When the Citizens United decision came down from the United States Supreme Court a little more than a year ago, we warned that a proverbial Pandora's box had been opened on the subject of campaign financing. We likened it to cracking open a roach motel.
We were far from the only ones to say similar things, on either the left or right.
With that idea in mind, it's actually somewhat refreshing to see the action that the Nebraska Legislature took on Wednesday to force some light onto the subject on campaign finance activities in Nebraska.
For those readers who missed the story, unanimous, bipartisan, first-round approval was given to LB606, a bill introduced by state senator Bill Avery, a former political science professor. This bill, if passed would force outside groups who attempt to skirt Nebraska's campaign finance laws to publicly disclose their spending, if they attack or support candidates directly, or distribute campaign advertising within thirty days of an election.
For our readers who don't know Nebraska very well, in the past the state has often hedged towards bi-partisan or non-partisan politics. For example, in Nebraska, voters can even register officially as "Non Partisan" or "NP", a designation at least one of our staff members has chosen for most of the last 20 years.
State Senator Avery is also a registered "non-partisan", yet there have been accusations thrown his way that attempt - and fail - to appear to make him out to be some kind of liberal who is intent on attacking Nebraska's campaign finance system.
This isn't a surprise to us, either, unfortunately.
The main group that Sen. Avery is attempting to force to do business in a more open fashion is a right-wing group known as "Americans For Prosperity", funded in part by the multi-billionaire Koch brothers. If the groups that the Koch Brothers support have proven anything over the past few years, it's that they'd be willing to call Mother Theresa a whore to her face if they thought it would help make them more money. Sliding a few more dollars towards those who oppose a simple state senator from Nebraska should be a piece of cake for groups like theirs, compared to the political battles they've fought in the public eye over the past few years.
It is interesting to note that zero - meaning not a single soul in the Nebraska legislature - voted to do what the Koch Brothers and "Americans for Prosperity" wanted, and kill Sen. Avery's bill, in this round.
We'd like to say that will be the end of this issue - but the actions of AFP and the Koch Brothers in the recent past have shown they believe everyone and everything is for sale, including elections.
Would full disclosure of who funds which nasty mailer or advertisement change the minds of all that many people? We're not entirely convinced it would.
It is the RIGHT thing to do in politics, however, so we are 100% in favor of that.
For now, we'll be glad at the turn of events in the Nebraska Unicameral, and we hope state Sen. Avery's bill becomes law. As most of us know, nothing makes the cockroaches run and hide like a little light.
