On March 17, the Connecticut Joint Government & Elections Committee passed HB 5021, the bill to amend parts of the public funding law for campaigns for state office. HB 5021 deletes the parts of the law that require petitions from all independent candidates and most minor party candidates. Under HB 5021, the rules would be the same for all candidates, regardless of party affiliation or lack of party affiliation.

HB 5021 is the Governor’s bill, and the legislative sponsor is Representative Lawrence G. Miller (R-Stratford). See this story.

The committee did not advance HB 5022, an alternate bill which retains the discriminatory features but makes them less extreme.