Limiting Campaign Contributions
Reforming Missouri ethics regulations has been a key issue for the General Assembly the past two sessions. In both the Senate and House, multiple pieces of legislation dealing with ethical standards for our state’s lawmakers and lobbyists have been introduced and are working their way through the legislative process. I have proposed Senate Bill 570, which aims to set campaign contribution limits for donations from individuals and political party committees – something our state’s legislative system has been lacking for years.
My Senate bill is an important piece of ethics legislation proposed, as it deals with one of the largest issues facing Missouri politics. There is no current limit to how much a private individual or party committee is allowed to donate to political campaigns, meaning contributions of massive amounts of money – even million dollar donations – can flood the system and sway political campaign results. Donor contributions are an inherent part of the campaign system and an interactive way for the public to support their chosen political representatives. However, too much money (such as $100,000, $500,000, 750,000 and $1 million) can corrupt the system and lead to unethical political practices.
Senate Bill 570 would establish contribution limits for the following state offices, and would be set at the following amounts:
- $5,000 for governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, treasurer, auditor and attorney general
- $2,500 for senators
- $1,250 for representatives
My legislation would also require all 501(c)(4) organizations to disclose electioneering activity expenditures every year. Both the limits and the reporting requirement would help to equalize the campaign funding field, increase the transparency between the public and officials running for office and put an end to million-dollar donations that attempt to sway the political agenda. Other legislation proposed this session attempts to reform Missouri lawmakers’ ethical standards, but they focus on smaller, individual issues like regulating gifts from lobbyists and restrictions on former legislators going into lobbying after they leave office. Senate Bill 570 would make real, significant change if passed, and my hope is that it will move out of committee and onto the Senate floor for full debate soon.
With ethics reform being one of the General Assembly’s top priorities this legislative session, I would really like to see my Senate bill become law. You can’t have a real conversation about lawmakers’ ethics without talking about campaign contribution limits, and this is exactly what SB 570 addresses.
As always, please feel free to contact me or my staff with any questions or concerns at any time. We look forward to hearing your comments and suggestions and trying to answer any questions you may have. You can reach us by phone at 866-277-0882 (toll-free) or (573) 751-2272, or by fax at (573) 526-7381.
Senator David Pearce serves Caldwell, Carroll, Howard, Johnson, Lafayette, Livingston, Ray and Saline counties in the 21st State Senatorial District.