Media Advisory
Kessler, Reform Groups to Unveil Poll on Public Financing
What: Voters support public financing for Supreme Court elections, poll shows
Who: Jeffrey Kessler, state senator and chair of Senate Judiciary Committee; Bert Brandenburg, executive director, Justice at Stake Campaign; Michael Petro, vice president, Committee for Economic Development
When: 1:30 p.m., March 8
Where: Governor’s Press Conference Room, West Virginia State Capitol, Charleston
Details will be unveiled of a poll on public financing for state Supreme Court elections. Among the key findings:
- Public financing for court candidates has bipartisan support, from Democrats, Republicans and Independents.
- Support grows even stronger when the money-soaked 2004 Supreme Court election is mentioned.
- Governor Joe Manchin, who has actively backed court reforms, enjoys overwhelming popularity from all ends of the political spectrum.
- Voters believe campaign cash affects courtroom decisions. They support multiple reforms to reduce the role of special-interest money.
Background: Since 2004, when coal executive Don Blankenship spent $3 million to elect Brent Benjamin to the state Supreme Court, West Virginia has been at the center of public debate on how to protect courts from special-interest influence. On March 3, the House of Delegates approved a pilot public financing program, so that judges would not have to seek financial backing from those who appear before them. The Senate is expected to vote on similar legislation.
