October 17th, 2011 IRC Meeting
Quick Notes / Summaries Re Proposed Bills to be Discussed:
S304 – "Massachusetts Disclosure Act of 2011" -- Political adverts will have to name top 5 contributors; foreign owned and influenced corporations restricted from influencing elections; close transparency loopholes -- http://www.malegislature.gov/Bills/187/Senate/S00304
S305 – "Massachusetts Corporate Accountability Act of 2011" -- Corporations shall report quarterly on their political expenditures; reports given to shareholders and publicly displayed online for one year after filing date; corporations cannot contribute more than $5000 without prior specific authorization of board of directors -- http://www.malegislature.gov/Bills/187/Senate/S00305
S308 – "An Act relative to fair election in Massachusetts" – small donation public financing system; 400% matching for funds from small dollar donors who are residents of MA; candidates opt-in; qualifying donations are $100 or less; to get matching funds, need 200 or 450 donors (averaging $50+ to meet $ raising requirement) to qualify initially (depending on whether running for Representative or Senator); expenditure limits of $20K/$60K for primary and $40K/$120K for general election -- http://www.malegislature.gov/Bills/187/Senate/S00308
Notes on Hearing Proceedure:
Elected officials get priority to speak; otherwise first-come, first-serve. Clerk requires two hard copies of testimony for the record.
No set agenda for hearing. List of bills to potentially be discussed at: http://www.malegislature.gov/Events/EventDetail?eventId=280&eventDataSource=Hearings
Proposed Statement:
The Massachusetts Pirate Party supports the Massachusetts Disclosure Act (S.304), the Massachusetts Corporate Accountability Act (S.305) and the Massachusetts Fair Elections Act (S.308).
For democracy to function, it is critical for elected officials to have the confidence of those they represent. That trust is undermined when the flow of money into politics is shrouded in secrecy and when candidates fund their campaigns through large donations from relatively few, concentrated interests.
Citizens feel that the current system of campaign finance distorts the legislative process. Whether or not a lawmaker's conduct is in fact swayed by a large donation, the perception is that money buys results. Consequently, citizens lose interest in remaining politically engaged and lose respect for the government. In a country and a state where government legitimacy derives from the consent of the governed, this result is unacceptable.
The Fair Elections Act, S.308, provides candidates a means for reclaiming that legitimacy. When a campaign is funded through small donations from a large number of citizens, the candidate is not beholden to a few large contributors. The Fair Elections funding system encourages candidates to achieve broad appeal among all voters, including those of limited means. As a means for re-engaging millions upon millions of voters who feel disenfranchised, the Fair Elections Act, S.308, should be a top priority for the legislature.
The Massachusetts Disclosure Act and the Massachusetts Corporate Accountability Act provide for increased transparency that would permit voters to hold their elected officials accountable for accepting donations that are perceived as compromising their objectivity. These two acts would enhance the ability of citizens to elect officials who will represent their interests and would help restore confidence in government by making it more difficult to secretly exchange favors for campaign cash. The Corporate Accountability Act also includes important provisions to protect corporate shareholders from having their money spent on political causes without their knowledge or consent, and the Disclosure Act aims to prevent foreign entities from influencing the elections of the Commonwealth. Both S.304 and S.305 are important steps towards a transparent and responsive democracy.
The Massachusetts Pirate Party recognizes that progress on a wide variety of issues is severely hindered by the influence of money in politics. We see democratic reform as a core issue that must be addressed for the good of the United States of America and the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
