HOUSE BILL No. 4383


     February 26, 1997, Introduced by Reps. LaForge, Schauer and Kaza and referred to the Committee on House Oversight and Ethics.


        A bill to amend 1976 PA 388, entitled

   "Michigan campaign finance act,"

   by amending section 61 (MCL 169.261), as amended by 1993 PA 262;

   and to repeal acts and parts of acts.

               THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:

 1         Sec. 61.  (1) The state campaign fund is  hereby  created.

 2    The state treasurer shall administer the state campaign fund pur-

 3    suant to this act.

 4         (2) An individual whose tax liability under the income tax

 5    act of 1967,  Act No. 281 of the Public Acts of 1967, as amended,

 6     being sections 206.1 to 206.532 of the Michigan Compiled Laws 

 7    1967 PA 281, MCL 206.1 TO 206.532, for a taxable year is $3.00 or

 8    more may designate that $3.00 be credited to the state campaign

 9    fund.  In the case of a joint return of husband and wife having




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 1    an income tax liability of $6.00 or more, each spouse may

 2    designate that $3.00 be credited to the state campaign fund.

 3         (3) The tax designation authorized in this section shall be

 4    clearly and unambiguously printed on the first page of the state

 5    individual income tax return.

 6         (4) An amount equal to the cumulative amounts designated

 7    under subsection (2) each year shall be appropriated annually

 8    from the general fund of the state to the state campaign fund to

 9    be available beginning January 1 and continuing through December

10    31 of each year in which a governor is elected.  The amounts

11    appropriated under this section shall not revert to the general

12    fund but shall remain available to the state campaign fund for

13    distribution without fiscal year limitation except that any

14    amounts remaining in the state campaign fund in excess of

15    $10,000,000.00 on December 31 immediately following a gubernato-

16    rial general election shall revert to the general fund.

17         (5) Before the distribution of  funds  MONEY under this

18     act  SECTION to  qualifying primary election candidates 

19    ELIGIBLE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS, the state treasurer shall set

20    aside sufficient  funds  MONEY from the state campaign fund to

21    fully implement the formula for distributing  funds to qualifying

22     general election candidates.  If insufficient funds exist in the

23     state campaign fund to provide full funding to eligible primary

24     election candidates, the campaign funds shall be distributed to

25     those candidates on a pro rata basis.  MONEY TO ELIGIBLE EDUCA-

26    TIONAL INSTITUTIONS.  THE DISTRIBUTION FORMULA SHALL PROVIDE FOR





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 1    EQUITABLE ACCESS TO THE AVAILABLE MONEY BY ALL OF THE ELIGIBLE

 2    EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.

 3         (6) THE MONEY ACCUMULATED UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL BE DIS-

 4    TRIBUTED TO ELIGIBLE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTIONS.  THE MONEY SHALL

 5    BE USED BY THE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION FOR THE SOLE PURPOSE OF

 6    SPONSORING AND BROADCASTING FORUMS AND DEBATES OF GUBERNATORIAL

 7    CANDIDATES.

 8         (7) TO RECEIVE MONEY PROVIDED UNDER THIS SECTION, AN ELIGI-

 9    BLE EDUCATIONAL INSTITUTION SHALL COMPLETE AN APPLICATION FORM

10    PRESCRIBED BY THE STATE TREASURER.  THE FORM SHALL INCLUDE A

11    DESCRIPTION OF THE FORUM OR DEBATE TO BE HELD AND THE TYPE OF

12    BROADCAST.  IF NO FORUM OR DEBATE IS HELD AFTER AN ELIGIBLE EDU-

13    CATIONAL INSTITUTION RECEIVES MONEY TO SPONSOR A FORUM OR A

14    DEBATE, THE MONEY SHALL BE RETURNED TO THE STATE TREASURER NOT

15    LATER THAN 5 BUSINESS DAYS AFTER THE GUBERNATORIAL ELECTION.

16         (8) AS USED IN THIS SECTION, "ELIGIBLE EDUCATIONAL

17    INSTITUTION" MEANS A PUBLIC ELEMENTARY SCHOOL, MIDDLE SCHOOL,

18    JUNIOR HIGH SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL, JUNIOR COLLEGE, COMMUNITY COL-

19    LEGE, COLLEGE, OR UNIVERSITY IN THIS STATE.

20         Enacting section 1.  Sections 62 to 71 of the Michigan cam-

21    paign finance act, 1976 PA 388, MCL 169.262 to 169.271, are

22    repealed.













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