STATEMENT BY NICK NYHART
ON CONNECTICUT LEGISLATURE’S VOTE FOR CLEAN ELECTIONS

“ Voters won today and the Connecticut legislature made history when lawmakers approved full public financing of legislative and state-wide elections. Under this system, elected officials will be free to run without having to rely on lobbyist contributions or well heeled donors.

“It is particularly sweet that this victory comes in Connecticut the same week that began with Rep. Randy ‘Duke’ Cunningham’s resignation after pleading guilty to bribery charges. There are so many national money and politics scandals right now, from Tom DeLay to Jack Abramoff to Bob Ney, that it’s a full time job just to keep up with them.

“Now it is up to Gov. M. Jodi Rell to continue to take bold leadership and make ‘Corrupticut’ a thing of the past by signing this Clean Elections bill. When this legislation becomes law, Connecticut will be the first state in the nation in which elected officials have voted to so completely change the pay-to-play political system that is unfortunately the norm throughout the country.”

At present, Clean Elections is the law in six states: in Arizona and Maine for state-wide elections; in North Carolina for judicial elections; in New Mexico for the Public Regulation Commission; in Vermont for governor and lieutenant-governor; and in New Jersey, where there is a legislative pilot program in effect for the 2005 and 2007 cycles. “Clean” programs have also passed this year in Portland, Oregon; and Albuquerque, New Mexico. In more than 30 states, people are working to pass comprehensive publicly financed elections.

The Clean Elections bill passed without amendments by a vote of 27 to 8 in the Senate and 82 to 65 in the House of Representatives. Governor M. Jodi Rell released a statement yesterday stating she would sign the bill if it came to her without any amendments.

Public Campaign is a nonprofit, nonpartisan organization dedicated to sweeping reform that aims to dramatically reduce the role of big special interest money in American politics. For more information, go to www.publicampaign.org.