State SealARIZONA HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES

 

HB 2076: clean elections; enforcement; early contributions

PRIME SPONSOR: Representative Fillmore, LD 16

BILL STATUS: Elections

                               

 

Overview

☒ Prop 105 (45 votes) ☐ Prop 108 (40 votes) ☐ Emergency (40 votes) ☐ Fiscal NoteModifies the requirements for early contributions for candidates other than for governor.

History

The purpose of the Citizens Clean Elections Act (Act) is to create a clean elections system that will improve the integrity of the Arizona state government by diminishing the influence of special-interest money, encourage citizen participation in the political process and promote freedom of speech. This Act encourages campaigns to become more issue-oriented and less negative because there will be no need to challenge the sources of money (A.R.S. § 16-940).

A candidate may accept early contributions only from individuals only during the exploratory period and qualifying period. Early contributions from all sources for an election cycle for candidates other than the governor may not exceed 10% of the sum of the original primary and general election spending limit. Early contributions and the candidate's personal money may only be spent during the exploratory and qualifying periods, any of the contributions that remain unspent at the end of the qualifying period must be paid to the Citizens Clean Elections Fund (Fund) (A.R.S. 16-945). The exploratory period begins on the day after a general election and ends the day before the start of the qualifying period. The qualifying period begins on the first day of August in a year preceding an election and ends one week before the primary election (A.R.S. § 16-961).

The Citizen Clean Election Commission (Commission) is required to enforce the Act, ensure money from the Fund is placed in the candidate campaign accounts, monitor reports filed relating to campaign contributions and expenses and financial records and ensure money that is to be paid to the Fund is deposited to the Fund (A.R.S. § 16-956).

Provisions

1.       Specifies that for candidates other than governor, the early contributions may not exceed 15% of the sum of the original primary and general election spending limit. (Sec. 1)

2.       Removes the requirement that early contributions not spent by the end of the qualifying period be paid to the Fund. (Sec. 1)

3.       Allows early contributions to be spent at any time during the candidate's candidacy. (Sec. 1)

4.       Stipulates that the Commission must include the contribution limits on nonparticipating candidates when enforcing the Act. (Sec. 2)

5.       Requires the Commission to monitor reports filed relating to campaign contributions and expenses and financial records of participating and nonparticipating candidates. (Sec. 2)

6.       Requires a three-fourths vote for enactment. (Sec. 3)

7.       Makes technical changes. (Sec. 1)

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11.   Fifty-fourth Legislature                       HB 2076

12.   First Regular Session                            Version 1: Elections

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14.   ---------- DOCUMENT FOOTER ---------