Sec. 1. 21-A MRSA §1019, sub-§2, as amended by PL 2001, c. 465, §1, is further amended to read:

2. Content. This report must contain an itemized account of each contribution or expenditure aggregating in excess of $50 in any election, the date and purpose of each and the name of each payee or creditor. Total contributions or expenditures of less than $500 in any election need not be itemized. The report must state whether the contribution or expenditure is in support of or in opposition to the candidate and must include, under penalty of perjury, as provided in Title 17-A, section 451, a statement under oath or affirmation whether the expenditure is made in cooperation, consultation or concert with, or at the request or suggestion of, any candidate or any authorized committee or agent of a candidate.

Sec. 2. 21-A MRSA §1125, sub-§9, as enacted by IB 1995, c. 1, §17, is amended to read:

9. Matching funds. When any campaign, finance or election report shows that the sum of a candidate's expenditures or obligations, or funds raised or borrowed, whichever is greater, alone or in conjunction with independent expenditures reported under section 1019, exceeds the distribution amount under subsection 8, the commission shall issue immediately to any opposing Maine Clean Election Act candidate an additional amount equivalent to the reported excess. Matching funds are limited to 2 times the amount originally distributed under subsection 8, paragraph A or C, whichever is applicable. An expenditure made before a primary election is not subject to matching funds under this subsection for general election purposes, regardless of the purpose of the expenditure.

SUMMARY

This bill removes the provision in the election laws requiring a person making an independent expenditure in an election to indicate whether a candidate had knowledge of that expenditure and clarifies that expenditures made before a primary election are not subject to Maine Clean Election Act matching funds for the general election, regardless of the purpose of the expenditure.