Wills Not Accepting Contributions During Session
Voluntary decision prevents fundraising from taking focus away from balancing state’s budget.
LITTLE ROCK, Arkansas (February 5, 2010) – Speaker of the House Robbie Wills today announced he would not accept campaign contributions during the Fiscal Session of the Arkansas General Assembly, which starts Monday, February 8. “The focus of this session should be solely on balancing Arkansas’s budget,” Wills said. “Fundraising during the session would be a distraction.”
A previous interpretation of a Arkansas House rule, as well as a Federal Election Commission ruling allowing state representatives running for Congress to accept contributions, provided the basis for Wills’ previous plans to accept contributions during the session. “House rules permit me to raise funds during the session,” Wills said. “However, my role as Speaker and a personal desire to lead by example do not. My political situation may have changed, but my ethics haven’t. My first responsibilities are to Arkansas and the House of Representatives.”
The Fiscal Session is constitutionally mandated to last no longer than 30 days. “I ask every Member of the General Assembly to join me in focusing only on balancing Arkansas’s budget during this precedent-setting session,” Wills said. The necessary fundraising to run a successful campaign for 2nd District Congressman will resume immediately following the close of the fiscal session, according to Wills. “Fundraising has gone well,” Wills said. “In less than two weeks as a candidate, I have raised over $100,000. I look forward to resuming the campaign across the District, and effectively discussing with voters my message of jobs for Arkansans and a stronger economy for Arkansas.”
