McDaniel rejects 2016 initiative's ballot title

The state's attorney general shot down a proposal by a group that seeks to increase transparency and further restrict campaign-related spending.

Dustin McDaniel released an opinion Tuesday that the ballot initiative submitted by the group, Regnat Populus, was riddled with "ambiguities" and had several substantive "deficiencies" that made it impossible for him to certify the proposed ballot title.

The proposed "Campaign Finance Act of 2016," as written, would require people who donate $2,000 or more to an independent expenditure committee to disclose their contribution to either the secretary of state's office or a county clerk.

It would also call on the state's federal delegation, in order to "advance the fundamental principle of political equality...and to protect the integrity of... electoral processes" to support an amendment to the U.S. Constitution empowering Congress and states to limit fundraising in their elections.

McDaniel pointed out that the ballot language fails to define certain key terms like "electioneering communication" and that the proposed language does not provide a summary of the proposed changes to disclosure rules or independent expenditures.

"The total failure to summarize entire sections of your proposal renders the ballot title wholly deficient," McDaniel wrote. "Though I am legally authorized to craft a more suitable ballot title, I am not authorized to craft one out of whole cloth."

McDaniel also said that the proposed act's summary is "partisan" and that it uses vague terms, such as "equality" and "integrity," that "few would vote against" and is thus deficient.

Founder of Regnat Populus, Paul Spencer, said some of the criticisms were substantive and constructive while others were more nit-picking.

The group, named after the state's motto, which in Latin means "The People Rule," has been active since 2011. It spawned efforts that led to a voter-backed constitutional amendment to bar corporations and unions from donating directly to political candidates. Voters passed the restrictions in November.

He said his group would go back to work to address the deficiencies.

"I've always seen [a] flood of money in the electoral system. But now we have all this dark money and it's very difficult to trace it and to find out who is spending what on whom," Spencer said. "[A similar ballot initiative] will insert some transparency on who is buying our elections in the state of Arkansas."

Metro on 12/17/2014

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