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Committee creates working group to study centralizing local campaign finance filings
Summary
Senate File 828 would create a working group to study whether local candidate campaign finance reports should be filed centrally with the Campaign Finance Board; the committee adopted a fiscal amendment and ultimately re‑referred the bill to the Rules Committee.
Senate File 828, sponsored by Senator Sandra Bolden, would establish a working group to study whether local candidate campaign finance reports (counties, municipalities, school districts and other political subdivisions) should be filed centrally with the Campaign Finance and Public Disclosure Board (CFB) rather than with the variety of local filing officers now handling the task. The State and Local Government Committee adopted an amendment to clarify membership and fiscal details, amended the fiscal assumptions and ultimately re‑referred the bill to the Rules Committee.
Bolden said the working group’s purpose is to evaluate where local campaign reports should be filed and whether central filing would help candidates, treasurers and the public. “This working group would look at the current capacity of local filing officers to support candidates and handle filings,” she said. The group would not change contribution limits or reporting content; it would examine process, resource needs and transparency and report back to the Legislature with recommendations.
The committee adopted the bill’s A5 amendment (as orally amended) to specify membership, per‑diem and expense reimbursement language, and to revise the fiscal estimate. Legislative fiscal staff reported a fiscal note that identified two agencies: the Campaign Finance Board (noting some absorbable workload) and the Legislature (a line‑item for per diem and expenses). Counsel and fiscal staff noted that the A5 amendment should change one line in the fiscal assumptions from $21,000 to $25,000 to reflect an additional appointed member; Senator Bolden moved that oral change and the committee adopted it by voice vote.
Committee action
- A5 amendment (membership, timing, reimbursement language) adopted as amended (oral amendment changed $21,000 to $25,000 and was adopted). - Committee recommendation and referral: after initial passage motion to refer to Finance, the committee reconsidered and ultimately recommended the bill be passed and re‑referred to the Rules Committee.
Context and questions
Members asked whether a central filing system would change existing reporting thresholds or contribution rules; Bolden and staff said the working group would not change reporting content or thresholds but would study the filing location, resources and public access issues. Senators also discussed practical matters such as candidate access to the CFB filing system across different computer platforms and the potential for the CFB to serve as a resource hub for local candidates and treasurers.
Next steps
The committee recommended passage and re‑referred SF 828, as amended, to the Rules Committee for further consideration consistent with committee directions.
