CHAPEL HILL, N.C. — Town Council member Mark Kleinschmidt has been one of the most ardent proponents of the town’s new voter-owned elections program and its campaign-spending limits, the CH News reports.

RALEIGH, N.C. – The North Carolina Judicial Campaign Reform Act, which was passed in 2002 and created the nation’s first full public funding system for state Supreme Court and Court of Appeals candidates, is still highly favored by the voters of North Carolina, Public Policy Polling finds.

60% of respondents say that they favor the law, with 24% having an unfavorable opinion.

Of those who do favor it, 24% are strongly for it, whereas only 6% are strongly opposed. When asked if judicial candidates who accept funds from private interests such as lawyers and law firms can do so without creating a conflict of interest, 71% of respondents said no. However, 48% said that they are still unsure whether the law has helped to curb corruption in the judicial system, as opposed to only 28% who say it has, and 24% who say it hasn’t.

“North Carolina’s voters are clearly against judicial candidates funding their campaigns with money from entities that create conflicts of interest in the courtroom” said Jonathan Crook of Public Policy Polling. “The public funding law that is in place is there to stop that from happening, so the citizens are understandably in favor of it.”

PPP also found that 48% of respondents would be in favor of expanding a public finance program to candidates running for all Council of State positions, in addition to State Auditor, Insurance Commissioner, and Superintendent of Public Instruction elections, which already have such systems in place. 31% said that they do not favor expansion.

PPP surveyed 510 North Carolina voters from May 19th to 21st. The survey’s margin of error is +/-4.3%. Other factors, such as refusal to be interviewed and weighting, may introduce additional error that is more difficult to quantify.

Complete results are attached and can be found at www.publicpolicypolling.com.

RALEIGH, N.C.  – The North Carolina Senate debated a measure allowing big cities to use taxpayer money for local election campaigns, then postponed a vote until next week.

The Senate on Wednesday saw the Democratic majority jockey against Republicans opposing the bid to start voluntary public campaign financing programs in the state’s 15 largest cities. The measure was then set aside and rescheduled for a vote next Wednesday.

Candidates in nonpartisan elections would have to agree to accept fundraising restrictions in exchange for public dollars. Statewide candidates for appellate judges, the state auditor, insurance commissioner and schools superintendent already can receive public funding.

Chapel Hill will test taxpayer-assisted local elections this fall.

RALEIGH, N.C.  – North Carolina’s big cities and towns would be able to initiate voluntary public campaign financing programs for municipal elections in a bill recommended by a Senate committee.

The measure approved Tuesday in a voice vote by the Senate State and Local Government Committee now heads to the full Senate. The bill narrowly passed the House last month.

Municipalities with populations above 50,000 could ask the State Board of Elections to participate in a plan. Candidates in nonpartisan elections would have to agree to accept fundraising restrictions in exchange for public dollars.

Statewide candidates for appellate judges, along with the state auditor, insurance commissioner and schools superintendent, already can receive public funding. Chapel Hill also has the authority and will use it this fall.

Over the past decade, North Carolina has steadily become a leader in publicly financed elections. Public financing pays for some judicial and Council of State campaigns and now legislation before the state Senate would add some municipal campaigns to that list.

The House has approved a bill that will allow municipalities with populations of 50,000 or more to create their own public-financing programs for political campaigns. Local option is a very good approach.
Public financing is contentious in many North Carolina communities. Some communities are strongly against it while others want it. With the local option, everyone can be happy. Only those communities that support it will have it.

The House bill came along as Chapel Hill prepares for publicly financed campaigns. Using legislation approved in a previous session, town officials have spent several years working with local organizations and residents to seek the right approach for that community.

When other North Carolina towns consider whether to adopt public financing, they can rely on Chapel Hill’s experience. If problems arise in the Orange County town, other municipalities can adjust. If there are no serious problems, then the rest of the state has what amounts to a beta test of the system.

The restriction against publicly financed elections in towns of less than 50,000 was added in a late amendment. It seems unnecessary. When it comes to self-governance, people in small towns have just as much wisdom as those in big cities. But considering how close the final House vote was – 60 for, 56 against – the amendment was politically necessary. If all goes well with municipalities that adopt public financing, we can only hope that a future legislature will grant the same opportunity to all communities.

Opponents say that public financing forces taxpayers to financially support candidates they oppose. That is a weak argument. The amount of tax revenue involved will be small, and any taxpayer’s individual contribution to the public-financing fund will be miniscule. Taxpayers with this concern will just have to satisfy themselves with the knowledge that the few cents they contribute will go to candidates they support.

For a small investment, North Carolinians will get more open elections with candidates less beholden to special interests. It’s an affordable price to pay. Now the Senate must follow the House lead and keep the positive trend going.

RALEIGH, N.C. – A North Carolina legislative committee has approved a plan allowing the state’s second- and third-largest metro areas to expand mass transit systems if voters approve raising local sales taxes.

The House Finance Committee voted 19-6 on Wednesday to advance the bill to a House floor vote.

The bill would allow voters in Forsyth, Guilford, Wake, Durham and Orange counties to decide whether to increase local sales taxes by half a cent and car registration fees by up to $2, piggybacking onto Mecklenburg County’s popular experiment with light rail. The state’s 94 other counties could raise sales taxes by a quarter-cent for transit projects.

The committee added a provision allowing Research Triangle Park to increase property taxes on its tenant companies to pay for transit.

RALEIGH, N.C. – The state House tenatively approved legislation that would allow cities and towns to decide whether local election campaigns should get taxpayer subsidies.

The House voted 60-52 to let local councils decide whether to adopt public financing rules like those to be used in Chapel Hill this year. Statewide candidates for appellate judges, auditor, insurance commissioner and schools superintendent also get public funding.

Supporters said using local taxpayer money for candidates that collect signatures and a few hundred dollars to show their backing would balance big money’s effects in local campaigns.

Opponents said public financing would force taxpayers to support candidates they might dislike.

A final House vote could come Thursday.

Blue Cross and Blue Shield of North Carolina donated $643,000 to state politicians from the 2000 election cycle through 2008, the N&O reports.

RALEIGH, N.C. – North Carolina municipalities could help local candidates run for election with taxpayer money under a proposal working through the General Assembly.

A House legal affairs committee on Thursday approved the bill to allow more towns and cities to participate in a voluntary public financing program. Chapel Hill is now the only town authorized to have a program for taxpayer financing in local elections.

The measure still must be approved by the full House and Senate.

Democratic Rep. Earl Jones of Guilford County says the plan could help reduce the effect of big-money contributions in races to which few people donate or take notice.

Republican Rep. Tim Moore of Cleveland County says it’s a poor use of taxpayer money.