On March 20, the Maine legislature gave final approval to LD 1774, which amends the state’s program for public funding of campaigns for state office. Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court had ruled that public funding programs can’t give extra public funding to certain kinds of candidates. The bill conforms the Maine program to that decision.

Supporters of the Maine program do not like the bill. Since the extra public funding is being abolished, supporters of Public Funding wanted to increase the amount that eligible candidates receive when they first qualify, but the bill does not do that. See this story.