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RALEIGH — North Carolina's voluntary public campaign-financing program would expand to cover more statewide elected positions through legislation approved Tuesday by a Senate committee.

Up to five additional members of the Council of State — attorney general, treasurer, secretary of state and commissioners of agriculture and labor — could accept fundraising restrictions in 2012 in exchange for receiving taxpayer money to run their campaigns.

A similar public financing program has been optional in nonpartisan appellate court races since 2004. Last year, candidates for state auditor, insurance commissioner and superintendent of public instruction tried it for the first time after the General Assembly authorized it for their races. Candidates for governor and lieutenant governor — other members of the 10-member council — still wouldn't participate.

Public financing has taken off in North Carolina, which is considered one of the nation's leaders in experimenting with the method of funding elections. Supporters, mostly Democrats in the legislature, argue the option reduces the influence of donations from individuals and political action committees on candidates.

It also tempers the perception that eventually winners will be swayed in their decision-making by those who donated to their campaigns, the bill's chief sponsor said.

"In elections that are statewide where the candidates are less well-known, it's almost imperative that we do it this way," said Sen. Martin Nesbitt, D-Buncombe. "Otherwise, you drive these candidates to special interests that they're going to be overseeing when they get into office, and they've got no choice but to do that unless we do public financing."

In the bill, Council of State candidates would have to raise a minimum number of small contributions to receive public funds for the General Election. The proposal would increase the number of individual donations each candidate would have to receive from 750 to at least 900. The small donations are used to spend money in the primary.

The amount a Council of State candidate receives from the state is based on average candidate spending for the office in the preceding three election cycles, with a minimum of $300,000.

Qualifying candidates can receive additional "rescue funds" equal to the amount originally received if a rival who declined to participate in the program outspends the candidate.

Sen. Andrew Brock, R-Davie, who voted against the bill, said he didn't trust the State Board of Elections to decide who would receive rescue funds. In the fall of 2006, the board didn't give extra money to some state Supreme Court candidates to respond to ads naming their rivals because the ads didn't cross the line into advocating directly for their victory.

State Treasurer Janet Cowell endorsed expanding the public financing to her former colleagues in the Senate, saying she had to work a year before her November election raising $1.7 million to compete against other candidates.

Last year, four of the six major-party candidates for three other council seats accepted public financing, including both insurance commissioner candidates — Democrat Wayne Goodwin, who won, and Republican John Odom.

Goodwin said last year the spending restrictions forced him to focus more on additional retail campaigning and less on television commercials.

The bill isn't subject to a key deadline this week requiring bills to pass one chamber because a spending provision was tacked onto it.

A special fund that doles out the public dollars would need at least $8 million by August 2011 for all eight council seats identified to participate. The number of positions covered by the program would be reduced if there's less money.