On Friday, Republican House leaders put forward four pieces of legislation aimed at tackling the surge of out-of-state funding in Idaho’s elections.
For the 2024 legislative races, campaign and independent expenditures totaled $17 million, with over $9.3 million allocated to materials either supporting or opposing candidates, as reported by VoteIdaho.gov, an official site managed by the Idaho Secretary of State.
“This is unprecedented, so we aim to enhance our ability to identify the sources and purposes of this funding,” stated House Speaker Mike Moyle, R-Star. “The electorate deserves transparency.”
Accompanied by House State Affairs Committee Chairman Brent Crane, R-Nampa, Moyle introduced four bills to the committee, which include:
- House Bill 306 aims to create a “criminal libel” law, making it a felony to disseminate false statements about another individual, with penalties of up to $100,000 in fines, imprisonment for a maximum of five years, or both.
- House Bill 307 would empower the Idaho Secretary of State’s Office to investigate allegations of false claims against candidates and publish the findings on its website.
- House Bill 308 requires that any electioneering communications costing over $1,000 be reported within 24 hours of primary and general elections, and mandates political committees to upload related materials to the Idaho Secretary of State’s website.
- House Bill 309 mandates that lobbyists disclose their expenses weekly during the legislative session and monthly at other times.
The proposed legislation has received backing from Idaho Secretary of State Phil McGrane, who emphasized that Idahoans should be informed about who attempts to sway their views during elections and influence lawmakers.
“The current session depicts significant pressure,” McGrane remarked. “The speaker of the pro tem’s office is inundated with postcard stacks from various organizations exerting pressure on the legislative process. Thus, bolstering transparency and disclosure is critical to this initiative.”
Out-of-state money in Idaho elections is legal, but still a concern
Crane remarked that the proposed legislation is a response to what he perceives as the “monetization of politics,” where affluent groups from outside Idaho engage in the state’s political arena.
Out-of-state campaign spending responsible for many of Idaho’s negative campaign ads
“I am deeply concerned,” Crane expressed to the committee. “In fact, it angers me that out-of-state funds are being utilized to sway election results in Idaho. If I had an ideal solution, it would be to restrict spending on Idaho elections to Idaho dollars alone.”
In 2010, the U.S. Supreme Court’s ruling in Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission determined that campaign contributions are a form of protected free speech, thereby permitting corporations and unions to expend unlimited funds on political campaigns. The recently introduced legislation aims to improve transparency within campaign finance, according to Crane.
“We want to underscore the seriousness with which we regard the influx of out-of-state funds, particularly concerning dark money,” Crane commented.
During the 2024 primary elections, the committee that spent the most against Idaho legislative candidates was the Make Liberty Win PAC, based in Virginia. It allocated $716,000 to both support and oppose Idaho candidates. Moyle was notably a major target, with $112,000 spent against him in the primary, as reported by IdahoEd News. The political committee distributed mailers throughout his district, falsely branding him as “anti-gun,” according to KTVB.
The committee has decided to advance the proposed bills for a comprehensive hearing at a future date. Crane stated he plans to allow a couple of weeks for the legislation to circulate among lawmakers in the meantime.
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