There are three main Voter-Owned Elections expansion bills that have been introduced during the 2009 session. These three bills reflect the first three priorities of our coalition's 2009 legislative agenda.
Two bills, HB-586 and SB-966, would expand North Carolina’s program to five additional offices. If passed, total offices covered would include State Auditor, Commissioner of Insurance, Superintendent of Public Instruction (current), Sec. of State, State Treasurer, Attorney General, Commissioner of Labor, and Commissioner of Agriculture (expanded)---or all of the Council of State excluding Governor and Lt. Governor.
Two bills, HB-120 and SB-938, authorize municipalities to create public campaign financing programs for their local elections. The bills do not require that any city create a program and it does not appropriate a single dime of state money. It simply authorizes ALL cities in North Carolina to create public campaign financing programs.
Right now, only Chapel Hill has authorization. The town recently adopted a program which will begin with this year's municipal elections.
3. Legislative Campaigns Pilot SB-936 and HB-1493, would create a legislative public financing pilot in three Senate and six House districts beginning in 2012. The bill would allow us to test public financing out at the legislative level, while demonstrating the clear need for and benefit of creating an alternative campaign financing system for the legislature.
