Dayton, legislators propose campaign finance reform

Gov. Mark Dayton and DFL legislators announced a push on Tuesday to beef up Minnesota’s campaign finance disclosure laws. Specifically, the bill would require quarterly reporting for campaigns that raise more than $5,000. Current law does not require campaigns to report in off years even though campaigns are taking in funds and spending funds on political campaigning.

“There’s a 13-month period of time when policy makers, myself included, are making decisions and the public doesn’t know where their political contributions are coming from,” said Dayton.

No campaign reports are due from state parties, legislators or executive branch officials during 2011 except for holdovers from the 2010 campaign cycle.

He said this bill would “require the same amount of reporting that the federal government requires.”

He added, “I’m prepared to lead by example and will voluntarily next month make the first quarterly report of my campaign committee receipts and expenditures during the first three months of this year.”

Sen. John Marty of Roseville, an author of the bill, said, “It’s time to put some muscle back into our campaign finance laws, and under the current system someone can give tens of thousands of dollars and hide in anonymity for a year.”

“I don’t think it is intentionally swaying their decision [based on campaign donations], but we are human beings, it’s a corrupt system.”

Rep. Ryan Winkler of Golden Valley, a House author of the bill said no Republicans have signed on yet.

The legislators said the legislation calling for more transparency was Gov. Dayton’s idea.

Sen. Katie Sieben of Cottage Grove said on a gloomy spring day, “It’s time to bring more sunshine into the Capitol.”

HF1099/SF631 was introduced by Sens. Marty and Sieben, and Reps. Winkler and Steve Simon of St. Louis Park, Frank Hornstein of Minneapolis, Michael Nelson of Brooklyn Park, Marion Greene of Minneapolis, Bev Scalze of Little Canada, and Phyllis Kahn of Minneapolis.