FRANKFORT, Ky. -- A Senate committee voted yesterday to eliminate public financing of gubernatorial campaigns in Kentucky, despite warnings it was the first step on a road to corruption.
Secretary of State Trey Grayson said the program did not accomplish its stated goal of limiting the influence of money in gubernatorial campaigns.
"The money will always find a way into the campaigns," Grayson told the State and Local Government Committee.
The bill now goes to the full Senate.
Mushrooming costs of campaigns, financed largely by wealthy individuals and influential groups, prompted legislation a decade ago to create a system of partial public financing.
If candidates agreed, they could raise a certain amount of money and have it matched with public funds.
There was a cap on the amount that the campaign could spend.
Criticism of the system started even before the 1995 election, the program's only real test, when Democrat Paul Patton defeated Republican Larry Forgy.
Three people, including Patton's closest adviser, were indicted for attempting to circumvent the system. Patton later pardoned the men.
Republicans have long criticized the system. The state budget in 2002 was held up after Senate Republicans refused to put any money into public financing for the 2003 election.
The 2003 campaign was conducted without public financing because of the lack of money, but the law remains on the books.
Richard Beliles, chairman of Common Cause of Kentucky, said public financing is a bargain because it lets taxpayers have a real say in campaigns.
"They had to get out and speak to the people, and that's why we had a very close election," Beliles said, warning of a political influence scandal "where we're passing money by hand" if public financing dies.
But Sen. Ed Worley, D-Richmond, said most voters just do not want to pay for campaigns.
Worley was the only Democrat to vote for the elimination bill, joined by five Republicans.
Two other Democrats did not vote.