Panel kills campaign reform bill

BOISE – Lawmakers on Wednesday shot down an attempt to implement sweeping campaign finance reform in Idaho, refusing to allow a hearing on the issue.

Rep. Tom Trail, R-Moscow, presented legislation to the House State Affairs Committee that would have provided public funding to statewide and legislative candidates who agree to curtail their campaign spending. Similar to legislation Trail has spearheaded in the past, the measure would have set up a public financing system funded by a 10 percent surcharge on civil penalties and voluntary donations.

But after several legislators raised concerns over the funding and language in the bill that says the current finance system “undermines” democracy, the committee voted 14-2 to kill Trail’s proposal.

“I am miffed at the assertion that the current system violates democracy,” said Rep. Mark Snodgrass, R-Meridian. “The money we receive goes to promote the interest of the people we serve. It’s an educational service – we learn what the important issues are.”

Trail said, however, that the current system, which doesn’t limit spending though it does limit the amount of individual contributions, could be improved. “We could uplift democracy by changing the rules,” he said.

GOP Rep. Bert Stevenson of Rupert said he also didn’t like some of the “insinuations” in the bill, but was more concerned that the court system needs the funds from fines rather than creating a campaign fund from them.

The court system “already tells us they have a tough time now,” Stevenson said.

In order to be eligible for public funding, the bill would have required legislative candidates to get 150 $5 donations. All other statewide offices would have required 1,500 such donations, and a run for governor, 2,500.

Those contributions then would have to be collected before the 10th Friday preceding the primary election to demonstrate a candidate’s viability.

But Rep. Janet Miller, R-Boise, said that would mean the donations would have to be in by March 10, when incumbents are still in the legislative session.

“Our campaign adviser or volunteers could collect those for us,” Trail said. “It’s not that big of a deal.”

The technical issues are simply a ploy by legislators who don’t want to limit spending, according to Roger Sherman, program director for the United Vision for Idaho, an organization that helped sponsor the measure.

“The real issue is that the public has a right to know how their government is being funded,” Sherman said after the meeting. “All that niggling with dates and courts are minor details.”

The secretary of state’s office would have been administered the system Trail proposed.

The Moscow representative said he spent 20 days during his last campaign raising funds. “That time could have been spent talking with my constituents,” he said.

More importantly, he said, public funding would create a level playing field where candidates could run even if they didn’t have the financial wherewithal.

The majority of people are being silenced by money, which “allows candidates with a louder voice than other people to win out,” Sherman said.

The only committee members to vote in favor of introducing the bill were Reps. Ken Andrus, R-Lava Hot Springs, and Elaine Smith, D-Pocatello. North Idaho Reps. Eric Anderson, R-Sandpoint, and Phil Hart, R-Athol, both voted against it.