House of campaign finance needs cleaning

Idaho wields a dull blade when it comes to fending off campaign finance violators.

A sharper point might be headed this way.

Secretary of State Lawerence Denney last week outlined some possible changes to the state’s Sunshine Laws that he’ll be putting forward more formally during the upcoming session. According to Idaho Reports, here are some of the changes Denney would like to see:

• Increasing the penalty for campaign contribution violations from $250 to $2,500;

• Getting rid of the 16-day period before an election in which candidates must report $1,000 contributions within 48 hours, instead requiring candidates and PACs to report $1,000 contributions within 48 hours regardless of when received;

• Require online filing for all campaign finance reports;

• Require campaign finance reports for all candidates or measures that raise or spend more than $500, including previously exempt school board elections, but excluding party positions like precinct committeemen.

He wouldn’t stop there.

Denney also said his office is working on legislation to require more transparency from political action committees. One suggestion would require more information on the people in PACs who make spending decisions. Another would follow “gray money,” the dollars that can be hard to trace because they move from PAC to PAC and end up as independent expenditures.

According to Idaho Reports, another key change would clarify exactly when an expenditure occurs. Is it after the candidate or PAC actually pays the bill, or is it as soon as a product or service is ordered? Denney wants that definition clarified so campaign spending is reported before an election — when that information can help voters understand how and where political money is being spent.

These all sound like excellent steps toward cleaning up Idaho’s inconsistent — dare we say negligent — campaign finance laws. We encourage Secretary Denney to forge ahead with proposed legislation, and for members of the North Idaho delegation to heed the call for greater campaign finance responsibility and transparency.