Various representatives presented the following bills in front of the Legal and Veterans Affairs Committee on Wednesday. The Ethics Commission was present but offered neutral testimony on most because members haven’t had a chance to review the bills, Executive Director Jonathan Wayne said.

• L.D. 636: An act to create optional public financing of legislative leadership elections, sponsored by Rep. Linda Valentino, D-Saco. “Instead of giving to candidates who are publicly financed, [Political Action Committees] now give endlessly to leadership races…,” Valentino wrote in her testimony to the committee, presented by another legislator. “Under L.D. 636, these leaders must collect seed money, only from in-state donors, based on a percentage of the funds they will receive as Clean Elections candidates.”

• L.D. 1136: An act to amend the commission on governmental ethics and election practices, sponsored by Rep. Marilyn Canavan, D-Waterville. It aims to quicken the process of appointing a new member to the commission.

• L.D. 1233: An act to amend requirements for participation of gubernatorial candidates under the Maine Clean Election Act, sponsored by Valentino. It would increase the number of contributions and seed money dollars these candidates need to qualify.

• L.D. 1316: An act to define campaign communications requiring matching clean election funding, sponsored by Rep. Bruce MacDonald, D-Boothbay. “This bill requires matching funds be disbursed to a candidate certified under the Maine Clean Election Act in the amount of the cost of a political communication that contains the name or photograph of the candidate’s opponent,” according to the bill summary.

• L.D. 1317: An act to require a minimum number of votes in a primary to continue to qualify as a Maine Clean Election Act candidate, sponsored by Rep. Peggy Pendleton, D-Scarborough.