More transparency

Too often, political expedience trumps common sense and the public interest. That's been especially true in Carson City, where sensible reforms wind up in the shredder almost every legislative session.

Assemblyman Pat Hickey, R-Reno, the presumptive minority leader for the 2013 Legislature, says he'll work against tradition - and, likely, against many of his fellow lawmakers - to bring greater transparency to the political process. On Monday, he called for substantial changes to the way elected officials and lobbyists conduct their business.

Among Mr. Hickey's proposals:

- Requiring elected officials and candidates to report campaign contributions online within 48 hours of receiving them. Under current law, contributions are disclosed in reports filed only a couple of times each year.

- Compelling state office holders to report how much cash they have on hand after their election.

- Requiring lobbyists to report gifts and spending on lawmakers year-round. Currently, lobbyists are required only to report spending that occurs during each legislative session.

- Imposing a cooling off period for ex-lawmakers who wish to cash in on their service by becoming lobbyists themselves. Without such a period, lawmakers have an incentive to use the power of their office to line up clients - as former Assemblyman Morse Arberry tried to do two years ago.

- Giving the secretary of state more power and resources to audit campaign finance reports.

Politicians tend to pooh-pooh such rigorous standards as paper shuffling and busy work. In fact, such reforms would help voters understand which interests are supporting candidates, which candidates are eager to enjoy the generosity of lobbyists, and which lawmakers could be beholden to particular power brokers and dealmakers.

These bills would help keep elected officials accountable to voters - and that's why these reforms have gone nowhere for so long. Just last year, Assembly Democrats killed a bill sponsored by Democratic Sen. Sheila Leslie to expand lobbyist reporting. And lawmakers of both parties have stood in the way of other campaign reforms.

Not all of Mr. Hickey's ideas are great. He said he might support new limits on contributions to candidates, political action committees and parties. State and local candidates currently can't accept more than $10,000 from any donor in each election, while there are no limits on PAC donations. Mr. Hickey also wants to move Nevada's statewide primary elections from June back to the fall.

Putting a lower cap on donations has the effect of limiting political speech, a proposal that could conflict with the First Amendment, depending on what Mr. Hickey has in mind. As for the primary date, returning to a fall vote wouldn't necessarily energize the state's apathetic voters, but it would create a much tighter window for county election officials to compile and print November ballots.

But most of Mr. Hickey's plan deserves the public's support. Voters should demand that legislative candidates get behind this reform agenda.