A campaign finance reform bill, pre-filed in the Senate by Jill Schupp (D):

FIRST REGULAR SESSION

SENATE BILL NO. 123 [pdf]

98TH GENERAL ASSEMBLY

INTRODUCED BY SENATOR SCHUPP.

Pre-filed December 3, 2014, and ordered printed.

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AN ACT

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Be it enacted by the General Assembly of the State of Missouri, as follows:

Section A. Section 130.044 as enacted by senate bill no. 844, ninety-fifth general assembly, second regular session, and section 130.044 as enacted by senate bill no. 1038, ninety-fourth general assembly, second regular session, are repealed and three new sections enacted in lieu thereof, to be known as sections 21.431, 130.032, and 130.044, to read as follows:

21.431. No member elected to either chamber of the general assembly who vacates the office, whether by resignation, expulsion, term limitation under Section 8, Article III, Constitution of Missouri, or otherwise, shall act, serve, or register as a lobbyist as defined in section 105.470 until one full regular session of the general assembly has both convened and adjourned as provided in Sections 20 and 20(a), Article III, Constitution of Missouri, after such member vacates the office.

130.032. 1. In addition to the limitations imposed under section 130.031, the amount of contributions made by or accepted from any person other than the candidate in any one election shall not exceed the following:

(1) To elect an individual to the office of governor, lieutenant governor, secretary of state, state treasurer, state auditor, or attorney general, five thousand dollars;

(2) To elect an individual to the office of state senator, one thousand five hundred dollars;

(3) To elect an individual to the office of state representative, seven hundred fifty dollars;

(4) To elect an individual to any other office, including judicial office, if the population of the electoral district, ward, or other unit according to the latest decennial census does not exceed fifty thousand, seven hundred fifty dollars;

(5) To elect an individual to any other office, including judicial office, if the population of the electoral district, ward, or other unit according to the latest decennial census is more than fifty thousand but does not exceed one hundred fifty thousand, one thousand five hundred dollars; and

(6) To elect an individual to any other office, including judicial office, if the population of the electoral district, ward, or other unit according to the latest decennial census is greater than one hundred fifty thousand, five thousand dollars.

2. The amount of aggregate contributions made by any single contributor in a calendar year to any political party committee shall not exceed thirty-two thousand four hundred dollars.

3. For purposes of this subsection, “base year amount” shall be the contribution limits prescribed in this section on January 1, 2016. Such limits shall be increased on the first day of January in each odd-numbered year by multiplying the base year amount by the cumulative consumer price index, as defined in section 104.010 and rounded to the nearest twenty-five dollar amount, for all years since January 1, 2016.

4. Every committee established under this chapter shall be subject to the limits prescribed in subsection 1 of this section. The provisions of this subsection shall not limit the amount of contributions that may be accumulated by a candidate committee and used for expenditures to further the nomination or election of the candidate who controls such candidate committee.

5. Contributions from persons under fourteen years of age shall be considered made by the parents or guardians of such person and shall be attributed toward any contribution limits prescribed in this

chapter. Where the contributor under fourteen years of age has two custodial parents or guardians, fifty percent of the contribution shall be attributed to each parent or guardian, and where such contributor has one custodial parent or guardian, all such contributions shall be attributed to the custodial parent or guardian.

6. Contributions received and expenditures made before January 1, 2016, shall be reported as a separate account and under the laws in effect at the time such contributions are received or expenditures made. Contributions received and expenditures made after January 1, 2016, shall be reported under the provisions of this chapter as a separate account from the other separate account described in this subsection. The account reported under the prior law shall be retained as a separate account and any remaining funds in such account may be used under this chapter.

7. Any committee that accepts or gives contributions other than those allowed shall be subject to a surcharge of one thousand dollars plus an amount equal to the contribution per nonallowable contribution, to be paid to the ethics commission and which shall be transferred to the director of revenue, upon notification of such nonallowable contribution by the ethics commission, and after the candidate has had ten business days after receipt of notice to return the contribution to the contributor. The candidate and the candidate committee treasurer or deputy treasurer owing a surcharge shall be personally liable for the payment of the surcharge or may pay such surcharge only from campaign funds existing on the date of the receipt of notice. Such surcharge shall constitute a debt to the state enforceable under, but not limited to, the provisions of chapter 143.

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[emphasis in original]

In addition, the amount for reporting a single contribution within forty-eight hours is reduced in the bill from $5,000.00 to $2,000.00. During the legislative session or while awaiting gubernatorial action contributions to members of the General Assembly, candidates for the General Assembly, statewide state office holders, or candidates for statewide state offices would be required to report contributions of $500.00 or higher within forty-eight hours.

It’s a start.

What are the chances?