Ethics initiative would slash allowed money

Copyright 2009 Deseret News

More than $2.4 million given to Utah legislative candidates in 2008 — almost half of all their donations — would be banned under a proposed citizen ethics initiative, a Deseret News analysis shows.

Most of the donations that would have disappeared were from corporations, political parties, a few individuals who gave large amounts, and legislators who were running for leadership positions and spread around their own campaign money.

Initiative supporters say making such money go away is good and would make lawmakers more beholden to individuals than special interests.

But critics say it may make it tough for anyone to win except the wealthy, who can use their own money to campaign.

It's also possible that much of the $2.4 million would not exactly dry up but simply be rechanneled. For example, while businesses could no longer donate directly to legislative candidates, they could create political action committees and funnel donations legally through them.

Utahns for Ethical Government supporters are holding public hearings around the state on their far-reaching initiative. It would place limits on donations to legislative candidates, set up an independent ethics commission to recommend disciplinary action for wayward lawmakers and impose a strict code of ethics on the 104 part-time lawmakers.

The initiative would ban campaign donations by corporations, from political parties and from other candidates' campaign committees.

In races for the state's 75 House and 29 Senate seats, it would limit an individual's donation to $2,500 and a single PAC's contribution to $5,000 per candidate in any two-year election cycle.

UEG chairman Kim Burningham said he is encouraged by the newspaper's analysis, adding no one had worked up such numbers previously.

"If the amount of money decreases" from corporations, other candidates and political parties, said Burningham, "then that increases the power of the individual citizens' donations.

"And that is the very essence of what we are trying to do," said Burningham — increasing the power and influence of a legislator's constituents.