Key Provisions of Senate Bill 12
March 3, 2003
Provides public grants to candidates
Enhances disclosure of election-related activities
Provides public grants to candidates
Qualifying for grants
- Candidates must raise 3% of the spending limit in individual contributions of $100 or less.For legislative candidates, half of this amount must come from individuals residing in counties in the legislative district.
- Candidates must win their primary with at least 6% of the total votes cast.
Spending limits
- $2 million for Governor
- $500,000 for Lieutenant Governor
- $700,000 for Attorney General
- $300,000 for Supreme Court Justice
- $250,000 for Secretary of State, Treasurer and Superintendent of Public Instruction
- $100,000 for State Senate
- $50,000 for State Assembly
Initial grants
- Grants are equal to 45% of the spending limit.An additional grant is available to candidates with primary opponents who submit two times the required number of nomination paper signatures.The combined grant amount cannot exceed 55% of the spending limit.
Supplemental grants
- Candidates receive a supplement equal to a non-grant opponent’s spending over the limit.
- Candidates receive a grant equal to the value of any independent expenditure or issue ad spending exceeding 10% of the spending limit for that office.
Funding source for grants
- Increases the current $1 income tax check-off to $5.Funds can be designated to a general account or only for candidates of a political party with ballot status, as defined by receiving 1% of the vote during the last statewide election.
- Grants are fully funded by a sum-sufficient appropriation from general purpose revenue (GPR) once the checkoff funds are exhausted.
Limits special interest money
- Grant candidates may not accept political action committee (PAC) money.
- Bans PAC-to-PAC transfers, except between affiliated labor organizations.
- Bans incumbent fundraising during the state budget process.
- Eliminates the special status of leadership-controlled legislative campaign committees, making them subject to the same individual and aggregate contribution limits as PACs.
Enhances disclosure of election-related activities
- An individual or organization that makes an independent expenditure or issue ad communication referencing a candidate, an office, or a political party must report its income and expenditures.
- Out-of-state committees would have to report all contributions and expenditures, not just those pertaining to Wisconsin.
Other provisions
“Pay to Play”
- Makes it explicitly illegal to exchange legislative action or inaction for campaign contributions.
Nonseverability
- If a court finds any parts of the bill pertaining to the provision of supplemental grants or the reporting of contributions, obligations and disbursements from independent expenditure or issue ad groups unconstitutional, then all parts of the bill pertaining to supplemental grants and the reporting of independent expenditure and issue ad activity are void.All other parts of the bill would remain in effect.
Effective date
- All campaign finance changes apply to elections held on or after the day on which the bill becomes law.
