Without comment, Gov. Dirk Kempthorne has signed into law HB 556, which limits personal use of campaign contributions. The measure, which passed both houses unanimously, prohibits candidates or office-holders from using the money for food, clothing, rent, country club memberships, or other expenses that they’d have whether or not they were campaigning or in office. It was prompted in part by Kempthorne’s own frequent use of campaign funds for lunches near the capitol. The measure was one of 19 bills Kempthorne signed into law today, all of which passed with little controversy. One was HB 415, another campaign finance reform bill, which bans contributors from using multiple subsidiary organizations to get around contribution limits. Most of the others dealt with insurance issues, but they also included the wine shipment bill, HB 454, and the “55 Alive” bill, HB 462, which lets insurers offer discounts to 55-year-old drivers who take a safety course, rather than just those 65 or older.
Betsy Z. Russell covers Idaho news from The Spokesman-Review's bureau in Boise.
Named best state-based political blog in Idaho for 2013 by The Fix
999 W. Riverside, Spokane, WA 99201
P.O. Box 2160, Spokane, WA 99210
Main switchboard: (509) 459-5000 • (800) 338-8801
Newsroom: (509) 459-5400 • (800) 789-0029
Customer service: (800) 338-8801
© Copyright 2013, The Spokesman-Review
Terms of use • Privacy policy • Copyright policy
Spokane7
42°
Get blog updates by email
Please keep it civil. Don't post comments that are obscene, defamatory, threatening, off-topic, an infringement of copyright or an invasion of privacy. Read our forum standards and community guidelines.
You must be logged in to post comments. Please log in here or click the comment box below for options.
comments powered by Disqus« Back to Eye On Boise