Testimony by Catherine Turcer, Common Cause Ohio, On Senate Bill 347

Ohio Senate Government Oversight and Reform Committee

September 16, 2020

Chairman Coley, Vice Chair Huffman, Ranking Member Craig, and members of the Government Oversight and Reform Committee, thank you for allowing me to testify today. My name is Catherine Turcer and I am here on the behalf of Common Cause Ohio which has 30,000 members to urge you to pass Senate Bill 347. I am the author of a number of money in politics reports and first worked on improving the transparency in elections in the late 90s. It was a struggle then to generate support for online disclosure of campaign finance filings. Legislators had worries about uploading their reports and some had anxiety about computers in general but they made a commitment to online disclosure because they believed in Ohioans right to “follow the money.”

A lot has changed since then, but voters continue to have a strong commitment to transparent election funding. Requiring strong disclosure rules is supported by a bipartisan super majority among voters. A 2019年11月の世論調査 超党派のキャンペーン・リーガル・センターが委託した調査では、83%の有権者が、選挙に資金を提供する団体への寄付を公表することを義務付けることに賛成しており、これには民主党員85%、無所属83%、共和党員81%が含まれる。同様に、2016年選挙予備選挙の有権者を対象にした2015年の世論調査では、 民主党の91% そして 91% 共和党 選挙広告を掲載する外部団体は、資金の出所を開示する必要があることに同意します。

A decade ago, Citizens United v. the Federal Elections Commission ruled that corporations have the right to fund political advertisements. Justice Anthony Kennedy, now retired, writing for the majority surprisingly expressed no concerns about corruption:

「さらに、影響力やアクセスがあるように見えても、有権者が民主主義への信頼を失うことはありません。定義上、独立支出とは、候補者と調整されていない選挙民に向けた政治演説のことです。」

It is important to note that Kennedy also highlighted the importance of transparency in the funding of political expenditures:

「インターネットの出現により、支出の迅速な開示により、株主や国民は、企業や公選職者にその立場や支持者に対する説明責任を負わせるために必要な情報を得ることができます。株主は、企業の政治的発言が企業の利益追求に役立っているかどうかを判断することができ、国民は、公選職者がいわゆる金持ちの利益団体の「懐」にいるかどうかを知ることができます。」

In 2010, 上院法案240 sponsored by Jon Husted passed unanimously out of the Ohio Senate, but never moved in the Ohio House. Many legislators who co-sponsored SB 240 are still elected officials including Auditor Keith Faber, and Congressman Bob Gibbs.
It is time to close the dark money loophole. We are now experiencing the consequences of not having adequate disclosure. I urge you pass Senate Bill 347 and shine a light on the funding of all political advertisements.

Transparency is key to a healthy and strong democracy. Here are a few ways that Senate Bill 347 could be improved:

1. この法案は、独立支出の資金源の開示を義務付けるべきだ。オハイオ州民は資金の流れと支出を追跡できるべきだ。さもなければ、裕福な特別利益団体が、臨時のシェルグループを作って開示を回避しようとするだろう。
2. オハイオ州民は、テレビを見たり、郵便で届いた広告を読んだりするときに、情報にアクセスできる必要があります。非営利団体や団体の名前を単に提供しても、有権者に必要なツールは提供されません。Generation Now に似た名前が多数あり、まったく無害です。最低限、免責事項には連絡先情報が記載されるべきですが、真の公開情報には、広告や宣伝資料の上位 3 社の資金提供者が含まれます。
3. While transparency is important and candidates are broadly prohibited from coordinating with activities paid for by corporate funds. Ohio law needs to be strengthened to establish clear boundaries between candidates and independent expenditures. This can be done by prohibiting fundraising for independent expenditures by candidates and their staff and family.

Once again, I urge you to pass Senate Bill 347. Ohioans have been waiting for you to act and now is the time. Thank you very much.