Limits for Indiana
People in Indiana are concerned about the Wild Midwest rules when it comes to campaign finance, namely the lack of limits on campaign contributions to candidates for office in the state. A few solutions to the unbridled influence of private money on the state's elections are being shopped around, including Clean Elections.From the Indianapolis Star:Other states have tried to address the issue."More and more states are saying 'let's take elections -- in particular gubernatorial elections, because there are so many millions of dollars being spent -- off the auction block,' " Vaughn said.Along those lines, state Rep. Matt Pierce is holding a legislative hearing this month on whether Indiana should limit how much money someone can give a candidate, and whether Indiana should join the three states -- Arizona, Connecticut and Maine -- that now have full public financing of the race for governor."I've always been disturbed by these large sums of unlimited contributions that are in the process, particularly at the gubernatorial level," said Pierce, a Bloomington Democrat who is chairman of the House Elections and Apportionment Committee. "My idea is to at least have it discussed."A Clean Elections program has the advantage of avoiding a hair-splitting discussion on contribution limits and how much money constitutes too much money. Instead Indiana candidates would have an alternative that removed their dependence on big money all together.