The "Granny D. Bill" Passes The New Hampshire House And Senate

by: Rep. Jim Splaine

Thu Mar 27, 2008 at 18:31:01 PM EDT

House Bill 794 creates a seven-member group which will consider public funding options of certain campaigns in New Hampshire -- possibly Governor, State Senate, and Governor's Council.  So, this legislation could eventually dramatically affect for the good the way that democracy is exercised in our state.

After a public hearing early last year the bill was sent to a House Election Law Subcommittee which I chaired.  There I saw first-hand the enthusiasm for the concept of this bill that Granny D and others brought to her cause as we held a dozen work sessions on the bill.

The Subcommittee even met with Maine State Representatives to learn more about how public funding of certain campaigns works in that state.  Altogether, we had over 35 hours of discussion on this bill in the Legislature. HB 794 passed the House on January 16th on a roll call of 199 to 121.

I have dubbed House Bill 794 as "THE GRANNY D BILL," because this is her cause.  She walked across America in support of "clean elections."  In light of the ever-increasing costs of running for public office and the reliance on personal wealth or extensive fundraising in order to run for public office, this bill seeks to allow for a different approach to funding campaigns for potential candidates without such financial sources.

Legislation similar to the original version of HB 794 was almost passed by the 2000 Legislature.  A bill creating public financing of campaigns passed the State Senate that year, and came within 28 votes of passage in the then-Republican controlled House after a lengthy discussion.   GOVERNOR JEANNE SHAHEEN was prepared to sign the bill.

The people on the bipartisan Commission created by HB 794 will dedicate dedicate themselves in the next few months to the task of identifying alternative ways to fund state campaigns.  The  Commission will examine potential revenue sources for funding and develop recommendations to the legislative session of 2009.

This Commission, under the directives of the bill, may consider voluntary contributions, in-kind donations of services, and other means to generate revenue.  The Commission will include not more than three members of a political party.   No Commission members can currently hold elective office.   Two appointments are to be made by the House Speaker, two by the Senate President, two by the Governor, and one by the Secretary of State.  The Commission will report back by December 1, 2008, in time for legislative action in 2009.  

Some twelve states already have "clean election" laws at one level or another, with Maine, Arizona, and Connecticut having statewide versions affecting most elected offices.  This concept has been publicly endorsed by leaders and people who have run for "higher office" from both parties:  former GOVERNOR WALTER PETERSON, former Gubernatorial candidate JIM RUBINS, former Democratic U.S. Senate nominee JOHN RAUH, former Gubernatorial nominee PAUL McEACHERN and former State Senators CLIF BELOW and RICK TROMBLY, among others.  

In addition, SECRETARY OF STATE BILL GARDNER has been a strong advocate of the legislation and the public funding concept.  A number of other long-time supporters of the Granny D cause who have worked with her for the past decade also contributed to the success of the legislation to this point. Representatives of the League of Women Voters, NH Citizens Alliance, Americans for Campaign Reform, Public Action for Clean Elections, and Veterans for Peace NH have also supported the legislation.

I think the Commission will do its job well, and that it will come up with inventive, innovative ways to implement the concept here "The New Hampshire Way."  

House Bill 794 was cosponsored by Representatives PETER ALLEN, BETTY HALL, DANA HILLIARD, BARBARA RICHARDSON, SENATOR JACKIE CILLEY, and myself.   Several members of the House Election Law Committee worked especially hard on making the bill succeed, including DAVID PIERCE, who prepared the amendment creating the Commission, CLAUDIA CHASE and CHUCK WEED, who were on the Subcommittee which I chaired, along with David Pierce and Betty Hall and went to a number of meetings on the bill, and COMMITTEE CHAIR JANE CLEMONS, who helped in passage on the House Floor.

But this one really is a great victory for Granny D -- who repeatedly would tell us this isn't "about her," it's not even "about us," it's about our children, and our future.  

She's right.
 

