South Dakota voters need to know who is paying for candidates and campaign issues, and they need to know it before elections, said Secretary of State Chris Nelson.
Complete and timely information guided his staff and the attorney general's office when they wrote a bill that repeals existing campaign finance laws and proposes a new set of statutes, he said.
"We want to make it clear exactly who needs to report campaign finances and what needs to be reported," Nelson said. "That needs to be available in a timely fashion."
That's essential to citizen involvement in the campaign and election process, said a South Dakota State University journalism professor.
"Disclosure is essential, because nothing is wrong with giving money to politicians or campaigns, but people need to know who is getting the money and who is giving it," said Matt Cecil.The 12-page bill will receive considerable attention during the 2007 Legislature. Nelson said he didn't write it in response to questions raised about money and finance reports during last fall's campaign, but publicity surrounding those issues raised awareness of reporting laws.
Recent Comments