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An Act To Amend the Maine Clean Election Act Relating to Seed Money
Be it enacted by the People of the State of Maine as follows:
Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §1122, sub-§9,  as amended by PL 2007, c. 571, §10, is further amended to read:
 
9. Seed money contribution.   "Seed money contribution" means a contribution of no more than $100$250 per individual made to a participating candidate, including the candidate or the candidate's spouse or domestic partner.
Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§2, ¶B,  as enacted by IB 1995, c. 1, §17, is amended to read:
 
B. One thousand five hundredThree thousand dollars for a candidate for the State Senate; or
Sec. 3. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§2, ¶C,  as enacted by IB 1995, c. 1, §17, is amended to read:
 
C. Five hundredOne thousand dollars for a candidate for the State House of Representatives.
Sec. 4. Rules. The Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices shall amend its rules to decrease by $1,500 the amount of seed money a candidate for the State Senate may receive as a Maine Clean Election Act candidate and to decrease by $500 the amount of seed money a candidate for the State House of Representatives may receive as a Maine Clean Election Act candidate. Rules adopted pursuant to this section are routine technical rules as defined in the Maine Revised Statutes, Title 5, chapter 375, subchapter 2-A.
 
SUMMARY
This bill increases the seed money contribution a participating candidate may receive from $100 to $250 per individual. It also increases the amount of seed money that can be raised by a candidate for the State Senate from $1,500 to $3,000 and from $500 to $1,000 for a candidate for the State House of Representatives. The bill also directs the Commission on Governmental Ethics and Election Practices to amend its rules to decrease by $1,500 the amount of seed money a candidate for the State Senate may receive as a Maine Clean Election Act candidate and to decrease by $500 the amount of seed money a candidate for the State House of Representatives may receive as a Maine Clean Election Act candidate.