Here we go again. The state House of Representatives unanimously passed a bill banning transfers of campaign money between political action committees, a move members have tried before.But upon arrival in the state Senate, a bill that is clearly good for the public’s right to know but not so good for candidates who want to hide the source of their contributions, it traditionally dies.
And that just shouldn’t be. The public has every right to know who or what organization is contributing to a candidate’s campaign. It is essential information before deciding support.
If a voter is against gambling, for instance, and gambling interest money is transferred from PAC to PAC to PAC, the trail is clouded, and the voter is left without knowledge of exactly who is financing certain campaigns.
The House has rightly passed this bill over and over again. This year, it has also passed other bills involving ethics and lobbying, making lawmakers and those who try to influence them more accountable to the public.
Legislators in the House also passed a ban on so-called pass through pork, where lawmakers can covertly spend money for pet projects in their district.
All the bills are aimed at serving the people rather than lawmakers. And any departure by senators from the heart of these bills ought to be seen as what it is — continuing to serve themselves rather than the public.
These bills should not find a final resting place by dying in the Senate again, they need to be passed. Only then will the people of this state have more confidence in those elected to serve them.
