SENATOR KIRK SCHURING (R-29TH) BILL TO REQUIRE IDENTIFICATION OF $125 PLUS CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTORS (INCLUDING LOCAL CANDIDATES) NEARING PASSAGE? NEW ABILITY TO TRACK HEALY OUT-OF-TOWN CONTRIBUTIONS?

For about a year now, the SCPR has been working with Stark Countian Senator Kirk Schuring to have Ohio law amended to require "local candidates" to identify "large" (in the sense of $100 or more) contributors in terms of affiliation/vocation on "local" candidates' campaign finance reports.

On October 22, 2009 was The Report was one of several who testified in favor the change to campaign finance reporting.

Senator Bill Seitz made a couple of constructive suggestions to improve the original bill.  One was to index the reportable contribution amount to account for inflation and the second centered on requiring the Ohio secretary of state to audit campaign finance reports within a period of time or the report would be deemed to be correct.

Senator Schuring tells the SCPR that the initial indexing was done by the Legislative Service Commission and was recommended to be at $125.  Moreover, the amount is to be increased only in $25 increments over ensuing years.  In terms of applying the indexing, the amount would not be raised until the indexing process reached or exceeded $150, $175 and so on.

Another important change to the bill would require the Ohio secretary of state (SOS) to audit within one year of the filing of a given report or lose the right.  Anyone who has ever run for elective office will appreciate having "finalization" to submitted reports and not having the SOS come back years after the report was submitted with questions and requests for additional information.

Although there are not that many $125 or higher contributions to local candidates in most local races, it came to light to The Report in the Healy/Creighton campaign that there are local races that generate considerable $125 or higher contributions that merit scrutiny.

Accordingly, The Report asked Senator Schuring to sponsor legislation taking corrective action.

Schuring says that he is optimistic that the measure will pass the Ohio General Assembly and become law over the next few months.

A SCPR "tip-of-the-hat" to Senator J. Kirk Schuring.