Thanks to a disruption in the space-time continuum, the Cedar Creek Room of the Statehouse was briefly transported to Bizarro World Thursday morning.

At the podium stood a crew of mostly House Republicans calling for new campaign finance disclosure rules meant to make it easier for voters to know who’s funding political campaigns, political action committees and so-called “super PACs.”

Their recommendations closely mirrored those offered up in recent months by several liberal groups, including the Vermont Public Interest Research Group and Vermont Priorities.

“This is all about transparency and disclosure. Disclosure, disclosure, disclosure,” said Rep. Tom Koch (R-Barre). “The people of this state have a right to know who was contributing to campaigns — how much, how the money is being spent. What they do with that information is their business.”

Republican candidates, you’ll remember, benefited from a million dollars in campaign expenditures made by the conservative Vermonters First super PAC during the 2012 election.

After a public backlash that may have contributed to many of those candidates losing, the GOP appears to be trying to get out in front of the issue.

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Paul Heintz was part of the Seven Days news team from 2012 to 2020. He served as political editor and wrote the "Fair Game" political column before becoming a staff writer.

3 replies on “Republicans Roll Out Campaign Finance Proposals, Dems Balk”

  1. Both the Republicans and Democrats are reliant on corporate donations to fund their political campaigns. They should join the Progressive Party in not excepting legalized bribes from corporate and superPAC donors.

  2. Regardless of what the Republicans’ motivations might be, the Democrats should be supporting the disclosure proposals, not shitting on them. All Dems do is complain that the Republicans just play partisan politics (which, in Washington, is largely true). But now who’s doing it in Vermont with the instant, knee-jerk, sarcastic dismissals of the Republicans’ proposal? The Dems. Now who looks cynical and partisan? I guess we just can never give anyone credit for doing something right, or at least moving in the right direction, even if they’re doing what we’ve been asking them to do.
    Sure, we may want to go further in election reform than just disclosure, but let’s at least start with as much disclosure as we can get. Getting money out of politics will be much harder, and will pit Vermont against the U.S. Supreme Court. So let’s at least take any small gain we can get along the way. Jewett’s and Charyk’s cynical responses are shameful.

  3. Well, Bizarro world isn’t actually correct. See, the Libs found out this cycle that they had more super pacs in VY then the Republicans. They don’t want that to change, so they are doing an about face.
    Its all about keeping the democractic super majority in office, and the more money they can spend the better. Principles go out the window if it benefits them.

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