Dec.20, 2009

When then-Gov. Matt Blunt and the Republican-controlled state legislature repealed campaign contribution limits in August 2008, lawmakers promised greater transparency and an end to laundering money through committees to conceal the source.

Since then, the big bucks have flowed into the coffers of politicians on both sides of the aisle.

Five-figure checks to candidates, political parties and political action committees have become the norm -- and six-figure checks are not unheard of.

During last year's election, Republican attorney general candidate Mike Gibbons set the bar high for the largest contribution ever by accepting a $1.1 million lump sum from a Virginia-based political action group.

But it appears some Republican lawmakers are having buyers' remorse.

"It's gotten out of hand in (Jefferson) City as far as I'm concerned," said Rep. Gary Dusenberg, a fourth-term Republican lawmaker from Blue Springs.

Dusenberg has introduced a bill to limit contributions to $10,000 for statewide candidates, $5,000 for Senate and $2,500 for House candidates. The previous limit was $1,375 for statewide, $675 for Senate and $325 for House candidates.

In 1994, Missouri voters overwhelmingly approved campaign contribution limits. But to get around the restrictions, donors would routinely funnel money through multiple PACs and political party committees, which would pass the money to the candidate the donor intended to support.

Supporters say the new system has reduced the amount of legalized money laundering.

"It has slowed it down," said Senate President Pro Tem Charlie Shields, R-St. Joseph. "There's not a perfect system out there."

More transparent?

When Dusenberg voted to repeal the limits, he said he didn't expect six-figure contributions to become common in Missouri politics. "It's absolutely ridiculous and I think it's unconscionable, to tell you the truth," Dusenberg said.

As far as transparency goes, Dusenberg said the new process is only transparent to political junkies and reporters who have time to comb through reports on the Missouri Ethics Commission's Web site, moethics.mo.gov -- not the general public.

"A lot of people who advocated transparency, I don't think they meant that," said Dusenberg, who is considering a 2010 bid for the state Senate.

Dusenberg said the legislative leaders of both parties have amassed large sums of contributions that they can dole out to favored legislators in order to maintain their power and influence in Jefferson City.

"It benefits them more than the average rep or the average senator and they take full advantage of it. Consequently, it becomes their own little six- or eigh-man power groups," he said. "Let's be honest about it -- they pick and choose, basically."

Dusenberg is proposing a series of reforms, including banning PACs from contributing to other PACs and requiring contributions from children younger than 14 to be counted toward their parents' total and annual limit.

His legislation, House Bill 1337, has two other Republican co-sponsors -- Reps. Sue Allen and Will Kraus.

The bill would make it a Class D felony to violate campaign finance statutes, giving the ethics commission more teeth to actually enforce the law.

Dusenberg also wants to prohibit fundraising and soliciting contributions inside the Capitol.

Surprised this is a problem? During the 2009 session, Rep. Curt Dougherty, D-Independence, openly advertised an all-day fundraiser in his Capitol office.

Dusenberg's legislation would probably spoil the party in Jefferson City. He's also proposing a ban on all campaign fundraisers "within one hundred miles of the state capitol building during the regular session."

Just for the rich?

Rep. Jim Viebrock, R-Republic, agrees with Dusenberg and says limitless contributions "opens the door for corruption."

Viebrock, another fourth-term lawmaker, said the large sums of money flowing in from corporations, labor unions and other special interests discourages average citizens from running for office.

"You put people at an unfair advantage if they happen to be friends with wealthy people," said Viebrock, who is running for Greene County presiding commissioner in 2010. Contribution limits "at least slows down the ability for the ultra wealthy to buy elections."

Reform ahead?

The 2010 legislative session begins Jan. 6, and lawmakers on both sides of the aisle seem ready to pass some version of ethics reform legislation.

Gov. Jay Nixon, a Democrat who has long supported contribution limits, said Tuesday he intends to unveil his own ethics reform package in the near future.