Editorial: Campaign funds will be clearer

Tuesday, Dec. 10, 2002 | 9:03 a.m.

For too long now the financial picture of individual candidates for public office in Nevada has been out of focus and underexposed. The forms provided by the state for declaring how much money candidates have raised and how much they have spent are deficient. And the procedure for filing the forms has been inconvenient for anyone wishing to review them. Secretary of State Dean Heller, whose office provides the forms, plans to make significant changes on his own authority and to ask the 2003 Legislature to go along with even more reforms. We hope the Legislature -- whose members will have to live by the new rules -- puts aside any self-serving objections and votes for what best serves the public.

Campaign contribution reports must be filed by candidates before the primary and general elections and again by Jan. 15. On his own, Heller will now require candidates to add the total amount of current campaign funds they possess, carried over from the previous reporting period. Additionally, he will require candidates to list all expenses not yet paid. In the past it has been impossible to examine one report and gain any clear understanding of a candidate's total financial status. The Legislature will be asked to approve more reforms, such as making it mandatory to file the reports online, reporting contributions of $1,000 or more within 24 hours, reporting balances from previous campaigns, and requiring all candidates, not just those running for statewide office, to file the reports with the secretary of state.

The Legislature should be cautious, however, about approving another of Heller's proposals. He wants the power to initiate audits. Currently, the secretary of state cannot investigate a report unless he receives a formal complaint, such as from a candidate or political party. The reason for this is to prevent a secretary of state from engaging in partisanship. Overall, Heller's proposals are sound.