House gets bill overhauling campaign finance rules

A Senate bill that would require most state office seekers to report campaign contributions electronically was sent to the full House on Tuesday. The bill has already passed the Senate.

The House elections committee forwarded the legislation without dissent, although Rep. Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, declined to vote.

The bill, sponsored by Sen. Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown, would require candidates who raise more than $25,000 to file contribution and disbursement reports to the state electronically, rather than on paper.

Bob Stern, president of the non-partisan Center for Governmental Studies in Los Angeles, said that e-filing for legislators is mandatory in 31 states already.

“It would give the people of Kentucky the opportunity to go online and see what’s happening immediately,” Stern said.

Among other things, Senate Bill 8 would:

• add a 60-day pre-primary report for statewide candidates;
• permit campaigns to use debit cards to pay bills;
• give candidates a 30-day grace period to return contributions without a violation;
• allow contributions to a general election before the primary election as long as the contribution is designated as such;
• give candidates 365 days to retire campaign debt;
• and allow state party executive committees to establish building accounts to maintain their respective headquarters.

- Janet Patton

Comments

[Mary_Ellen_S]

"The House elections committee forwarded the legislation without dissent, although Rep. Greg Stumbo, D-Prestonsburg, declined to vote."

Why am I not surprised? Stumbo loves to subvert ethics on ALL levels.