AUGUSTA (AP) – One day after the filing deadline for partisan candidates for the Legislature, lawmakers from both major parties Tuesday joined with advocates of Maine’s Clean Election system of public funding for political campaigns to tout its benefits.

The State House news conference came one month in advance of the April 15 Clean Election filing deadline for party candidates.

According to the Maine Citizens for Clean Elections organization, about three-quarters of the Senate and slightly more than half of the House of Representatives currently ran successfully with public funding.

Voters approved the campaign finance measure in 1996.

For the 2004 elections, the Maine Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices has adopted the following amounts for the initial distributions to be paid to legislative candidates:

•Contested primary election candidates for the House of Representatives would receive $1,374, while uncontested primary election candidates would stand to get $456; Contested general election candidates can expect $4,032, with uncontested general election candidates set to receive $1,613;

•For the state Senate, contested primary election candidates would obtain $6,487, with $1,514 going to uncontested primary election candidates; Contested general election candidates would receive $16,791, while uncontested general election candidates slated to get $6,717.

House Speaker Patrick Colwell, D-Gardiner, said last week that Democratic hopefuls are generally encouraged to seek public financing, while Assistant House Minority leader David Bowles, R-Sanford, said GOP leaders urge candidates to make up their own minds.

“Resistance has lessened, for sure,” Bowles said.

Colwell attributed high levels of participation in the Clean Elections system to support for public financing among voters.

“I think that the reason is people are hearing from folks back home they want them to run that way,” he said.

The Maine Clean Election Act, which was first implemented for legislative candidates in 2000, provides public funding to qualified candidates who agree not to raise private funds and to limit spending.

Participation is optional and non-participating candidates may raise and spend money without limitation. If a participating candidate is outspent by a candidate raising private funds, matching money becomes available.

The Legislature allocates $2 million a year from the General Fund to the Maine Clean Election Fund. Additional money comes from a voluntary Clean Election checkoff on the Maine income tax return.

“At a minimal cost per taxpayer, we can rest assured that our representatives come into office beholden to no one but us – the voters,” Barbara Burt of Common Cause said in a statement distributed Tuesday.

Clean Election system advocates have warned periodically that sufficient funding must be maintained to cover full disbursements to candidates.

AP-ES-03-16-04 1455EST