Seeking campaign contributions transparency

Bill looks to close loopholes between Supreme Court decision and state law

Gene Davis, DDN Staff Writer
Tuesday, April 27, 2010
http://www.thedenverdailynews.com/article.php?aID=8207

Labor unions or corporations that spend a significant amount of money on a political campaign would have to disclose their identity under a bill introduced yesterday.

Senate Bill 203 would require the labor unions or corporations that spend $1,000 or more on a state political campaign to register with the Secretary of State's office as an "independent expenditure committee" and disclose how much money they're spending, who they are spending it on, and where the money is coming from. The information would then be searchable on the Secretary of State's Web site.

The bill, sponsored in the Senate by Sen. Morgan Carroll, D-Aurora, is in response to a U.S. Supreme Court decision earlier this year that found bans on political spending by corporations to be unconstitutional.

S.B. 203 looks to close the loopholes that the Supreme Court decision created in Colorado campaign finance law. In 2002, Colorado voters approved an amendment that in part prohibited corporate and union contributions to political campaigns. Although the Supreme Court decision trumps the 2002 amendment, Carroll believes the state should at least require full disclosure for the new money that's coming in.

"The dangers of having millions, even potentially billions of dollars of untraced, undisclosed cash in Colorado elections are deeply problematic and the public should have a right to know," she said.

Carroll hopes to have SB 203 in place before state elections are held in November. Colorado Ethics Watch has thrown its support behind the measure, arguing that "the worst of all possible worlds is one where corporations can spend unlimited money on campaigns and then don't have to tell you who is spending it."

Carroll didn't know whether SB 203 would receive bipartisan support or opposition from any corporations or unions. Because the bill was introduced yesterday afternoon, the Denver Daily News could not find any Republican lawmakers familiar enough with the bill to comment.

United v. FEC

Democrats have blasted the Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision as being bad for democracy. Carroll said yesterday that the measure is potentially leading the country more to a "one dollar one vote than one person one vote."

But Republicans like Sen. Josh Penry, R-Grand Junction, have trumped the ruling as being good for the country.

"It's going to level the playing field," he said last month. "Elections will still be won or lost by good candidates."

In United v. FEC, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that limiting campaign spending by corporations violated their 1st Amendment rights. Colorado is one of multiple states trying to enact legislation that closes loopholes behind state campaign laws and the Supreme Court decision.

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