Clean Elections Advance in West Virginia

The West Virginia Citizens for Clean Elections coalition was delighted when the Independent Commission on Judicial Reform included a pilot project for public financing for the Supreme Court in its Nov. 15, 2009 recommendations.

Coalition members Carol Warren (OVEC), Larry Matheney (AFL-CIO), Julie Archer (CAG), Gary Zuckett (CAG), Kathy Stoltz (League of Women Voters), and Dennis Sparks (WV Council of Churches) met in December with the Governors Chief Counsel Jonathan Deem and his Policy Advisor Jim Pitrolo to discuss the legislation and assure them of our support.

The Commissions initial recommendation was to have a pilot project for one of the two state Supreme Court seats being contested in 2012.

We informed the Governors representatives that we believed that having the pilot for both seats would provide a better picture of how a public financing program would work.

We pointed out that having one seat with public financing while the other did not offer that option could result in a "big money contest" and a "small money contest," which they agreed was undesirable.

It appears they got our message, because Gov. Manchin announced in his State of the State address that he would be introducing legislation to establish a pilot project for both Supreme Court seats. And such legislation has indeed been introduced: Senate bill 233 and House bill 4130.

The bills are similar to last years Supreme Court Pilot Project (SB311), sponsored by Senator Jeff Kessler (D-Marshall), which the coalition also supported.

Our bill to establish a public campaign financing program for the House of Delegates and Senate has been reintroduced as well: HB2764.

The Supreme Court pilot project requires candidates to collect at least 500 qualifying contributions of between $10 and $100. Ten percent of these must come from each Congressional district to show statewide support.

These qualifying contributions must total at least $35,000 but no more than $50,000. Once qualified, the candidate will be eligible for an initial grant of $200,000 in the primary, and, if successful there, an initial grant of $350,000 for the general election.

Matching funds are available in both primary and general elections if the clean elections candidate is outspent by a non-participating opponent.