Publicly financed campaigns returning to Seattle

March 17, 1:02 PMSnohomish County Progressive ExaminerChad Shue

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Members of the Seattle City Council issued a press release yesterday outining a plan to place a proposal for publicly financed election campaigns before the Seattle voters by November, 2010 which if approved would clear the way for candidates to begin receiving public funding as early as the 2011 election cycle.

The City of Seattle established a system for partial public financing for election campaigns in 1978 but, as part of the Fair Campaign Practices Act enacted following the passage of Initiative 134 in 1992, the use of public funds for elections was prohibited statewide. In 2008, years of lobbying and grassroots activism, (led by the folks at Washington Public Campaigns) paid off when the state legislature pass a bill allowing for cities and regional governments (minus school board candidates) to establish publicly financed campaigns pending voter approval via referendum. Shortly after passage of the bill, the mayor and the city council established a commission to review financing models employed in other cities and make develop a proposal. According to the council's press release:

"...The group issued a final report in June, 2008, and the proposed timeline and program planning will work from the CPFAC’s [Campaign Public Financing Advisory Committee] findings.

Through 2009 and early 2010, Council will conduct public outreach, review voter-owned elections models in other jurisdictions, determine potential costs and financing plans, and develop a final proposal for voters to consider."

Public financing of municipal campaigns is already established in San Francisco, Albuquerque, and Portland, and statewide public campaigns are taking place in both Maine and Arizona.

Peace,
Chad Shue