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Lawmakers hear call to let cities create citizen-funded match programs and require ID on political texts
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Summary
A representative urged the committee to allow municipalities to establish voluntary local public financing programs (H 811) and to require identifying information on political text messages (H 812).
Representative Khan asked the Joint Committee on Election Laws to consider two changes aimed at increasing transparency and expanding access to local office: House Bill 811, which would allow cities and towns to establish citizen-funded election-matching programs, and House Bill 812, which would require identifying information on mass political text messages.
Rep. Khan said H 811 would permit municipalities to set up a voluntary “democracy trust fund” to match small donations for qualifying local candidates; municipalities would control program parameters, including contribution limits and spending caps, and the program would not impose a specific state funding obligation. “Candidates who can achieve community support by collecting a threshold number of small donations would then qualify for matching funds,” Khan told the committee.
Khan asked the committee to revisit municipal public-financing options that some other states and cities have used successfully, noting Massachusetts’ earlier experience with clean-elections legislation. He also urged the committee to consider H 812, saying that short-form electronic messages voters receive before elections should include identifying information so recipients can understand who paid for them. “When those text message blasts go out before election day, there should be some identifying information so voters can understand who paid for that text message,” Khan said.
Khan and members discussed the prior history of similar bills and noted a previous study disposition for H 812; Khan offered to follow up on prior committee feedback. No formal action was taken.
