It’s interesting that Oregon legislators are now campaign finance reformers.
If Gov. Tina Kotek signs House Bill 4024, Oregon will leave the club of five states that have essentially no limits on what a candidate can accept from a corporation, an individual, a political group or a union.
There will be limits in Oregon. There will be some explanation on ads of where the money comes from.
And the bills passed in a short session. And it happened when so many recent sessions were ruled by walkouts.
But is campaign finance reform done for Oregon?
It will never be done. You can’t take the money out of politics and you can’t ever stop worrying about its influence.
The best quick analysis we read of the Legislature’s campaign finance reform bill was from state Sen. Elizabeth Steiner, a Democrat from Beaverton.
“I am not at all convinced that we’re buying what we think we’re buying,” Steiner said, quoted in The Oregonian. “I’ll vote for this bill because it beats the heck out of the alternatives, but I don’t think Oregonians get what they think they’re getting, and I don’t think that’s the fault of anybody in this room or anybody in this building.”
Legislators can only fight the policy battle that is before them. So, in that way, House Bill 4024 is a success. But the limits in Oregon, as good as they try to be, will also mean that independent expenditures may only grow in strength. The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in Citizens United that limiting independent political spending from corporations and other groups violates the First Amendment right to free speech.
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Many suggestions are floated to improve democracy. One idea: Require people to vote. Make voting mandatory. There might even be a penalty for not voting. Washington state is considering it. Email us your comments at letters@bendbulletin.com
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PLEASE TURN OFF YOUR CAPS LOCK.
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Share with Us. We'd love to hear eyewitness accounts, the history behind an article.