Idaho Campaign Contribution Limit Initiative (2016)
| Campaign Finance Reform Initiative | |
|---|---|
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| Election date November 8, 2016 | |
| Topic Campaign finance | |
| Status Not on the ballot | |
| Type State statute | Origin Citizens |
| Voting on elections and campaigns | ||||
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| Ballot measures | ||||
| By state | ||||
| By year | ||||
| Not on ballot | ||||
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The Campaign Finance Reform Initiative was not put on the November 8, 2016, ballot in Idaho as an initiated state statute.
The measure would have placed limits on the amount of money that can be donated to candidates and political committees. The measure would also have placed limits on the value of gifts lobbyists could give to state legislators and their employees and prohibit individuals and companies with state contracts of more than $250,000 from making any campaign contributions:[1]
Text of measure
Short ballot title
The short ballot title was as follows:[1]
| “ | An initiative regarding elections; banning large state contractors' contribution, increasing penalties for unreported moneys, and banning $50 gifts to legislators.[2] | ” |
Long ballot title
The long ballot title was as follows:[1]
| “ | An initiative to amend the Sunshine Law to (1) clarify who are "executive officials" and define persons doing public business and their principals; (2) reduce the limit on contributions to legislative candidates or their political committees from $1,000 to $500 and to candidates for statewide office or their political committees from $5,000 to $2,300; (3) prohibit contributions by person doing public business (and their principals) who have state contracts worth $250,000 or more; (4) require Sunshine Act reports to list the occupation and employer of persons annually contributing more than $50; (5) require electronic submission of Sunshine Act reports and public accessibility within 24 hours; (6) increase civil fines for violating campaign reporting laws; and (7) create a felony of not reporting contributions or expenditures of $25,000 or more; to amend the criminal code to (8) define "gift" and "lobbyist" in the Bribery and Corrupt Practives Act; and (9) prohibit gifts from lobbyists annually totaling more than $50 to a legislator or legislative employee; and to amend the Ethics in Government Act to (10) make it a felony for former state public officials to lobby for compensation within one year of leaving office.[2] | ” |
Full text
The full text of the measure could be read here.
Support
The support campaign, Keep Idaho Elections Accountable, was chaired by Holli Woodings, a former Democratic state representative.[3][4]
Media editorials
- The Idaho Press-Tribune said,[5]
| “ | But campaign finance reform is still a conversation with having, and the best way to begin that conversation is to talk about how we can increase transparency so we can all see who’s giving how much to whom.[2] | ” |
Path to the ballot
Supporters had to gather 47,623 valid signatures by April 30, 2016, to qualify the initiative for the ballot. Supporters turned in around 79,000 signatures, which needed to be certified by June 30, 2016.[4] The initiative fell short of the required number of valid signatures by almost 5,000 signatures after the verification process was completed, and it did not qualify for the ballot.[6]
The number of signatures required was equal to 6 percent of the registered voters as of the last general election in each of at least 18 legislative districts. Since there was a general election in November 2014, the signature requirements for initiatives in 2016 were determined by 2014 results.
See also
Footnotes
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Idaho Secretary of State, "2016 PROPOSED BALLOT INITIATIVES," accessed May 3, 2016
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Note: This text is quoted verbatim from the original source. Any inconsistencies are attributable to the original source.
- ↑ Spokesman Review, "Initiative proposes sweeping changes to Idaho’s campaign finance laws," April 22, 2016
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Idaho Statesman, "Campaign finance reform initiative submits 79,000 signatures," May 2, 2016
- ↑ Idaho Press-Tribune, "Campaign finance worth discussing," May 6, 2016
- ↑ The Spokesman-Review, "Major campaign finance reform initiative falls short, won’t be on ballot," July 1, 2016
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