January 24, 2008

Clean Elections Update  

Julie Archer and I have been busy talking to members of the House Judiciary Committee this week in preparation for our meeting with Judiciary Chair Carrie Webster on Monday the 28th. Delegate Doyle, our lead sponsor in the House, will join us at that meeting. We plan to talk with her about strategy and seek her suggestions for moving the bill in Judiciary and in the House in general.

Please help us in contacting Judiciary members, especially if your own Delegate is on the committee! Delegates Ellem, Lane, Brown, Moore, and Fleischauer are sponsors on Judiciary committee, so please thank them for their support. Delegates Proudfoot, Burdiss, Guthrie, Kessler, Shook, Pino, Tabb, and Hamilton seem inclined in our direction, but would definitely benefit from friendly contacts.

On Tuesday, I made a presentation including an explanation of the proposed public campaign financing bill to the Affiliated Construction Trades Board. They voted to reaffirm their support for the measure again this year, for which we are very grateful! Steve White of the ACT Foundation has been an active and helpful member of our coalition from the very beginning of this effort.

A very special event is being planned for February 28! Senator Jon Hunter, a dedicated Clean Elections supporter, has agreed to join us for a reception honoring him and his work! The event will be held at the Charleston Women's Club, on the corner of Virginia and Elizabeth Streets from 6:00 to 8:00 PM. Mark your calendar now and plan to attend! If there are particular people you feel should be invited, please let us know. The event will be a fundraiser in support of our new Challenge Grant.

We have been given the opportunity to receive a one-to-one match if we can raise $15,000 by April 1, 2008.  (Yes, we were able to have the deadline extended one month!) These challenge grants are the main source of funding for our clean elections work, so meeting the goal is extremely important. Your help would be greatly appreciated! If you're unable to attend this exciting event, contributions may be sent to OVEC (P.O. Box 6753, Huntington, WV 25773) or WV Citizen Action (1500 Dixie St., Charleston, WV 25311).