August 25, 2004

Campaign finance reform 'dicey'

By Andrew J. Beckner/Register-Herald Reporter

Any reforms to the state's campaign finance laws would be a fundamental change in government policy, the state Senate's counsel told an interim committee Monday.

Indeed, "reform" doesn't do justice to the types of changes that have taken place in several states nationwide over the years, the select committee on campaign finance reform learned during the August legislative interims at Glade Springs Resort.

"This is a very dicey problem," said Jann Hoke, Senate counsel. She said nearly all states that have enacted campaign finance reform measures have run into complications.

Incumbency is nearly a rule of thumb in West Virginia politics. Sen. Truman Chafin, D-Mingo, said it's very difficult to unseat an incumbent. Chafin himself is a six-term senator and Senate majority leader.

"What we're trying to do is give others a chance against incumbents," Chafin, the select committee chair, told the group. He floated the idea of term limits as a possible solution.

Hoke said there are options. One includes a complete deregulation of campaign finances, a move she described as a "shoot 'em up, anything goes" type of system.

But the one that's gotten the attention of several legislatures -- and has suffered from court challenges and funding problems -- involves public financing of campaigns. A number of states have such a system, one in which taxpayer money is earmarked for a campaign fund. Once certain fund-raising goals are met by a prospective politician, he or she would be entitled to matching money from the state.

Despite the popularity of the move in some states, data suggest taxpayers just aren't that interested in such a system, Hoke said. She reported that of the 27 states that have public financing of elections, a study showed fewer than 1 percent of the taxpayers said they were willing to shoulder the campaign finance burden.

The result is systems that are underfunded and have limited viability, Hoke said.

Further, she said of laws other states have passed, wording is often vague, leading to more difficulties.

Delegate Virginia Mahan, D-Summers, a member of the committee, has said in the past that while it is an important issue, the state has bigger fish to fry.