COLUMBUS, Ohio - Gov. Bob Taft and Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell said Tuesday that they want to require more disclosure about how political parties spend money.

But don't look for any action soon.

The two Republicans outlined their proposal to force disclosure of donors to parties' operating accounts and to funds that pay for so-called issue-advocacy ads, such as the ones used against Democrat Alice Robie Resnick in her re-election campaign for the Ohio Supreme Court two years ago.

Donors to both types of accounts are not open to scrutiny through campaign finance laws.

Taft and Blackwell, both seeking re-election this year, want the Legislature to act on the proposal this year, but Blackwell said he realized the chances are slim that a bill will be approved. He called Republican leadership "a house divided currently on this issue."

Senate President Richard Finan, a suburban Cincinnati Republican, said he has concerns about disclosing operating fund expenditures. Contributors complain they get asked for other donations when any donor list is made public, he said.

Finan pointed out the Legislature is running out of time to pass bills because after this week, lawmakers likely will not return to the Statehouse until after the Nov. 6 election.

"The chances of this happening in my lifetime are probably not that good," Finan said. "If you think this isn't going to be a politically sensitive bill, you've got another thought coming."

Blackwell said the proposal would remove two of the last barriers to complete disclosure and would pass the constitutional test of free speech.

"The clouds of suspicion and the thunderstorm of cynicism are raining on our democracy," Blackwell said at a news conference announcing the proposal. "It does not limit speech, but it will disclose who is speaking."

The proposal would require disclosure of donors to state or county parties or legislative campaign funds, as being made "for the purpose of influencing the results of an election or to be made as a charitable donation."

In 2000, an issue-advocacy group known as Citizens for a Strong Ohio spent $4 million from anonymous donors on ads attacking Resnick. She was targeted for what the group termed antibusiness votes on workers' compensation and liability limits, but she won anyway with 57 percent of the vote.

Taft also helped to raise money for Citizens for a Strong Ohio but decided not to do so again after seeing the anti-Resnick ads.

"A number of us are concerned about the nature of those ads," Taft said.

Taft would help raise money for a committee that has been formed to fight a drug-treatment initiative if it qualifies for the ballot, he said.

Democratic gubernatorial nominee Tim Hagan said the proposal is needed but overdue.

"I won't wait until the end of my term to make such a proposal. The people of Ohio expect and deserve nothing less," Hagan said in a news release.

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On the Net:

Gov. Bob Taft: http://www.governortaft.com/

Tim Hagan: http://www.timhaganforgovernor.com/

Secretary of State Kenneth Blackwell: http://www.state.oh.us/sos/