Rep. Paul Stam tried to sink a public campaign financing bill today.
The House minority leader proposed an amendment to count newspaper endorsements of a publicly funded candidate's opponent when determining how much money he or she could receive from the state. He would base the value on the paper's advertising rates.
Members of a House committee on elections laws objected, arguing it would be prohibitively expensive and create constitutional problems. Rep. Deborah Ross, a Raleigh Democrat who sponsored the bill, called it a "catfish amendment" designed to kill the pilot program.
Stam, an Apex Republican, withdrew the amendment, admitting he was trying to make a point.
"The arguments against it illustrate why the bill itself is completely unworkable," he said.
The bill passed the committee, 10-6, and heads to the Appropriations committee.
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