By Moveon.Org

The Iowa General Assembly is debating a bill to adopt Clean Elections—public financing for candidates in legislative and statewide races. Clean Elections is a proven policy working in states like Connecticut, Maine, and Arizona where campaigns are now contests of ideas, not fundraising ability.¹

Please call on your state legislators to support the Voter Owned Iowa Clean Elections (VOICE) Act—HF 805/AF 553.

Senator Robert Dvorsky
Phone: 515-281-3371

Representative David Jacoby
Phone: 515-281-3221

Then, please report your call by clicking here:

http://pol.moveon.org/call?tg=SIA_015.HIA_030&cp_id=482&id=10201-6881659-uYaIvx&t=2

Can you imagine if Iowa's lawmakers owed nothing to corporate lobbyists and owed everything to voters? Iowa could join the cutting-edge of truly democratic elections. And if Iowa adopts public financing this year, the presidential candidates will have to go on record about this bold reform—putting the national spotlight on Clean Elections.

In 2005, MoveOn members in Connecticut joined state and national organizations in lobbying for public financing in their state, and Connecticut became the first state in which the legislature passed a full Clean Elections measure.

This year, we can help pass Clean Elections in Iowa.

Clean Elections is a common sense reform that puts voters ahead of campaign contributors. With Clean Elections, candidates qualify for public funds by collecting a set number of small contributions and signatures from supporters. Once qualified, candidates can no longer accept any private contributions and must adhere to strict spending limits. Candidates running for the legislature, governor, and secretary of state would be able to spend their time talking to constituents instead of spending countless hours meeting with lobbyists and wealthy donors.

Call your state legislators in support of the Voter Owned Iowa Clean Elections (VOICE) Act—HF 805/AF 553.

Senator Robert Dvorsky
Phone: 515-281-3371

Representative David Jacoby
Phone: 515-281-3221

After you call, let us know by clicking here:

http://pol.moveon.org/call?tg=SIA_015.HIA_030&cp_id=482&id=10201-6881659-uYaIvx&t=3

With your help, we can put Iowa elections in the hands of regular voters where they belong instead of big donors and powerful lobbyists.

Thank you for all you do.

–Noah, Joan, Karin, Jennifer, and the MoveOn.org Political Action Team
  Monday, April 16th, 2007

http://www.publicampaign.org

http://www.moveon.org/r?r=2508&id=10201-6881659-uYaIvx&t=4

Pass public financing for Iowa campaigns
By Barb Kalbach
Iowa View

In his leadership position, Senate Majority Leader Mike Gronstal raises exorbitant amounts of cash and doles it out to candidates as he sees fit.

According to the Institute on Money in State Politics, Gronstal raised more than $500,000 in the 2006 election cycle. More than 75 percent of the money raised for his committee during that period, $426,250, was contributed to the Iowa Democratic Party.

Gronstal's ability to raise and allocate campaign cash is how he retains his power and influence in the Senate. He raised more money than any Senate candidate in the 2006 cycle—and he wasn't up for re-election.

Now Gronstal and his colleagues are going to create a 527 committee, named for its designation in the IRS tax code. A 527 is created primarily to influence elections through the use of "issue advocacy" ads that avoid regulation by the Federal Election Commission. These groups raise practically unlimited amounts of money from individuals and corporations. Since a 527 is not required to report its source of funds to the FEC, the industries and interests giving money to these groups are seldom disclosed.

Gronstal told the Register that he doesn't approve of 527s, but said, "Even though I don't necessarily like the rules, I'll play by the rules as effectively as my competitors." The competitor he's referring to is Rep. Christopher Rants, the House Republican leader who has successfully used his Iowa Leadership Council to raise large amounts of money from the beer, tobacco and car-title loan industries, among others.

Our elections don't have to be this way—high-stakes shoot-outs between wealthy interests. A bill in the Legislature, modeled on the successful Clean Elections programs in seven states and two municipalities, puts the concerns of voters ahead of well-heeled special interests.

Called the Voter Owned Iowa Clean Elections Act, or VOICE, the bill is championed by Rep. Pam Jochum and Sen. Mike Connolly. VOICE would implement a system of public financing for legislative and statewide campaigns.

Modeled on successful systems in Maine, Arizona and North Carolina, the VOICE Act would provide public funds sufficient to run a competitive campaign to candidates who qualify by showing broad-based community support. That would require collecting a set number of $5 donations. Once qualified, VOICE candidates must agree to adhere to strict spending limits and forgo all private fundraising.

As of January 2007, more than 200 elected officials across the country hold office as a result of a Clean Elections system, including 84 percent of the Maine Legislature and nine of 11 statewide officials in Arizona. Gov. Janet Napolitano has used the system for both of her gubernatorial campaigns.

Clean Elections is also taking hold on the national stage. Last month, bipartisan legislation called the Fair Elections Now Act was introduced in the U.S. Senate by Sens. Richard Durbin, D-Ill., and Arlen Specter, R-Pa. It would bring full public financing of elections to all congressional races.

Should the VOICE Act bring this opportunity to Iowa, Gronstal and others could spend their time focusing on the concerns and issues that matter to voters instead of dialing for dollars and courting big-money contributors to fill both their candidate and 527 campaign accounts.

Barb Kalbach is president of Iowa Citizens for Community Improvement.

Source:

1. "States/Localities with Clean Elections," Public Campaign
http://www.publicampaign.org/where