LANSING – In a move to hold elected officials to higher standards, State Representative Mary Valentine (D-Norton Shores) today voted in support of reforms strengthening campaign finance rules that ensure greater public accountability of elected officials.
"This plan will reduce the influence from special interests on our elections," Valentine said. "Our citizens deserve to know that we're working for them, not the special interests. This plan will force our elected officials to be held to a higher standard of accountability and restore integrity to state government."
The comprehensive plan amending the Michigan Campaign Finance Act includes:
- Prohibiting a campaign committee from paying a salary to a candidate, which in essence bars candidates from paying themselves. A violation could be punished by a fine up to $10,000.
- Expanding the ban that prohibits a legislator from receiving an honorarium to include all state elected officials.
- Requiring quarterly campaign finance filings so the public knows, in a timely way, who is paying for a candidate's election campaign.
- Requiring people or organizations behind automated political phone calls, which are known as "robocalls," to disclose their identities at the beginning of a call.
In addition, the plan takes partisan politics out of the administration of the Campaign Finance Act by turning responsibilities over to the state's Director of Elections. This currently falls to the Secretary of State, a partisan elected official.
"These are common-sense measures," Valentine said. "This plan will restore public trust in state government. This is the right thing to do."