Souza calls for campaign finance reporting for school board candidates

BOISE - An Idaho Senate committee is introducing a bill that would require public school board candidates to release their campaign finance records.

Republican Sen. Mary Souza from Coeur d'Alene says local school board elections are becoming more contentious. She added that the number of candidates is increasing and the races are attracting more attention.

Other candidates for nonpartisan offices in the state, like city councils and community college trustees, are required to release their campaign funding.

Democratic Sen. Janie Ward-Engelking from Boise asked whether the bill would cost more for the county clerks to keep the records. Souza says the Kootenai County clerk told her it wouldn't cost more.

Only two other states - Alaska and North Dakota - do not currently require school board candidates to release this information.