Fundraising under way for incumbent Utah lawmakers

SALT LAKE CITY — 'Tis the season for pre-legislative incumbent fundraisers, with lawmakers pocketing hundreds of thousands of dollars while providing valuable face time to rich lobbyists and special-interest groups.

The events seem even more desperate in an election year, which 2010 is.

Some call it "pay to play." Others say it's just regular candidate fundraising, with individuals and groups exercising their constitutionally guaranteed political free speech in supporting whom they like.

But one thing is clear: If you want access to legislators, and maybe a little extra consideration, you pony up some cash for these events and get before the people who are going to make the decisions on your interests over the next few months.

It's against state law for legislators to raise money during their 45-day general sessions, which this year runs from Jan. 25 to March 11, so it has become tradition to do so just before.

Kirk Jowers, head of the University of Utah's Hinckley Institute of Politics, said the blackout period during the session means more money will pour in to lawmakers just before it starts.

"It's inevitable," he said. "The problem is that it does mitigate the effectiveness of the ban and it may even exacerbate the perception of undue influence because so much money is changing hands immediately before the legislative session."

Jowers, chairman of the Governor's Commission on Strengthening Utah's Democracy, said the way to fix the problem is to set reasonable contribution limits on candidates and PACs. Utah currently has no limits on how much money someone can give a candidate.

"It's the unlimited amounts which typically undermine public confidence the most," Jowers said. The commission has recommended lawmakers not be allowed to accept more than $5,000 from a single contributor during the two-year election cycle.

Jowers said Utah is one of 17 states that ban contributions during the legislative session, something he supports. "It's supposed to at least give the perception there's not money in exchange for votes going on," he said.

In recent years, top GOP House and Senate leaders have held their own individual PAC fundraisers. Senate President Michael Waddoups, R-Taylorsville, held his last fall, taking it away from the session in part to make it clear he's raising cash for his re-election, not to "deceive by suggesting it was held to inform people" about upcoming legislative issues.