Election finance changes urged

Clark County Commissioner Steve Sisolak wants more transparency in the way politicians raise campaign funds and report how that money is spent.

That means disclosing the date a contribution check is written and when it is received by a candidate, reporting travel costs - including locations and reasons for visits - disclosing the names of and money paid to consultants, explaining "miscellaneous" expenses and requiring the secretary of state to immediately issue reports on candidates who file late.

The discussion isn't new. Many of the reforms have been discussed by state legislators in past sessions but gained little steam.

The 2011 Legislature approved some campaign finance reforms. Candidates for state and county races are required to post their contribution and expenditure reports on the secretary of state's website.

Sisolak, a Democrat, is piggybacking his proposal off comments recently made at the state level by Assemblyman Pat Hickey, R-Reno. Hickey called for fall primary elections, campaign contribution limits and a cooling-off period before former legislators can return as lobbyists.

The County Commission will consider Sisolak's resolution Tuesday.

"This is just a statement that seven commissioners support the idea of open reporting and transparency," Sisolak said. "I'm not trying to reinvent the wheel here. The commission has been a leader in terms of transparency and disclosure. We were the first to institute a cooling-off period, the Legislature doesn't have one. We're subject to the open meeting law. They're not."

The proposal calls for his colleagues to urge the members of the 2013 Legislature to support his proposal and Hickey's reforms. But some of his colleagues are pushing back at having Hickey's name appear on the resolution.

"I'm not supporting any individual legislator, I'm supporting the idea," Sisolak said. "To me, it doesn't matter if they're Republican, Democrat or Martian. We need more bipartisan cooperation in government."

Commissioner Chris Giunchigliani said she will support the resolution if it's generic. "I'm not going to support something that promotes one legislator over another," Giunchigliani said.

She added she would like to seek out ideas from more people and make the proposal part of the county's legislative platform, asking sister cities to join on a Southern Nevada package addressing transparency, campaign finance reform and ethics issues.

She also wants to add in a component state Sen. Sheila Leslie, D-Reno, tried to pass last year that would require lobbyists to report expenses whether or not the Legislature is in session.

"None of these ideas are new, but they should still be perceived as welcome conversation and hopefully get some kind of action," Giunchigliani said.

Commissioner Tom Collins said he will support the proposal with a few tweaks, including making it a part of the county's ethics policy.

Contact reporter Kristi Jourdan at kjourdan@reviewjournal.com or 702-455-4519.