SENATE, No. 619

STATE OF NEW JERSEY

INTRODUCED FEBRUARY 5, 1996

By Senator SCHLUTER

An Act concerning the public financing of gubernatorial general election campaigns and amending P.L.1974, c.26

    Be It Enacted by the Senate and General Assembly of the State of New Jersey:

    1. Section 8 of P.L.1974, c.26 (C.19:44A-33) is amended to read as follows:

    8. a. The campaign treasurer or deputy campaign treasurer of any qualified candidate for nomination for election to the office of Governor in a primary election upon application to the commission shall promptly receive in behalf of the qualified candidate from the fund for election campaign expenses, but not prior to January 1 of the year of the election, moneys in an amount equal to twice the amount of no more than $1,500.00 of each contribution deposited in the qualified candidate's primary election bank account described in section 7 of P.L.1974, c.26 (C.19:44A-32), except that no payment shall be made from the fund to any candidate for the first $50,000.00 deposited in the qualified candidate's bank account. The maximum amount which any qualified candidate for nomination for election to the office of Governor in a primary election may receive from the fund for election campaign expenses shall not exceed $1,350,000. Applications for payments and payments under this subsection following the date on which a candidate is determined to be a qualified candidate shall be made only on the basis of no less than $12,500.00 of such contributions.

    b. The campaign treasurer or deputy campaign treasurer of any qualified candidate for election to the office of Governor in a general election upon application to the commission shall promptly receive in behalf of such qualified candidate from the fund for election campaign expenses, but not prior to the primary election, moneys in an amount equal to [twice] the amount of no more than $1,500.00 of each contribution deposited in such qualified candidate's bank account described in section 7 of P.L.1974, c.26 (C.19:44A-32), except that no payment shall be made from the fund to any candidate for the first $50,000.00 deposited in such qualified candidate's bank account. The maximum amount which any qualified candidate for election to the office of Governor in a general election may receive from the fund for election campaign expenses shall not exceed $3,300,000. Applications for payments and payments under this subsection following the date on which a candidate is determined to be a qualified candidate shall be made only on the basis of no less than $12,500.00 of such contributions.

(cf: P.L.1989, c.4, s.6)

    2. This act shall take effect immediately.

STATEMENT

    This bill would decrease the rate at which public financing would be made available to candidates for the office of Governor in the general election. Under current law, gubernatorial general election candidates who qualify for and accept such financing receive public funds at the rate of twice the amount of contributions received from private sources. Under the bill, the rate at which these public funds would be payable would be reduced to an amount equal to the amount of those private source contributions.

    This legislation would implement a May 18, 1994 recommendation of the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission.

Provides that public financing of gubernatorial general election campaign shall be payable in amount equal to, rather than twice the amount of, contributions candidate receives from private sources.