Our friends at Maine Citizens for Clean Elections (MCCE) are out with a new report: "PACs Unlimited: How Legislator PACs Distort Maine Politics," which finds that "vast sums of big money flow through PACs controlled by legislators. These PACs exist for the purpose of advancing personal interests and party agendas, and big donors contribute to these PACs for the purpose of shaping the legislative agenda and assuring access to legislative leadership.

In an op-ed today, Rep. Chellie Pingree (D-Maine) speaks out against the U.S. Supreme Court's Citizens United decision and advocates for the Fair Elections Now Act.

Rep. Pingree, an original co-sponsor of the legislation, notes how the Fair Elections-style system in her home state of Maine has seen success and how that could translate to a better, more inclusive system on the federal level:

Facing a recall election, Arizona state Senate President Russell Pearce (R) is being targeted by Public Campaign Action Fund with a political mailer for accepting trips and contributions from an organization accused of illegal behavior.

After two cycles, it's fair to say that Connecticut's Citizens' Election Program has been a resounding success. With more than three quarters of the seats in the General Assembly and all of the statewide seats held by Clean Elections officials, Connecticut has truly seen the impact of taking big money out of politics and putting voters back in.

State Rep. Bob Godfrey (D) recently commented on the close of the legislative session and how marked the change really is with the Citizens' Election Program:

The landmark citizen-initiated Maine Clean Elections law has come under attack this legislative session. There have been various attempts to undermine, and in some cases repeal the wildly popular program. Those attempts have so far been thwarted, and an op-ed in the Bangor Daily News yesterday by two former Maine lawmakers hammers home the point that the law should remain intact.  

From the op-ed:

In a poll released today by Maine Citizens for Clean Elections, more than eight in 10 Mainers say it is important to keep Clean Elections on the books in the state.

On Friday supporters of the Arizona Clean Elections law filed a lawsuit to block a Clean Elections repeal measure from reaching the ballot. The East Valley Tribune covered the suit, as did The Arizona Republic.

Last night, the Arizona state legislature voted to send to the ballot a measure that would repeal the popular and successful Clean Elections law, which voters passed at the ballot in 1998. Opponents of the law, backed by wealthy special interests determined to return to calling the shots in the state Capitol, were finally able to pass a repeal measure after years of trying.

Arizona Speaker of the House Kirk Adams, who recently had to pay back money for legally tenuous free trips he got from the Fiesta Bowl, is doing all he can to pass legislation that would send a repeal of the state's Clean Elections system to the ballot--something that would be a victory for the special interests in the state.

One of the most important aspects of Fair Elections-style reform (sometimes referred to as "Clean Elections") is that it allows candidates to spend much more time with the voters in their community. Instead of spending countless hours dialing for dollars or attending high-priced fundraisers, candidates are able to better get to know the people the seek to serve, and when elected, legislate in their interest.