What will the Senate do with campaign funding issue that passed the House 100-15?

The Florida House of Representatives approved a Constitutional amendment that seeks to end the public campaign matching funds for statewide political candidates by a margin of 100-15.  The current system allows candidates for statewide office to receive public matching dollars for individual contributions of $250 or less.

Historic City News found that, even as the money in campaigns has gotten bigger and bigger, a questionably popular finance system that matched contributor funds dollar-for-dollar has persisted for decades.  That money comes from general revenue.

In 1986, a trust fund was first established for statewide candidates.  It was exhausted by 1996 which is how we got the current system enacted in 1998.  No surprise.  Only 52.5% of voters supported the fund-matching system the last time it was considered.  Also, no surprise.  News Service of Florida noted that almost $10 million in matching funds went to candidates in the 2018 cycle.

Florida Politics reported that in the 2018 cycle, $4.2 million went to the winning candidates in the three Cabinet races and the race for Governor. Ron DeSantis and Democratic opponent Andrew Gillum took in nearly $6 million in combined matching funds.  The 2018 sum of matching dollars more than doubled that of 2014.  An additional $5.6 million in matching funds went to the losers.

“A Republican Attorney General candidate who was able to self-finance made noise about refusing the money, it didn’t resonate well with voters,” Florida Politics wrote.  “Ashley Moody took the money and won.  The irony of deep pocketed candidates having a taxpayer-funded slush fund resonates, just a bit.”

In opposition, Democrat Joe Geller defended the system, saying the money insulated candidates from being unduly influenced by “special interests”.  Fellow Democrat, Carlos Smith, was “torn” about the bill, saying that the bill represented a capitulation to “Citizens United, corporate interests, and giant contributions” that skew the process.

The Senate version of this bill, SB 1110, died in the Judiciary Committee; however, the Senate can take up the House version.  The House version cleared all three committees of reference without a single no vote.

This information appeared in a Florida Politics article by A.G. Gancarski. Used with permission, Peter Schorsch, Publisher.  Florida Politics is a statewide, new media platform covering campaigns, elections, government, policy, and lobbying in Florida. All content is owned by Extensive Enterprises Media. All Rights Reserved.