Campaign finance bills tabled in committee

The bills were aimed at strengthening Montana’s campaign finance reporting laws. Gov. Steve Bullock is expected to introduce a comprehensive campaign finance disclosure bill this week. He’s asked Sen. Duane Ankney, R-Colstrip, to sponsor it.

One bill proposed by Motl that advanced simply changes Montana law to reflect a federal court decision. Motl remains hopeful some of his proposals will become law.

His future as Montana’s political practices commissioner also is uncertain. Some Republicans have been highly critical of Motl’s decisions as commissioner, and the Republican controlled Senate will decide later this session whether to confirm him.

Among the tabled bills was House Bill 131, sponsored by Rep. Ellie Hill, D-Missoula, which called for adding a campaign finance reporting period for political candidates and committees 30 days before the primary and general election campaigns, around the time absentee ballots are distributed.

Senate Bill 86, by Sen. JP Pomnichowski, D-Bozeman, would have required candidates for legislative and other district offices to file campaign finance reports electronically, just like statewide candidates do. It is now optional for legislative candidates.

Senate State Administration chairwoman Dee Brown, R-Hungry Horse, said she had concerns about requiring legislative candidates to file campaign finance reports electronically.

“In the hinterlands of Montana, we’re not always capable of getting to a computer or having wi-fi,” she said.

House State Administration chairman Jeff Essmann, R-Billings, objected to some bills, saying they would give the Office of Political Practices more power. He also noted that citizen legislators fill out campaign finance reports, often with their spouse, another relative or neighbor serving as a volunteer treasurer.

“There is liability attached,” he said. “We’ve got a very complex system of reporting, depending on whether you’re statewide, local or a committee. All these deadlines are different. It’s confusing. Even if you have professional help, it’s easy to make a mistake.”

Essmann said he has never approved of how the Office of Political Practices is structured. He called it “constitutionally unsound” because all its functions are placed in the hands of one person “who can declare you guilty ... You’re guilty and now you have to go to court basically to prove you’re innocent. That’s a lousy system.”

House State Administration Committee member Rep. Bryce Bennett, D-Missoula, opposed the panel’s majority voting to table the Motl bills.

“We finally have a commissioner who is willing to take on people and political organizations that have been flagrantly breaking our laws for years,” he said. “It’s becoming clear that there are people who don’t want us to shed some light on the dark money that’s hurting our democracy.”

Five of the six major bills introduced at the request of the Office of Political Practices Commissioner Jonathan Motl were tabled by Republican-controlled House and Senate State Administration committees on Jan. 30.

The bills were aimed at strengthening Montana’s campaign finance reporting laws. Gov. Steve Bullock is expected to introduce a comprehensive campaign finance disclosure bill this week. He’s asked Sen. Duane Ankney, R-Colstrip, to sponsor it.

One bill proposed by Motl that advanced simply changes Montana law to reflect a federal court decision. Motl remains hopeful some of his proposals will become law.

His future as Montana’s political practices commissioner also is uncertain. Some Republicans have been highly critical of Motl’s decisions as commissioner, and the Republican controlled Senate will decide later this session whether to confirm him.

Among the tabled bills was House Bill 131, sponsored by Rep. Ellie Hill, D-Missoula, which called for adding a campaign finance reporting period for political candidates and committees 30 days before the primary and general election campaigns, around the time absentee ballots are distributed.

Senate Bill 86, by Sen. JP Pomnichowski, D-Bozeman, would have required candidates for legislative and other district offices to file campaign finance reports electronically, just like statewide candidates do. It is now optional for legislative candidates.

Senate State Administration chairwoman Dee Brown, R-Hungry Horse, said she had concerns about requiring legislative candidates to file campaign finance reports electronically.

“In the hinterlands of Montana, we’re not always capable of getting to a computer or having wi-fi,” she said.

House State Administration chairman Jeff Essmann, R-Billings, objected to some bills, saying they would give the Office of Political Practices more power. He also noted that citizen legislators fill out campaign finance reports, often with their spouse, another relative or neighbor serving as a volunteer treasurer.

“There is liability attached,” he said. “We’ve got a very complex system of reporting, depending on whether you’re statewide, local or a committee. All these deadlines are different. It’s confusing. Even if you have professional help, it’s easy to make a mistake.”

Essmann said he has never approved of how the Office of Political Practices is structured. He called it “constitutionally unsound” because all its functions are placed in the hands of one person “who can declare you guilty ... You’re guilty and now you have to go to court basically to prove you’re innocent. That’s a lousy system.”

House State Administration Committee member Rep. Bryce Bennett, D-Missoula, opposed the panel’s majority voting to table the Motl bills.

“We finally have a commissioner who is willing to take on people and political organizations that have been flagrantly breaking our laws for years,” he said. “It’s becoming clear that there are people who don’t want us to shed some light on the dark money that’s hurting our democracy.”