HOUSE BILL No. 4290

 

February 26, 2003, Introduced by Reps. Julian, Tabor, Vander Veen, Steil, Casperson, Shackleton, Brandenburg, Bisbee, Palmer and Hummel and referred to the Committee on Local Government and Urban Policy.

        

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                

                                                                                 A bill to amend 1976 PA 388, entitled                                             

                                                                                

    "Michigan campaign finance act,"                                            

                                                                                

    (MCL 169.201 to 169.282) by adding section 65a.                             

                                                                                

                THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:                      

                                                                                

1       Sec. 65a.  (1) This section shall be known and may be cited                 

                                                                                

2   as the "candidate accountability law".                                      

                                                                                

3       (2) A candidate who receives money from the state campaign                  

                                                                                

4   fund and whose name is eligible to appear on the primary election           

                                                                                

5   ballot shall participate in the public debates required under               

                                                                                

6   this subsection with all other candidates of the same party who             

                                                                                

7   receive money from the state campaign fund and whose names are              

                                                                                

8   eligible to appear on the primary election ballot, if any.  A               

                                                                                

9   public debate shall be scheduled in each calendar month beginning           

                                                                                

10  in the month in which the names of more than 1 candidate of the             

                                                                                

11  same party are eligible to appear on the primary election ballot            

                                                                                


                                                                                

1   and ending in the month immediately before the month in which the           

                                                                                

2   primary election is held.  Each public debate shall be held in a            

                                                                                

3   different geographic region of this state.  The candidates                  

                                                                                

4   participating in a public debate under this subsection, upon                

                                                                                

5   mutual agreement, shall designate the geographic regions in which           

                                                                                

6   the public debates will be held.  If the candidates are unable to           

                                                                                

7   agree upon the geographic regions, the secretary of state shall             

                                                                                

8   designate the geographic regions for the public debates.                    

                                                                                

9       (3) A candidate who receives money from the state campaign                  

                                                                                

10  fund and whose name is eligible to appear on the general election           

                                                                                

11  ballot shall participate in the public debates required under               

                                                                                

12  this subsection with all other candidates who receive money from            

                                                                                

13  the state campaign fund and whose names are eligible to appear on           

                                                                                

14  the general election ballot, if any.  A public debate shall be              

                                                                                

15  held in each media market of this state during the period                   

                                                                                

16  beginning in the month in which the names of more than                      

                                                                                

17  1 candidate are eligible to appear on the general election ballot           

                                                                                

18  and ending in the month immediately before the month in which the           

                                                                                

19  general election is held.  As used in this subsection, "media               

                                                                                

20  market" means all of the following:                                         

                                                                                

21      (a) The market area served by Detroit media.                                

                                                                                

22      (b) The market area served by Flint media.                                  

                                                                                

23      (c) The market area served by Traverse City media.                          

                                                                                

24      (d) The market area served by Grand Rapids media.                           

                                                                                

25      (e) The market area served by Lansing media.                                

                                                                                

26      (f) The market area served by Alpena media.                                 

                                                                                

27      (g) The market area served by Marquette media.                              


                                                                                

1       (h) The market area served by media covering southwest                      

                                                                                

2   Michigan.                                                                   

                                                                                

3       (4) A public debate held under this section shall be                        

                                                                                

4   scheduled upon mutual agreement between all candidates required             

                                                                                

5   to participate.  If the candidates are unable to agree upon a               

                                                                                

6   schedule of public debates, the secretary of state, after                   

                                                                                

7   reasonable consideration of the candidates' schedules, shall                

                                                                                

8   establish a public debate schedule.                                         

                                                                                

9       (5) A public debate held under this section shall be held                   

                                                                                

10  under the following circumstances:                                          

                                                                                

11      (a) A moderator shall be present and shall be a neutral                     

                                                                                

12  party.  The candidates participating in a public debate under               

                                                                                

13  this section, upon mutual agreement, shall designate a moderator            

                                                                                

14  for the public debate.  If the candidates are unable to agree               

                                                                                

15  upon a moderator, the secretary of state shall designate a                  

                                                                                

16  moderator for the public debate.                                            

                                                                                

17      (b) Each candidate shall have equal opportunity to ask any                  

                                                                                

18  other candidate a question.  The responding candidate shall have            

                                                                                

19  2 minutes to respond to the question, and the candidate who asked           

                                                                                

20  the question shall have 1 minute to rebut that response.                    

                                                                                

21      (c) Each candidate shall be positioned behind a podium.                     

                                                                                

22      (6) A candidate who does not participate in a public debate                 

                                                                                

23  required under this section shall return the amount received from           

                                                                                

24  the state campaign fund for that election.  However, a candidate            

                                                                                

25  who is not able to participate in a public debate because he or             

                                                                                

26  she is physically or mentally unfit or because of other exigent             

                                                                                

27  circumstances that are mutually agreed to by all candidates is              


                                                                                

1   not required to return the money received from the state campaign           

                                                                                

2   fund.