I am writing to express support for the Protect Maine Elections bill which will be going into the public comment stage shortly. 80,000 Mainers’ signatures were handed in to the secretary of state last November, supporting a law that will close loopholes in campaign finance laws. Now the Legislature can pass the law itself or send it to the ballot. Current electoral loopholes allow billionaires and foreign countries to interfere with and exploit our democratic system by hiding who is paying for the advertisements we see on TV, radio or print. The Legislature should pass the bill outright and not send this measure to the ballot.
We have all seen hotly contested issues in Maine and around the country get unfairly tipped in one direction due to an outside influence who looks to profiteer off a law being passed. This bill being proposed will enhance transparency in our elections, allowing Mainers to make more informed decisions about how to vote on a law. It is an unusually bipartisan measure.
Maine is often the leader of the pack when it comes to tackling important laws that other states replicate. We have an opportunity to get the ball rolling, nationwide, on creating much more ethical elections.
William Hardy
Wells
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