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F I S C A L I M P A C T R E P O R T

SPONSOR Chasey

ORIGINAL DATE

LAST UPDATED

1/30/08

2/8/08 HB 564

SHORT TITLE Add Statewide Officers to Voter Action Act

SB

ANALYST Ortiz

REVENUE (dollars in thousands)

Estimated Revenue

Recurring

or Non-Rec

Fund

Affected

FY08

FY09

FY10

($5,400.0)

($5,400.0) Recurring General Fund

$5,400.0

$5,400.0 Recurring Public Election

Fund

(Parenthesis ( ) Indicate Revenue Decreases)

SOURCES OF INFORMATION

LFC Files

No Responses Received From

Attorney General’s Office (AGO)

Secretary of State (SOS)

SUMMARY

Synopsis of Bill

House Bill 564 amends the Voter Action Act to include officers on a statewide basis. It also, as

shown in the table below, includes the amount of money to be distributed from the public

election fund to a certified candidate for contested primary and general elections. In uncontested

elections the amount of money distributed is 50 percent of the amount specified below.

Certified Candidate (Year)

Contested PRIMARY

Elections

Contested GENERAL

Elections

Governor (2014)

$1.75

$1.75

Lieutenant Governor (2014)

$0.25

$0.25

Attorney General (2010)

$0.75

$0.75

Secretary of State (2010)

$0.25

$0.25

Commissioner of Public Lands

(2010)

$0.50

$0.50

State Auditor & State Treasure

(2010)

$0.20

$0.20

House Bill 564 – Page

2

Amounts are in dollars and represent amount per voter of the candidate’s party statewide.

The bill also increases the amount distributed into the public election fund from $100 thousand

per month to $450 thousand per month.

FISCAL IMPLICATIONS

This bill distributes $450 thousand per month, or $5.4 million annually, from the Tax

Administration Suspense Fund to the Public Election Fund.

There is an impact on the Tax Administration Suspense Fund that reverts to the general fund.

SIGNIFICANT ISSUES

Rather than being forced to rely on special interest donors to pay for their campaigns, candidates

have the opportunity to qualify for public funding which ends their reliance on special interest

campaign cash. Common Cause, a nonpartisan, nonprofit advocacy organization for citizens to

make their voices heard in the political process and to hold their elected leaders accountable to

the public interest, suggests that being freed from the money chase means candidates have more

time to spend addressing issues that matter to their constituents. When they enter office, they can

consider legislation on the merits, without worrying about whether they are pleasing well heeled

donors and lobbyists.

EO/bb