Michigan election official seeks more transparency
Source: Associated Press
Michigan election official seeks more transparency
By ALANNA DURKIN, Associated Press | March 10, 2013 | Updated: March 10, 2013 2:01pm
LANSING, Mich. (AP) — Michigan's top elections official wants to require political campaigns to report financial contributions within 48 hours after they receive them, one of several proposals aimed at giving voters nearly real-time information about the money behind the candidates.
As part of this week's observance of National Sunshine Week, an initiative aimed at improving government transparency, Secretary of State Ruth Johnson said she is working with lawmakers to draft legislation and push through some long-elusive changes to the state's campaign finance system. Under current law, voters often have to wait months before being able to access critical information about contributors to groups funding the candidates.
"That's a long time not to have that information, with lots of voting going on and lots of decision making," she said.
Instead, state-level campaigns and committees established to campaign for or against ballot questions would have to report any contribution exceeding $1,000 within two days and allow anyone to access it online within three. Currently, during an election year, groups only have to report periodically, once in January and then again before and after the primary and general elections.
Read more: http://www.chron.com/news/article/Michigan-election-official-seeks-more-transparency-4341685.php
= new reply since forum marked as read
