PHOENIX (AP) - State lawmakers vied to amend a massive campaign finance proposal that passed the Senate Tuesday, a bill critics call a back-door attempt to expand the influence of dark money in Arizona elections.
Dark money - generally defined as political groups that do not report their donors - is at the center of the debate over the proposal that is touted by Republicans as a housecleaning measure and backed by the GOP Secretary of State Michele Reagan’s office.
Democrats tried, but ultimately failed, to make substantial changes to the bill to increase disclosure, close loopholes and retain current penalties during floor debate.
Bill sponsor Sen. Adam Driggs, R-Phoenix, tacked an additional 12 pages onto the sweeping bill he said is designed to simplify and re-organize the state’s campaign finance code.
“I think this is a very good bill, it streamlines processes, make things clear,” said Sylvia Allen, R-Snowflake.
Senate Bill 1516 passed on an 18-10 vote with only Republican support and now moves to the House, though it won’t include provisions that required a three-fourths vote to pass.
The most important change Driggs included would increase disclosure by requiring groups that spend more than $1,000 on ballot measures to file a campaign finance report detailing how the money was spent.
Still, the proposal allows dark money groups, which often establish as social welfare organizations, to double the amount they spend on ballot measures. It would also let nonprofit groups spend more money influencing elections without having to reveal donors.
Sen. Steve Farley, D-Tucson, called the provision a “get out of jail free card” for tax-exempt organizations that spend money to influence elections.
It also would also allow candidates to divert money given to their campaign to other candidates - a move that might result in voter donations backing candidates they wouldn’t support.
Democrats crafted more than a dozen amendments, none of which were adopted, that attempted to increase disclosure requirements for dark money groups, retain enforcement provisions and close loopholes in candidate spending.
“This is all about dark money,” said Sen. Martin Quezada, D-Phoenix about one of his amendments,
“It attempts to shine some light on that money, who is spending it and why. I think this is what the voters of Arizona want us to do.”
Quezada said his party didn’t know what was going to be in the Republican amendment because the state elections director refused to share it with Democrats over the weekend.
Driggs shot back that Democrats had not shared their amendments with him either.
“Through this process I have been available. I have reached out to some of my friends on the other side of the aisle,” he said.
Matt Roberts, spokesman for the Secretary of State’s office called Quezada’s complaint “palace intrigue and political rhetoric,” saying Spencer and the Secretary of State’s office have spent much of the past year working with interested parties to craft the new system that also would make it easier for candidates to run for office, increase the frequency of campaign finance reports and add key enforcement tools.
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