Vitali offers campaign finance reform in Pennsylvania
"Campaign finance reform is an issue that is on the mind of voters nationwide today," Vitali said at a Capitol news conference. "But nowhere is the issue more salient than here in Pennsylvania, one of the few states that has no meaningful campaign finance laws."
Vitali was joined at the news conference by several legislators and numerous public interest groups, including Common Cause, Penn Future, AARP, the Pennsylvania Council of Churches, the Sierra Club, the Keystone Research Center and the Pennsylvania Legislative Animal Network.
All joined Vitali in calling for prompt consideration and passage of his legislation. Legislators said they were disturbed by the increasing impact that special-interest money has had on Pennsylvania's political process, from the governor's race to state House and Senate races.
State Rep. David Levdansky, a leading proponent of campaign finance reform in the House, said Pennsylvania is one of only three or four states that has not passed any component of campaign finance reform: contribution limits, spending limits or public financing.
"In Pennsylvania, political campaigns have become a mad dash for cash," he said. "Campaign finance reform will free all of us to have an open and meaningful debate on all the other issues that are important to the people of Pennsylvania."
State Sen. Allen Kukovich, who is sponsoring his own campaign finance reform legislation in the Senate, said supporters of reform cannot give up on the issue.
"No matter how difficult it is in this state, we will not be deterred from getting this issue on the radar scope in Pennsylvania."
Kukovich said the General Assembly should look to New Jersey for guidance, where a system similar to the one in Vitali's bill has been in place for the last two gubernatorial election cycles, both of which have featured close, issue-oriented races.
"Campaign finance reform has provided for a free clash of ideas for the people of New Jersey," he said. "We should do no less here."
Vitali's bill (H.B. 600) would set mandatory contribution limits in elections for Pennsylvania governor and lieutenant governor. In addition, it would provide candidates who agree to voluntary spending limits with public financing for their primary and general election campaigns. The program would be funded by a voluntary $5 checkoff on the state's Personal Income Tax form and a General Fund budget appropriation.
The state House of Representatives passed the legislation with bipartisan support during the 1999-2000 legislative session, but the Senate did not act on it.
"Campaign spending in the governor's race in Pennsylvania is just spiraling out of control," Vitali said. "Today, you can't become governor unless you are beholden to the special interests."
Vitali said former Gov. Richard Thornburgh spent about $4 million to get elected in 1978, while Gov. Ridge spent about $14 million to get elected in 1994. The 2002 gubernatorial race is expected to shatter all previous spending records, Vitali said. One candidate already has more than $5 million in hand almost 20 months before the election.
Several speakers at the news conference said they believe the increasing influence of campaign money in Pennsylvania has damaged not only the public's perception of integrity in state government, but also democracy itself.
"It has created an unhealthy tension for candidates between doing what is right and doing what their campaign contributors expect," said Jan Jarrett, director of outreach for PennFuture, an environmental advocacy group. Out-of-control campaign spending using money from a privileged few has stifled debate on issues that are important to the majority of Pennsylvanians, she said.
Steve Herzenberg, executive director of the Keystone Research Center, a non-partisan think tank that studies Pennsylvania government, agreed.
"Over the past two or three decades, there has been a drift from one person, one vote to one dollar, one vote," Herzenberg said. "Rep. Vitali's legislation is the first step in the process of restoring the genius of democracy in Pennsylvania."