Minnesota Legislature Unanimously Approves Disclosure Bill

With less than a half an hour before the end of the 2010 legislative session, the Minnesota House of Representatives approved SF2471, a bill to bring greater disclosure of independent expenditure groups, by a vote of 131-0.  Minutes before that vote, the Minnesota Senate approved the same bill on a unanimous vote.  The bill now heads to the governor’s office for approval.

Despite the effort of special interests efforts to kill this legislation, it passed with overwhelmingly bi-partisan support.  The legislation will help reduce the confusion around Minnesota’s campaign finance rules that was caused by the US Supreme Court decision, Citizens United v. FEC, and subsequent federal court ruling that opened up corporate and union political spending in state-based campaigns.

The bill does five things:

• Conforms Minnesota state law to the recent US Supreme Court decision in Citizens United v FEC.
• Requires disclosure of political expenditures by corporations and unions that spend money from their general treasury account.
• Mandates three additional reporting periods for independent expenditure groups.
• Requires campaign materials to have a disclaimer that says who paid for the material and what candidate the ad is opposed to or in support of.
• Increases penalties for campaign finance violations.

“This legislation is a necessary first step to bring corporate and union political advertising into the sunlight,“ said Mike Dean, executive director of Common Cause Minnesota. “This legislation should lay the groundwork for much larger reforms during the next legislative session.”

Common Cause Minnesota will urge the next legislature and governor to adopt more timely disclosure of independent expenditure groups, requiring shareholder notification of political expenditure, and moving Minnesota to a full public financing system to combat the wave of special interest advertising that is expected in upcoming elections.