Update: The State Senate refused to accept the House amendment that would have created problems for Seattle's Ethics and Elections Commission. The Senate returned the legislation to the House without concurring.
Previous Post: Seattle has long been a pioneer in municipal ethics and elections, including being one of the first cities in the country to offer online review and analysis of political contributions, donors, and candidates. This innovative status is threatened by a little amendment tacked onto a housekeeping bill moving quickly through the state legislature in Olympia.
Here is a quick news story on this at Seattle.pi.com. And another over at The Seattle Times political blog.
Senate Bill 6243 is back for additional Senate consideration after the amendment was added by the House. You can read the amendment here. Bottom line, campaign contribution and expense reports currently filed with the state PDC and the city's Ethics and Elections Commission would only have to be filed with the state. This seemingly simple change, touted as avoiding duplication, impacts only Seattle because we're the only jurisdiction in the state that so robustly reports on and analyzes campaign finances. Passage of this amendment by the legislature will hamper, perhaps even block, Seattle's ability to continue this valuable service to the public, journalists, and others interested in following campaign finances.