The "Granny D Bill" Passes The House, Commission To Study Public Funding Of NH Campaigns

by: Rep. Jim Splaine

Thu Jan 17, 2008 at 00:05:49 AM EST

The legislation, House Bill 794, has gone through a thorough review during the past year.  After a public hearing last March it was sent to a House Election Law Subcommittee which I chaired.  We held a dozen worksessions on the bill.  The Subcommittee even met with Maine State Representatives to learn more about how public funding of certain campaigns works in that state.  

House Bill 794 is dubbed "THE GRANNY D BILL," because this is her cause.  She walked across America in support of "clean elections."  In light of the ever-increasing costs of running for public office and the reliance on personal wealth or extensive fundraising in order to run for public office, this bill seeks to allow for a different approach to funding campaigns for potential candidates without such financial sources.

Legislation similar to the original version of HB 794 was almost passed by the 2000 Legislature.  A bill creating public financing of campaigns passed the State Senate that year, and came within 28 votes of passage in the House after a lengthy discussion.   GOVERNOR JEANNE SHAHEEN was prepared to sign the bill.

Under this legislation, a bipartisan Commission of seven public members will be created to dedicate themselves to the task of identifying alternative ways to fund state campaigns.  The commission will examine potential revenue sources for funding and develop recommendations to the legislative session of 2009.

This Commission, under the directives of the bill, may consider voluntary contributions, in-kind donations of services, and other means to generate revenue.  The Commission would include not more than three members of a political party.   No Commission members would currently hold elective office.   Two appointments would be made by the House Speaker, two by the Senate President, two by the Governor, and one by the Secretary of State.  The Commission would report back by December 1, 2008, in time for legislative action in 2009.  

Some twelve states already have "clean election" laws.  This concept has been publicly endorsed by leaders and people who have run for "higher office" from both parties:  former GOVERNOR WALTER PETERSON, former Gubernatorial candidate JIM RUBINS, former Democratic U.S. Senate nominee JOHN RAUH, former Gubernatorial nominee PAUL McEACHERN and former State Senators CLIF BELOW and RICK TROMBLY, among others.  I think the Commission will do its job well, and that it will come up with inventive, innovative ways to implement the concept there "The New Hampshire Way."  

The original version of House Bill 794 was cosponsored by Representatives PETER ALLEN, BETTY HALL, DANA HILLIARD, BARBARA RICHARDSON, SENATOR JACKIE CILLEY, and myself.   Several members of the House Election Law Committee worked especially hard on making the bill succeed, including DAVID PIERCE, who prepared the amendment creating the Commission, CLAUDIA CHASE and CHUCK WEED,who were on the Subcommittee along with David Pierce and Betty Hall and went to a number of meetings on the bill, and COMMITTEE CHAIR JANE CLEMONS, who helped in passage on the House Floor.

But this one was really a great victory for Granny D -- who repeatedly would tell us this isn't "about her," it's not even "about us," it's about our children, and our future.  

She's right.  Now it's onto the State Senate.  

"Granny D's" Cause Might Be Coming To New Hampshire In 2008

by: Rep. Jim Splaine

Fri Aug 24, 2007 at 09:15:37 AM EDT

And it could change the way Concord does business.  It would change the way New Hampshire candidates go about their fundraising.  It would reduce the rush for cash that we've seen in recent election cycles.  It will make it possible for more candidates of "limited means" -- whether personal finances or "contacts" -- to be able to run for office.  Those would all be good things.

"Granny D" is a national treasure.  She's walked the nation, walked on Washington, and now she's walking on Concord.  Again, actually -- she's done so several times before. 

During the past 18 months or so I and others have been working alongside Granny D on her concept of "Clean Elections."  Essentially, it is the idea that people running for office should be able to get funding from sources other than lobbyists and other special interests.  Many Democratic and Republican Presidential candidates visiting New Hampshire have been strongly critical of the influence of financial donations from lobbyists and big money in national elections.  That problem, of course, occurs in state elections as well.

The cause of Granny D should be high on the agenda for New Hampshire Democrats and Republicans during the upcoming Legislation Session.  A bill is currently in the Legislature, and a special subcommittee of the House Election Law Committee has held meetings on it during the past several months, including some hot days of Summer.  A citizen group has also been working on the bill.  Three meetings are planned for September -- more on that soon.