Proposed changes to campaign finance law passed by House

A bill that would make several changes to campaign finance laws is headed to Gov. Mark Dayton’s desk.

The House passed HF3837/SF3306*, sponsored by Rep. Tim O'Driscoll (R-Sartell) and Sen. Mary Kiffmeyer (R-Big Lake), on a 123-0 vote Wednesday. The Senate passed it 57-10 last week.

Rep. Michael Nelson (DFL-Brooklyn Park), who co-sponsors the bill, said it will “help keep elections clean in Minnesota.”

Nelson told the House Government Operations and Elections Policy Committee in March that the bill would codify administrative rules the Minnesota Campaign Finance Board has made and put them into state law so the board doesn’t have to “constantly answer the same questions.”

Jeff Sigurdson, the board’s executive director, outlined the major sections of the bill to the committee, saying many of the provisions are the board’s recommendations. Among the things the bill would do are:

• increase for the first time since 1974 the threshold for when disclosure is required;
• clarify the scope of the board’s investigation after it receives a complaint of an alleged violation;
• specify when electronic contributions need to be reported as received;
• make changes to independent expenditure disclaimers;
• provide guidance on what qualifies as a coordinated and non-coordinated expenditure;
• require campaign reports to include an explanation of how certain expenditures were used; and
• require written or verbal disclaimers when goods or services are sold to raise money for a campaign.

Nelson did offer two amendments to the bill; one was not adopted, the other was ruled out of order.