not just people with big campaign war chests. Public financing frees elected officials from constantly chasing campaign contributions and allows them to spend more time hearing from their constituents. Citizens already pay for elections through special deals and incentive packages provided to large campaign donors. Doesn’t it make more sense to spend the five dollars per household it would cost for public financing and greatly reduce this special interest influence?

Be sure to check out our website, where a new Clean Elections brochure, an updated fact sheet “Support Fair and Clean Elections,” and blank copies of our petition are available, http://www.wvoter-owned.org. Weekly updates during the legislative session will be posted on the website as well.

Another exciting piece of news is that we have been given an opportunity for a Challenge Matching Grant by the Piper Foundation. If we can raise $15,000 by March 1,  we will receive $15,000 in matching funds. These challenge grants are the main source of funding for our clean elections work, so meeting the goal is extremely important. Some exciting special events are in the planning stages! Your help would be greatly appreciated! Contributions may be sent to OVEC (P.O. Box 6753, Huntington, WV 25773) or WV Citizen Action (1500 Dixie St., Charleston, WV 25311).  Thanks for your support!