When Gov. Jay Nixon’s office announced a conference call on ethics legislation, it wasn’t unreasonable to expect that the first-term governor would call for campaign finance limits.
After all, Nixon has been an advocate for the limited system for quite some time. He has commonly cited his experience arguing for limits in front of the United States Supreme Court. And he’s also blasted attempts to repeal the voter-imposed limits through legislative action.
In the midst of proposals to revamp the state’s ethics laws, Nixon today indeed called for the imposition of campaign finance limits. He said that predictions that an unlimited system would be easier to track big donations haven’t come to fruition and that the practice is having a poisonous effect on the Missouri political scene.
“I opposed the repeal of limits then and I still do today,” said Nixon, referring to a 2008 bill that repealed campaign finance limits. “Getting strict limits back on the books would be a critical step in the right direction.”
In the past, campaign contribution limits have been easily circumvented through the use of outside committees. For example, retired businessman Rex Sinquefield set up a raft of committees that funneled money to candidates he favored. And on the federal level, outside groups that are allowed to scoop up huge donations have played a big role in elections. Part of Nixon’s conference call included a call for restricting the flow money between outside campaign committees.
After being asked whether the federal system would be preferable to the current state one, Nixon noted that the Supreme Court ruled that lawmakers couldn’t restrict “independent” expenditures. He pointed to businessman T. Boone Pickens’ ability to run ads about wind power or insurance companies’ ability to run ads about federal health care legislation as examples.
“But as we move closer and closer to decision-makers, the politicians, the Supreme Court has ruled very clearly in a case that I have a lot of knowledge about since I argued it that you can limit contributions directly to candidates,” Nixon said. “The reason you can do that is because of the perception of corruption. There’s not that same perception of corruption of an independent expenditure. My sense is that it is a very, very pale excuse for ignoring the will of three-quarters of Missourians that some one else somewhere might want to say something in public.”
Still, limiting contributions to candidate could give some party-linked committees – such as the House Democratic Campaign Committee or the House Republican Campaign Committee – more power. Those entities – which can take unlimited contributions – play a big role in assisting legislative candidates throughout the state. Candidates who lack the backing of those groups are at an immediate disadvantage.
In addition, Nixon called for barring legislators from serving as political consultants and making outgoing legislators wait before they become lobbyists. While those items may get some traction, Nixon may have a difficult time convincing the Republican-controlled legislature to reimpose limits.
Not only is the move opposed by some the legislature’s most powerful Republicans, it’s also drawn some flack from a few Senate Democrats. Senate Minority Leader Victor Callahan, D-Independence, Sen. Ryan McKenna, D-Jefferson County, and Sen. Tim Green, D-Spanish Lake, all voted to repeal campaign finance limits in 2008.
Tags: campaign finance reform, dccc, emily's list, jay nixon, limitsCategories: State Politics.
