HOUSE BILL No. 6332 September 18, 2002, Introduced by Rep. Julian and referred to the Committee on Commerce. A bill to amend 1976 PA 388, entitled "Michigan campaign finance act," (MCL 169.201 to 169.282) by adding section 65a. THE PEOPLE OF THE STATE OF MICHIGAN ENACT: 1 SEC. 65A. (1) THIS SECTION SHALL BE KNOWN AND MAY BE CITED 2 AS THE "CANDIDATE ACCOUNTABILITY LAW". 3 (2) A CANDIDATE WHO RECEIVES MONEY FROM THE STATE CAMPAIGN 4 FUND AND WHOSE NAME IS ELIGIBLE TO APPEAR ON THE PRIMARY ELECTION 5 BALLOT SHALL PARTICIPATE IN THE PUBLIC DEBATES REQUIRED UNDER 6 THIS SUBSECTION WITH ALL OTHER CANDIDATES OF THE SAME PARTY WHO 7 RECEIVE MONEY FROM THE STATE CAMPAIGN FUND AND WHOSE NAMES ARE 8 ELIGIBLE TO APPEAR ON THE PRIMARY ELECTION BALLOT, IF ANY. A 9 PUBLIC DEBATE SHALL BE SCHEDULED IN EACH CALENDAR MONTH BEGINNING 10 IN THE MONTH IN WHICH THE NAMES OF MORE THAN 1 CANDIDATE OF THE 11 SAME PARTY ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPEAR ON THE PRIMARY ELECTION BALLOT 08021'02 GWH 2 1 AND ENDING IN THE MONTH IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE MONTH IN WHICH THE 2 PRIMARY ELECTION IS HELD. EACH PUBLIC DEBATE SHALL BE HELD IN A 3 DIFFERENT GEOGRAPHIC REGION OF THIS STATE. THE CANDIDATES PAR- 4 TICIPATING IN A PUBLIC DEBATE UNDER THIS SUBSECTION, UPON MUTUAL 5 AGREEMENT, SHALL DESIGNATE THE GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS IN WHICH THE 6 PUBLIC DEBATES WILL BE HELD. IF THE CANDIDATES ARE UNABLE TO 7 AGREE UPON THE GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS, THE SECRETARY OF STATE SHALL 8 DESIGNATE THE GEOGRAPHIC REGIONS FOR THE PUBLIC DEBATES. 9 (3) A CANDIDATE WHO RECEIVES MONEY FROM THE STATE CAMPAIGN 10 FUND AND WHOSE NAME IS ELIGIBLE TO APPEAR ON THE GENERAL ELECTION 11 BALLOT SHALL PARTICIPATE IN THE PUBLIC DEBATES REQUIRED UNDER 12 THIS SUBSECTION WITH ALL OTHER CANDIDATES WHO RECEIVE MONEY FROM 13 THE STATE CAMPAIGN FUND AND WHOSE NAMES ARE ELIGIBLE TO APPEAR ON 14 THE GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT, IF ANY. A PUBLIC DEBATE SHALL BE 15 HELD IN EACH MEDIA MARKET OF THIS STATE DURING THE PERIOD BEGIN- 16 NING IN THE MONTH IN WHICH THE NAMES OF MORE THAN 1 CANDIDATE ARE 17 ELIGIBLE TO APPEAR ON THE GENERAL ELECTION BALLOT AND ENDING IN 18 THE MONTH IMMEDIATELY BEFORE THE MONTH IN WHICH THE GENERAL ELEC- 19 TION IS HELD. AS USED IN THIS SUBSECTION, "MEDIA MARKET" MEANS 20 ALL OF THE FOLLOWING: 21 (A) THE MARKET AREA SERVED BY DETROIT MEDIA. 22 (B) THE MARKET AREA SERVED BY FLINT MEDIA. 23 (C) THE MARKET AREA SERVED BY TRAVERSE CITY MEDIA. 24 (D) THE MARKET AREA SERVED BY GRAND RAPIDS MEDIA. 25 (E) THE MARKET AREA SERVED BY LANSING MEDIA. 26 (F) THE MARKET AREA SERVED BY ALPENA MEDIA. 08021'02 3 1 (G) THE MARKET AREA SERVED BY MARQUETTE MEDIA. 2 (H) THE MARKET AREA SERVED BY MEDIA COVERING SOUTHWEST 3 MICHIGAN. 4 (4) A PUBLIC DEBATE HELD UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL BE SCHED- 5 ULED UPON MUTUAL AGREEMENT BETWEEN ALL CANDIDATES REQUIRED TO 6 PARTICIPATE. IF THE CANDIDATES ARE UNABLE TO AGREE UPON A SCHED- 7 ULE OF PUBLIC DEBATES, THE SECRETARY OF STATE, AFTER REASONABLE 8 CONSIDERATION OF THE CANDIDATES' SCHEDULES, SHALL ESTABLISH A 9 PUBLIC DEBATE SCHEDULE. 10 (5) A PUBLIC DEBATE HELD UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL BE HELD 11 UNDER THE FOLLOWING CIRCUMSTANCES: 12 (A) A MODERATOR SHALL BE PRESENT AND SHALL BE A NEUTRAL 13 PARTY. THE CANDIDATES PARTICIPATING IN A PUBLIC DEBATE UNDER 14 THIS SECTION, UPON MUTUAL AGREEMENT, SHALL DESIGNATE A MODERATOR 15 FOR THE PUBLIC DEBATE. IF THE CANDIDATES ARE UNABLE TO AGREE 16 UPON A MODERATOR, THE SECRETARY OF STATE SHALL DESIGNATE A MODER- 17 ATOR FOR THE PUBLIC DEBATE. 18 (B) EACH CANDIDATE SHALL HAVE EQUAL OPPORTUNITY TO ASK ANY 19 OTHER CANDIDATE A QUESTION. THE RESPONDING CANDIDATE SHALL HAVE 20 2 MINUTES TO RESPOND TO THE QUESTION, AND THE CANDIDATE WHO ASKED 21 THE QUESTION SHALL HAVE 1 MINUTE TO REBUT THAT RESPONSE. 22 (C) EACH CANDIDATE SHALL BE POSITIONED BEHIND A PODIUM. 23 (6) A CANDIDATE WHO DOES NOT PARTICIPATE IN A PUBLIC DEBATE 24 REQUIRED UNDER THIS SECTION SHALL RETURN THE AMOUNT RECEIVED FROM 25 THE STATE CAMPAIGN FUND FOR THAT ELECTION. HOWEVER, A CANDIDATE 26 WHO IS NOT ABLE TO PARTICIPATE IN A PUBLIC DEBATE BECAUSE HE OR 27 SHE IS PHYSICALLY OR MENTALLY UNFIT OR BECAUSE OF OTHER EXIGENT 08021'02 4 1 CIRCUMSTANCES THAT ARE MUTUALLY AGREED TO BY ALL CANDIDATES IS 2 NOT REQUIRED TO RETURN THE MONEY RECEIVED FROM THE STATE CAMPAIGN 3 FUND. 08021'02 Final page. GWH