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Florida Legislature 2005 (click for ongoing coverage)

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House raises election funding

A party-line vote approves a fourfold hike in taxpayer financing of statewide campaigns.

By STEVE BOUSQUET
Published April 28, 2005

TALLAHASSEE - For years, Republicans ridiculed taxpayer financing of Florida elections as a waste of money, calling it "welfare for politicians."

Now Republican lawmakers want to dramatically increase the amount of taxpayers' money available to politicians running for governor and the Florida Cabinet, who get public money in return for agreeing to limit how much they spend.

The spending cap is $5-million. Republicans want to increase it to $20-million, arguing that statewide races have become much more costly and that third-party groups are spending millions to sway voters.

In a party-line vote, the Republican-controlled House approved the higher cap Wednesday, a move that will force the Senate to consider the same proposal.

"The current cap is too low and outdated to run an effective statewide campaign that covers all 10 statewide media markets," said Rep. Ron Reagan, R-Bradenton, the bill's sponsor. He said it costs $1.5-million to run a 30-second political ad for one week that reaches most viewers in every Florida market.

Senate President Tom Lee said he is "ambivalent" about raising the spending limits. But Gov. Jeb Bush endorsed the idea.

"I think it makes sense," Bush said. "You look at the cost of statewide campaigns in this state, and you take the number of votes that occur in a statewide race and you divide it, we are on the low end. Places like North Dakota spend more money on statewide races than they do in Florida."

Florida's public financing law allows candidates for governor and the Cabinet to receive a dollar-for-dollar match for individual donations up to $250 from Floridians .

Democrats said the change makes a mockery of public financing, which was begun under Gov. Lawton Chiles as a way to help grass-roots candidates compete with big-money opponents.

"This is absolutely off the wall," Rep. Dan Gelber, D-Miami Beach, told Republicans. "You are going to blow the lid off campaign finance reform."

Democrats planning statewide campaigns in 2006 criticized the idea.

"To raise those caps that would lead to an explosion not only in spending but an explosion in tax-supported campaigns is an unwise choice for us," said Sen. Rod Smith, D-Alachua, a candidate for governor.

Democratic Party chairman Scott Maddox, who is considering running for governor, accused lawmakers of ignoring problems like the number of Floridians without health care or living in poverty.

"The Republican Legislature's response is to vote to spend tax dollars for their own campaigns," Maddox said. "That's just wrong."

Reagan said Democrats who oppose a higher cap can simply refuse to participate in public financing.

Another change considered by Republicans but not adopted would raise from $50,000 to $250,000 the amount a political party can give a candidate. Reagan mentioned "technical problems" with the proposal but would not elaborate.

Raising the public financing cap was one of several controversial parts of the bill (HB 1589) that is awaiting a final House vote.

The bill also would allow Secretary of State Glenda Hood to issue emergency orders in the 60 days before an election. Hood is a Bush appointee, and Democrats criticized her last year for decisions they said favored Republicans.

The bill also requires a complete voter file to be provided to legislative leaders of both parties, including information on whether individual voters cast ballots at a precinct, at an early voting site or not at all. Democrats said that risks sensitive information about individual voters being compromised.

Times staff writer Carrie Johnson contributed to this report. Steve Bousquet can be reached at bousquet@sptimes.com

[Last modified April 28, 2005, 01:17:11]