Thank you very much, Mr. Chairman. This is a rare honor.
I am a staunch supporter of this bill and will summarize my testimony and submit my written remarks.
My experiences in Maine really brought me to understand how much this can change a legislative body and how much it can ...
She found people who would give her a $5 contribution to qualify her for running for office.
She knocked on doors, she went to the fish piers, she went to the grocery store.
What this is attempting to address, many people don't have business contacts, or they didn't serve in politics before.
I think there is someone on the second panel who can probably answer that more exactly.
And I would just add, if I may, part of the design of this system is to address one of your concerns.
These are basically the same kind of system. They are voluntary systems.
I think you and others portrayed this accurately in the sense that we have gotten into an arms race here.
As the Speaker of the House, I am engaged in recruiting candidates to run for the legislature.