Lawmakers Split on Gutting Public Funding for Maine Gubernatorial Campaigns

AUGUSTA, Maine - A legislative committee has divided over a bill that would prohibit candidates running for governor from receiving money from the Clean Elections fund.

The Veterans and Legal Affairs committee split 6-6 on a motion to defeat the bill, with Democrats favoring it and Republicans opposing it.

Oxford Republican Rep. Kathleen Dillingham says she can't justify spending up to $3 million in taxpayer funds for each gubernatorial candidate when lawmakers are considering cuts to other programs.

"There's a lot of money available to gubernatorial candidates and I can't see using taxpayer money in this way," Dillingham says.

Read more: http://mainepublic.org/post/lawmakers-split-gutting-public-funding-maine-gubernatorial-campaigns