Assembly Bill 1141 establishes a democracy trust fund to provide public financing for candidates running for the offices of justice of the supreme court, court of appeals judge, and circuit court judge in Wisconsin. Eligible candidates can receive public grants funded by general purpose revenues, contingent upon collecting qualifying contributions from at least 1,000 separate contributors, with specific limits on the amounts contributed. The bill outlines the requirements for candidates to qualify for public financing, including the necessity of having an opponent in the primary or election, and sets the public financing benefits at $100,000 for court of appeals and circuit court candidates, and $1,000,000 for supreme court candidates in the spring primary, with higher amounts for the spring election.

Additionally, the bill modifies existing laws regarding anonymous contributions, reducing the limit for candidates receiving public financing from $10 to $5. It also creates new provisions for the management of unspent funds from the democracy trust fund, allowing for the transfer of these funds to a replacement candidate if applicable. The bill includes a mechanism for individuals to contribute $5 from their state income tax returns to support the trust fund, ensuring that this designation does not affect their tax liability or refund. If the contributions do not cover the costs of public grants and administration, the bill appropriates additional general purpose revenues to meet these expenses.

Statutes affected:
Bill Text: 11.1108, 11.1400(5), 11.1400