Sen. Welch Tries to Clean Up Election Law

Hartford, CT – State Senator Jason Welch (R-Bristol) co-sponsored an amendment to remove special interest money from elections. The citizen’s election fund helps residents running for office by allowing them to qualify for grant money to be used during a campaign.

Candidates participating in the public financing system can accept contributions of no more than $100. But contributors to the state parties can give up to $10,000, and the parties can make unlimited expenditures to assist candidates for the General Assembly and other state offices, including governor.
During a debate over a bill to ensure there is enough money in the Citizens’ Election Fund Senator Welch offered an amendment that would limit donations by a state contractor.
“Do you feel comfortable with a state contractor giving $10,000 to the political party of a lawmaker who could award them with a contract for business?” asked Sen. Welch. “We should limit what state contractors can contribute to remove special interest money from our elections this amendment would do that.”

Right now, state law bars state contractors from donating directly to campaigns for state office. A federal law however, allows them to give to state political parties, even if those donations indirectly benefit state candidates.

The amendment offered by Sen. Welch would have strengthened the rules surrounding the Citizens Election Fund including:

• not allowing money to be used on negative campaign attack ads
• lower donor thresholds from $10,000 to $5,000 to state party committees
• lowering donor thresholds from $2,000 to $1,000 to caucus committees
• no state contractor would be allowed to give to a federal account any more than $100 in a year

“Cleaner elections, openness, transparency and ultimately giving the people the power in elections is what this idea is about,” said Sen. Welch. “The impression of pay to play, the idea that it is wise to pay political contributions if one is doing business with the state is unacceptable.”

The amendment failed along party lines.