This year our legislators tried to take a stand against money in politics with L.D. 1610, An Act to Prohibit Campaign Spending by Foreign Governments.
The bill passed both the House and Senate with strong bipartisan support but was vetoed in June.
L.D. 1610 started as a citizen’s initiative from a groundswell of public interest in legislation curbing money in Maine’s political processes. Despite the bill being vetoed, the question will now appear on the statewide ballot as a referendum question on Nov. 7.
I gave testimony at the May 3 public hearing and heard about the overwhelming support for this initiative. Over 82% of Maine voters support this issue, including 83% of Democrats, 91% of Republicans and 82% independents.
I also heard about citizens’ deep concerns about money damaging our democratic process nationally as well as statewide.
Maine has a proud history of voter engagement, with one of the highest voter turnout rates in the country. We know how to make statewide decisions without the influence of outside entities.
I hope people encourage their neighbors to vote “yes” on Question 2 and take a stand against money in politics.
Betsy Williams, Brunswick
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