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For immediate release.
Mar. 16, 2004
Contact: Bryan Warner, N.C. Center fir Voter Education,
919-839-1200

Gov. Hunt Joins N.C. Supreme Court Justices in Greensboro to Promote Public Financing of Judicial Campaigns

GREENSBORO - Former North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt was joined by Republicans and Democrats, including NC Court of Appeals Judge Sanford Steelman, former NC Supreme Court Justices Henry Frye and Jim Exum, and others to at event designed to raise awareness about the new box on state income tax forms about the NC Public Campaign Financing Fund.

Speaking at an H&R Block office in Greensboro, the former governor and others encouraged citizens to support the new Public Campaign Financing Fund, which will appear as a check-off box on the state income tax forms they file this year. The state government will apply three dollars toward the Fund for everyone who indicates their support. Checking the box will not increase or decrease a citizen's refund or any taxes they owe.

The Fund will pay to provide informative voter guides to citizens and will provide financial aid to appellate state judges who voluntarily limit how they raise and spend campaign contributions.

"The candidates will be able to get public funding and not have to go out hat in hand begging money all over North Carolina, too often from people who really hope to get some benefit from giving it," said former Governor Hunt.

Current and former state judges stressed it was important for citizens to know about the Fund and cited the importance of keeping money from influencing public confidence in the judiciary.

"For us to continue to have a tradition of electing our judges by the people, this needs to succeed. Otherwise we run the risk of getting into a situation like they have in certain other states where too much money gets involved in our judicial process, and we don't need that," said NC Court of Appeals Judge Sanford Steelman.

Former Chief Justices of the NC Supreme Court agreed.

"I raised over 900 and some thousand dollars for my campaign," said former NC Chief Justice Henry Frye. "It involved a lot of hard work and time that would be much better spent trying to do your job."

"It really is one of the finest things our legislature has done in order to give people more confidence in their judges," added former NC Chief Justice Jim Exum.

Greensboro attorney Robert Hunter stressed that it was important, when talking about reducing the amount of money in judicial campaigns, that people realize North Carolina has a respectable judiciary. "I think the perception that judges are bought and paid for by special interests in North Carolina is wrong," he explained, "but if somebody is going to buy and pay for them and you think that, then you ought to be the one doing it. So I hope you'll make your contribution to a change in our system."

Supporters are proud of North Carolina's record of judicial integrity and see reforms as a way to prevent problems that have occurred in other states.

However, the new voter guide and public financing will only be available to voters and candidates if enough citizens mark "yes" on their state income tax forms to support the program.

"It’s your chance to really make a difference," said Hunt. "And it won't cost a dime."

More information about the program is available online at www.ncjudges.org and www.lwvnc.org.

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