Public Hearing on Proposed Campaign Finance Regulations

Filed in National by on November 26, 2012

Back in August, Governor Markell signed three pieces of legislation designed to update the state’s campaign finance regulations.  These new regulations are required to be implemented by  December 31, 2012.  As part of the process, the new regulations were posted in November 1, and  Public Hearings are set for Thursday, November 29, 2012:

10:00 a.m. – Dept. of Elections for Sussex County – 119 N. Race Street, Georgetown 19947
2:00 p.m. – Office of the State Election Commissioner – 905 S. Governors Avenue, Dover 19904
7:00 p.m. – Dept. of Elections for New Castle County – Carvel State Office Bldg., 4th Floor – 820 N. French Street, Wilmington 19801

You can attend any of these meetings to provide comment in person (limit is 10 minutes to comment per person) or you can provide written comments online here.

As a reminder, here is a summary of what these new bills are intended to do:

House Bill 300, the Delaware Elections Disclosure Act , which represents the first major overhaul of Delaware’s campaign finance laws in more than 20 years. It closes a loophole with campaign advertisements, requires prompt reporting of third-party spending on campaign ads and requires greater disclosure from those who spend money to influence elections.  Effective January 1, 2013.

House Bill 310, increases the penalties for late filing of elections disclosure reports from $50 a month to $50 a day; and $50 a day for incomplete campaign finance reports.  Effective immediately.

Senate Bill 185, requires enhanced disclosure for lobbyists regarding the issues they are lobbying, inclusive of bills, resolutions and regulations.

As always, the devil is in the details of how the regulations are written as well as in how they are implemented. Any thoughts on what can be strengthened or clarified here?

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"You don't make progress by standing on the sidelines, whimpering and complaining. You make progress by implementing ideas." -Shirley Chisholm

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