A conservative Republican state lawmaker has introduced a bill he says will modernize campaign finance reporting. It’s the first bill the legislature has seen on campaign finance since the landmark Citizens United Supreme Court case in 2010.
Republican Rep. John Becker says a lot of the rules on reporting campaign financing are outdated and unnecessary. So he’s introduced a bill that would change those rules.
“The idea is to simplify the whole process so candidates don’t feel like they have to lawyer up to put their name on the ballot.”
Becker’s bill would do away with some details about where funds come from and would not require candidates to report at all if they’ve raised less than $2000. It would also phase in electronic filing so in the future, all contributions, even those to local candidates, could be viewed online. Becker’s bill has three co-sponsors, all conservative Republicans. It has yet to be scheduled for a hearing.