Political donors still ‘hidden’

Monday, April 7, 1997 | 11:59 a.m.

The leading source of funding for Nevada's legislative campaigns last year, nearly $2.5 million, came from small contributors whose identities were hidden by state law.

That is one of the key findings in a campaign finance report released today by the nonpartisan Progressive Leadership Alliance of Nevada. The left-leaning organization, formed in 1995, is a coalition of 31 groups that include labor, environmentalists, ethnic minorities, women and trial lawyers.

The alliance supports legislation that would lower to $100 the amount of campaign contributions that must be revealed by source. Under current law, contributions of $500 or less don't have to be identified. The legislation also would force political parties and legislative caucuses to reveal the sources of their contributions.

"We feel that the nondisclosure in this state lends itself to at least the appearance of wrongdoing or corruption," said Paul Brown, the alliance's Southern Nevada coordinator. "Any time you don't have checks and balances on (campaign) assets, you're setting yourself up for abuse."

Using computers, the alliance identified how much money each of the 63 lawmakers received from specific special interest groups, and also ranked how much those sectors gave to individual legislators. The alliance included the 1996 Assembly races and the 1994 and 1996 state Senate contests. Among the findings:

* Contributions of $500 or less to Republican candidates totaling $1.27 million, and small donations to Democrats totaling $1.14 million were the top funding sources in 1996.

Notable is that the National Republican Congressional Committee ranked fifth by giving $205,000. In contrast, the national Democratic Party steered clear of legislative races. Circus Circus Enterprises, ranked ninth, was the top gaming contributor at $78,750.

* Sen. Randolph Townsend, R-Reno, received $253,280 for his 1994 re-election campaign, the highest amount among victorious senators over the past two election cycles. Assembly Speaker Joe Dini, D-Yerington, led the way in the lower chamber last year with $179,710.

* Among contributions by sector, the leaders in the Senate were Majority Leader Bill Raggio, R-Reno (gaming, $36,500; business/retail, $23,500; natural resource/mining, $33,000; and construction, $21,000); Sen. Ann O'Connell, R-Las Vegas (small contributors, $88,887); Sen. Bill O'Donnell (political parties, $81,150); Sen. Valerie Wiener (labor, $56,177; and communications/electronics, $16,806); Minority Leader Dina Titus, D-Las Vegas (health care, $23,450; and lawyers/lobbyists, $8,000); Sen. Ray Shaffer, D-Las Vegas (transportation, $10,500); and Sen. Mark James, R-Las Vegas (finance/real estate, $26,215).

The leaders in the Assembly were Dini (gaming, $21,750; business/retail, $14,600; natural resource/mining, $23,250; construction, $10,500; transportation, $13,500; finance/real estate, $14,250; lawyers/lobbyists, $5,750; and communications/electronics, $4,250); Assemblywoman Barbara Buckley, D-Las Vegas (small contributors, $55,026); Assemblywoman Merle Berman, R-Las Vegas (political parties, $48,750); Assemblyman Tom Collins, D-Las Vegas (labor, $32,431); and Assemblyman Richard Perkins, D-Henderson (health care, $9,500).

* On average, it cost $174,628 to win a Senate race, and $68,100 to win an Assembly seat.

Brown said the alliance believes one way to reduce the reliance on campaign contributions is to permit only one senator per district. Clark County has five Senate districts that elect two senators each. The alliance would like to see those split into 10 districts so candidates don't have to spend as much money to reach their constituents.

Although the alliance would lean heavily toward Democrats on issues such as labor and the environment, Brown said campaign finance reform is an area that affects both major parties equally.

"Nevada's campaign finance disclosure laws are among the worst in the nation, and this allows special interests to wield overwhelming power in the Legislature," added Bob Fulkerson, the alliance's state director. "The time to pass campaign finance reform to put the public interest ahead of special interests is long overdue."