Non-partisan panel of accomplished Colorado leaders will examine campaign finance
DENVER – The 2012 election season culminated with the most expensive presidential campaign in history, thrusting the issue of campaign finance into the spotlight and causing many to consider the questions, “To what degree, if any, should campaign finance be regulated?” and “If regulation is desirable, what form should it take?” On Nov. 9, the University of Denver’s Strategic Issues Program (SIP) announced a new panel designed to study the issue and provide possible recommendations.
The non-partisan panel, chaired by Dr. Jim Griesemer, is comprised of 18 leaders in business, health services, education, public advocacy and government. Panelists include Former Colorado State Legislator Polly Baca, President and CEO of Girl Scouts of Colorado Stephanie Foote, Attorney John Moye of Moye White LLP and FMI Corporation Senior Chairman of Investment Banking Hugh Rice. A complete list of panel members is available at www.du.edu/issues/campaignfinance/panelmembers.
Panelists will hear from expert speakers over the next several months, including Secretary of State Scott Gessler, U.S. Representative Mike Coffman, State Campaign Finance Attorney Mark Grueskin and other state, national and international campaign finance experts.
On Nov. 6, Colorado voters overwhelmingly passed Amendment 65, supporting a U.S. Constitutional amendment to limit campaign spending. In addition to the unprecedented amounts of money spent during the 2012 election cycle, recent court rulings, federal, state and local laws, and the rise of new political entities such as Super PACs have further amplified the discussion surrounding campaign finance. The SIP Panel will attempt to reach a consensus and provide recommendations regarding the desirability of campaign finance regulation and possible forms of regulation. The panel expects to release its report and recommendations by summer 2013.
“The non-partisan DU Strategic Issues Panel will examine the explosive growth of money in politics and assess its impact on our democracy, both here in Colorado and across the nation.” said Jim Griesemer, director of the SIP and chair of the campaign finance panel. “We will make all expert presentations received by the panel available to the public and hope that Coloradans will join us in careful consideration of the best campaign finance practices for the future.”
The panel’s first meeting, on Wednesday, Nov. 14, from 3 to 6 p.m. at the University of Denver’s Joy Burns Center, is open to the public. Speakers will include University of Denver Provost Gregg Kvistad, President and CEO of Americans for Campaign Reform Larry Noble, and Dr. David Dulio, Professor of Political Science at Oakland University. Please email Jennifer.Superka@du.edu to RSVP for the event.
The panel will meet roughly every two weeks. A full schedule, along with video interviews, and information on speakers and panelists, is available online at www.du.edu/issues.
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Contact: Jessica Goldberg
Phone: (303) 871-3630
E-mail: Jessica.Goldberg@du.edu