February 1993 Home   Newsletters

April 1993

October 1993

Call to Convention
President's Message (Evelyn Bender)
LWVHI Program
Campaign Finance Reform -- A Hot Issue
League Position on Campaign Finance
Legislative Report
Board Meeting Notes
Bylaw Changes Proposed
Why Americans Hate Politics - Book Review (Anne Borgen)
Telephone Reference Unit Begins
LWVHI Proposed Budget 1993-1994
Nominations Offered
Appreciation Extended
Big Island LWV Reports
Thanks Printers

League Position on Campaign Finance

National Position

The League of Women Voters of the United States believes that the methods of financing political campaigns should ensure the public's right to know, combat corruption and undue influence, enable candidates to compete more equitably for public office, and allow maximum citizen participation in the political process.

(This position is applicable to all federal campaigns for public office-presidential and congressional, primaries as well as general elections. It also may be applied to state and local campaigns.)

Impact on Issues 1992-94, p. 12

State Position

In order to ensure the public's right to know, to combat corruption and undue influence, and to make it possible for candidates to compete more equitably for public office, the League of Women Voters of Hawaii believes that a campaign spending law must include features that require:

  1. Full and timely disclosure of all campaign contributions and expenditures.

  2. Limitations on contributions and expenditures.

  3. Candidates to have one central committee to control and report all financial transactions.

  4. Establishment of an independent body to monitor and enforce campaign finance laws with strong penalties for violations.

  5. Indirect public funding of campaigns, such as television or radio time, campaign brochures, or other services which would be supplied at public expense to eligible candidates.

  6. Broadening the base of campaign financing to a workable level through tax credits/ deductions, income tax check-off, and government appropriations.

In addition, the expenditure of public funds for candidates should be administered in the following manner:

  1. Public funding should be made available for candidates, not political parties, for all elective offices in both the primary and general elections.

  2. Services from public funding must be sufficient to encourage candidates but not so much as to unduly burden taxpayers.

  3. To qualify, candidates must show tangible support of a constituency by either signatures and/or seed money.

Program and Action 1991-1993, p. 1

February 1993 Home   Newsletters October 1993