SSTA - 2/21/95 SJR 4 FED CONST AM RE: CAMPAIGN EXPENDITURES Number 100 SENATOR SHARP brings up SJR 4 as the next order of business before the Senate State Affairs Committee and calls the first witness. Number 105 SENATOR DONLEY, prime sponsor of SJR 4, relays information contained in his sponsor statement. Senator Donley states there is a proposed committee substitute to SJR 4 which contains one new section that would provide empowerment to local governments in setting reasonable campaign expenditure limits. The proposed committee substitute is identical to the legislation before the U.S. Congress. Number 170 SENATOR DONLEY states one suggested solution to campaign financing problems is public financing of campaigns. However, he does not think the public supports public financing of campaigns. He thinks a constitutional amendment would be the best way to limit campaign spending. Number 190 SENATOR LEMAN asks Senator Donley what he thinks would be a reasonable spending limit for campaigns for Alaska State Legislative races. Number 195 SENATOR DONLEY suggests basing a figure on the average cost of previous races. The figure might be affected by geographical considerations. For instance, candidates in rural areas have high travel expenses, while candidates in urban areas have high media expenses. He cannot give an exact figure, but of course the beauty of a limit is that all candidates would have to adhere to it. There would be no spiraling of expenditures. Number 230 SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS states he supports SJR 4. Senator Phillips asks Senator Donley what he thinks about putting a limit on state- wide proposition ballot measures. Number 233 SENATOR DONLEY states there was a distinction drawn in some of the case law between limiting spending on campaigns, versus limiting spending on propositions. Ballot propositions were seen to be more closely related to the free speech issue than were candidates. Number 265 SENATOR DONLEY urges the committee to stay with the proposal before the senate at this time. He thinks it would be much more difficult to get states to ratify a proposal other than the one contained in SJR 4. SENATOR DONLEY makes a motion to adopt the State Affairs committee substitute for SJR 4. CHAIRMAN SHARP, hearing no objections, states the committee substitute has been adopted. Number 275 SENATOR LEMAN asks Senator Donley if SJR 4 would distinguish between a campaign cost and a donated cost. SENATOR DONLEY responds there is an accurate body of law making the distinction about when something is an in-kind contribution and when something is not. When services are contributed which a person normally does for pay, that is considered a contribution. Number 315 SENATOR RANDY PHILLIPS makes a motion to discharge SJR 4 from the Senate State Affairs Committee with individual recommendations. CHAIRMAN SHARP, hearing no objection, orders SJR 4 released from committee with individual recommendations.