• It revises the Citizens' Election Program application schedule, which proved problematic in the special elections.
• It acknowledges the spending ability of nonparticipating opponents - that is it equates, for the purpose of supplement grants, money raised in excess of spending limits with money spent.
• It eliminates a cumbersome escrow requirement, which though seemingly minor, ate up a good deal of precious time for candidates.

The legislation was generally acknowledged as essential by both Republicans and Democrats. In March, the bill passed out of the Government Administration and Elections committee unanimously. With a joint amendment that made a few adjustments to the language, including an application deadline, was attached to the bill early yesterday, it was widely expected to sail through the House. It did, 141 to 4. When it appeared that the Senate might have time to also hear the bill, the bill was immediately transmitted to the Senate, where it passed unanimously.

This is the second year in a row where campaign finance reform legislation passed with little or no opposition in Connecticut. That's a far cry from the days when reform legislation died mysterious suspicious deaths on committee calendars. Just another sign of how the times have changed for the better in Connecticut.