On August 13, the Connecticut House approved SB 551, the bill that adds a severance clause to the state’s public funding program.  This means that the program will survive, even though parts of it were declared unconstitutional last month.  The bill had already been passed once, but Republican Governor M. Jodi Rell vetoed it.  The House action overrides the veto.  The Senate had voted to override the veto three days ago.

The bill also increases the amount of public funding for gubernatorial candidates.  The bill expands the grant to $6,000,000.

The parts of the public funding that discriminate against new parties and independent candidates will almost certainly be appealed to the U.S. Supreme Court.