MO secretary of state proposes broad ethics, campaign finance reform

Missouri Secretary of State Jason Kander is proposing broad reform to the state's ethics and campaign finance laws he says aren't up to snuff.

The proposal, sponsored by Rep. Kevin McManus, D-Kansas City, in House Bill 1340, calls for:

• reinstating campaign contribution limits;
• banning lobbyist gifts to elected officials and their staff; and
• making it a crime to obstruct an investigation by the Missouri Ethics Commission, allowing the MEC to punish candidates for circumventing contribution limits with fines or removal from the ballot.

“The legislature’s dance around this problem has gone on long enough, and Missourians are tired of watching too many of their elected officials pretend as though this situation is beyond their control,” Kander said in a news release. “Our proposal is not a compromise that has been watered down by both sides. This is a solution to a very serious problem, and there is plenty in here for politicians of all perspectives and affiliations to dislike."

The bill also would allow the MEC to take swift action against violators, so candidates can't break the law and face the consequences after the election cycle is over.

“Crime shouldn’t pay, and cheaters shouldn’t be allowed to compete,” Kander said in the release.

According to the release, current Missouri law allows unlimited campaign contributions and unlimited lobbyist gifts. Kander said with the current system, some politicians may skirt disclosure requirement by funneling campaign contributions through chains of political action committees, a practice he equated to money laundering.