With less than a month remaining to pass Clean Elections legislation in Maryland we're turning up the heat on the Senate, and particularly the leadership, to move the bill out of committee and to the floor for a vote. Yesterday Public Campaign, Progressive Maryland, and Common Cause Maryland convened a press conference at the state capitol to release new polling information, and unveil a new ad campaign targeting money flowing to Maryland legislators from electric utility companies.

About thirty people representing all three organizations gathered in front of the capitol building at 4pm, where we were joined by both print and television reporters.

Speakers at the Capitol

Speakers called attention to the new report we just put out about the amount of money electric companies donated to legislators in the run-up to passage of electricity deregulation legislation that has resulted in much higher electric bills for Maryland residents. Our partner organizations will be rolling out a voter education campaign shortly that will call attention to this confluence of campaign cash and legislation favorable to corporations, and ask people to call their state Senators to voice their support for Clean Elections policy.

Activisits Gather to Show Support
Ron Powell of Montgomery Village attended the rally after hearing about it in an email from Public Campaign. He's been following Clean Elections developments for about a year and half and enthusiastically supports efforts to bring Clean Elections to Maryland: "I support Clean Elections because I want to make sure there's no appearance of a conflict of interest, and no actual conflict of interest with our legislature and that people who are running for office spend time with us, the voters. I think Clean Elections is cheap at the price."

Recent results from a poll of donors to state Senate candidates in ten districts showed 62% support for a Clean Elections public financing program for Maryland legislative candidates -- that result matches up pretty well with the level of national support we've measured for Clean Elections and is yet another powerful argument for the Maryland Senate to move quickly on this bill.
Blinded by Clean Elections!