OLYMPIA – Sen. Andy Billig, D-Spokane, released the following statement after the Republican Senate majority blocked his motion to bring the DISCLOSE Act (Senate Bill 5219), his signature campaign finance transparency legislation, to the floor for a vote:
“Prior to my motion, Senate Republicans brought to the floor politically divisive legislation they claimed would lead to greater transparency and accountability in our elections.
“In response to their expressed desire to address the glaring loopholes of our elections process and the funding of political campaigns, I moved to bring SB 5219 up for a vote so we could have a broader and more productive conversation about ways to make our democracy stronger.
“Their refusal to consider SB 5219 paints a clear picture that they are not interested in accountability and fairness in our elections.
“This is now the fourth year in a row that the Republican majority in the Senate has blocked this transparency bill from moving forward.
“This is especially frustrating because this bill would address a nonpartisan issue.
“The disclosure loophole that this bill would fix is being exploited by groups across the political spectrum. Ultimately, this bill benefits not one party or another but the citizens of our state. They deserve to know where the money is coming from in political campaigns.
“Instead of playing political games and masquerading them as campaign finance reform, let’s get busy reforming our campaign financing process so we can shine a bright light on players from across the political spectrum who are trying to stay in the shadows.”
Background: http://sdc.wastateleg.org/billig/2016/02/18/billigs-campaign-transparency-bill-blocked-in-the-senate/
