GOP leaders OK contribution limits

Moved in part by a tough citizen initiative petition on legislative ethics and campaign finance reform, some GOP legislative leaders have agreed to the adoption of campaign contribution limits for state candidates and officeholders.

They had previously opposed such limits.

At a meeting of the governor's democracy commission it was revealed that over several days a number of secret meetings between Utah's top political leaders and commissioners — who had already adopted a more restrictive contribution limit — had reached a compromise.

House Speaker Dave Clark, R-Santa Clara, who is not a member of the commission, said in a telephone interview Thursday night that the donation cap agreement "is a big move" forward in government/campaign reform in Utah.

Senate Majority Whip Scott Jenkins, R-Plain City, a commission member, voted for it and Rep. Craig Frank, R-Cedar Hills, chairman of the House Governor Operations Committee, also a commission member who voted for it, said he had opened a bill on the donation cap agreement.

Gov. Gary Herbert spokeswoman Angie Welling, who said neither she nor Herbert had heard of the agreement, said after speaking with the governor that he was not on board with, but is willing to sit down and talk about it. Herbert told the commission in an Oct. 1 meeting that he has long been opposed to campaign donation limits, and prefers more "transparency" in quickly disclosing donations, perhaps on the Web. But Herbert also said he could be persuaded to change his view by true and convincing facts.

The Governor's Commission on Strengthening Utah's Democracy's recommendation, if adopted by the 2010 Legislature, would mean that Herbert, who took several whopping $50,000 individual donations at his last week's Governor's Gala fundraiser, would only be able to take $5,000 per year, or $10,000 over a two-year election cycle, from an individual, PAC or business.

Herbert raised $1 million at last week's event, and he likely would not be able to raise that much at a single event again should the new agreement become law.

The donation cap agreement is a turnaround for some GOP legislative leaders, who have said for months that they wanted no campaign donation limits, but instead preferred quick disclosure of all campaign donations. Voters could then decide if any campaign donation was inappropriate, they said.