Lame duck disgrace

For immediate release
December 4, 2002

Contact Catherine Turcer
(614) 263-4111

COLUMBUS -- "Sub. HB 445 is a lame duck disgrace," said Catherine Turcer, campaign reform director for Ohio Citizen Action. "An amendment to Substitute House Bill 445 was snuck into the bill that makes it more difficult for citizens and the press to get contribution information before elections. The Senate provided little time for public comment and no time for thoughtful deliberation."

On December 3 a conference committee amended Sub. HB 445 to effectively eliminate the electronic filing requirement for campaign finance reports by statewide and General Assembly candidates. The measure passed the Ohio Senate today.

"Filing electronically makes for timely information. When candidates file electronically the information is posted directly, which avoids data entry problems," said Turcer. "The Internet has put campaign contribution information right into people’s homes. This very visible disclosure is popular and has saved money for the taxpayers of Ohio. Ohio Citizen Action joins Secretary of State Ken Blackwell and strongly opposes this measure. I urge members of the Ohio House to vote against Sub. HB 445."

Since 1994, the Citizens Policy Center at Ohio Citizen Action has been analyzing contributions to statewide and legislative candidates and Ohio political party and caucus committees. The Center produced a series of reports documenting the flow of money to Ohio Supreme Court candidates throughout the 2002 election cycle.

Ohio Citizen Action has 100,000 dues-paying members statewide. A non-profit, non-partisan organization, Ohio Citizen Action was founded in 1975.