Passing a program to help pay for political campaigns at a time when Illinois can't afford to provide money to schools and social services sends a terrible message to taxpayers, Sen. Jason Barickman (R-Bloomington) said on Thursday.
SB1424, proposed by Sen. Daniel Biss (D-Evanston) -- who has announced a 2018 gubernatorial bid -- would create a publicly funded matching donor program for the campaigns of candidates running for public office. Candidates would be required to limit the amount of individual contributions to their campaign and would in exchange get a matching donation of six times the amount. It also would ask the General Assembly to provide a continuing appropriation for the program.
The continuing appropriation was a sour point for Barickman.
“I’m confused by you [Biss] saying, ‘Let’s talk about the need here and the priority that needs to be set and the logical order for which you wish to create,’ " Barickman said. "But the logical order for which you are creating here is that a fund that consists of dollars from taxpayers would go first to political campaigns -- such as your own under this legislation -- all before schools, social services providers, and all the other many interests that rely on a state budget. So what priority are you sending? Why are you doing that?”
Biss contended that the continuing appropriation serves to ensure that the program works and that funds are matched and delivered within the electoral calendar.
Barickman replied that giving a continuing appropriation to the program while other important services struggle financially is preposterous.
“School districts throughout the state today … have been convening for 30 or 60 more days to do budget planning for the fall and spring of 2017 and 2018, yet ... you have not introduced a continuing appropriation for them," he said. "I am still not understanding why you have decided that a continuing appropriation to accommodate an election calendar for which you are subjected to is more important than all the planning [from] all [the] administrators, students, teachers and parents [who] are relying on people like you and me to come together on a budget."
Barickman concluded that SB1424 would set a dangerous precedent.
“Let’s be clear here," he said. "This is not a debate about calendars. This is a debate about priorities. Priorities of this Legislature and this bill that suggests that it is more important that the people of this state fund political campaigns then they fund all the other things that aren’t funded by a continuing appropriation. Things that mean something to the people we all represent. Things that matter to people at home that aren’t about elections but are about lives. I urge a 'no' vote.”
Barickman’s opinions were echoed by several other Senators as SB1424 failed to pass. Biss requested a postponed consideration.
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