May 13, 2003, Introduced by Reps. Ward, Rocca, Julian, Hummel, Stahl, Nofs and Kooiman and referred to the Committee on Government Operations.
A bill to amend 1976 PA 388, entitled
"Michigan campaign finance act,"
by amending section 65 (MCL 169.265), as amended by 1993 PA 262.
THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT:
1 Sec. 65. (1) A major political party nominee is entitled to
2 an amount from the state campaign fund of not more than
3 $1,125,000.00 for a general election. A candidate, subject to
4 law, may raise the remaining amount of the permissible
5 expenditure limit in private contributions. An eligible
6 candidate in a general election may elect to accept partial
7 payment of money from the state campaign fund and instead raise
8 private contributions as provided by law that, when added to the
9 amount received from the state campaign fund, do not exceed the
10 expenditure limit designated in section 67.
11 (2) A minor political party nominee whose party received 5%
1 or more of the vote for the same office in the last election is
2 entitled to an amount from the state campaign fund of not more
3 than $1,125,000.00, multiplied by the number of popular votes the
4 minor party received in the preceding general election for
5 governor and then divided by the average number of votes the
6 major parties received in that general election for governor.
7 (3) A minor political party nominee not eligible under
8 subsection (2) but who receives more than 5% of the vote in that
9 general election for governor is entitled to reimbursement from
10 the state campaign fund in an amount of not more than
11 $1,125,000.00, multiplied by the number of popular votes the
12 minor party received in the preceding general election for
13 governor and then divided by the average number of votes the
14 major parties received in that general election for governor.
15 (4) A minor political party nominee qualified under
16 subsection (2) who receives more popular votes in an election
17 than the candidate of that minor political party received at the
18 preceding election is entitled to additional reimbursement from
19 the state campaign fund in an amount determined as follows:
20 (a) Compute the amount that the candidate would have received
21 under subsection (3) had the candidate otherwise qualified.
22 (b) Subtract the amount received under subsection (2) from
23 the amount computed under subdivision (a).
24 (5) A candidate listed on the ballot in the general election
25 is entitled to $1.00 for each $1.00 of qualifying contributions
26 certified to the secretary of state pursuant to this act up to
27 $750,000.00, if the candidate has certified to the secretary of
1 state $75,000.00 or more in qualifying contributions. A
2 candidate who chooses to
receive any public funds money under
3 this subsection shall not receive any money under subsection (1),
4 (2), (3), or (4).
5 (6) A major political party nominee shall receive from the
6 state treasurer
$56,250.00 of the funds money that the
7 candidate may be entitled to under this section not later than 10
8 days after the primary election, unless there is less than a 2%
9 difference in vote totals of the top 2 primary election
10 candidates of the same political party according to unofficial
11 vote totals available to the secretary of state. The balance of
12 any funds money
owed to a major political party nominee under
13 this section shall be payable by the state treasurer within 3
14 days after the board of state canvassers' certification of the
15 primary election results, but not later than 30 days after the
16 primary election. Any funds
money paid to a major political
17 party nominee under this section either erroneously or based on
18 election results that are reversed due to a recount or fraud
19 shall be repaid by that major political party nominee to the
20 state treasurer within 60 days of receipt of notification by
21 certified mail from the state treasurer.
22 (7) A nominee whose candidate committee's expenditures for a
23 primary election exceeded the limit contained in section 67 is
24 not eligible to receive money from the state campaign fund for
25 the general election following the primary election.