Public radio from Western Michigan University 102.1 NPR News | 89.9 Classical WMUK
Play Live Radio
Next Up:
0:00
0:00
0:00 0:00
Available On Air Stations
Interviews with news makers and discussion of topics important to Southwest Michigan. Subscribe to the podcast through Apple itunes and Google. Segments of interview are heard in WestSouthwest Brief during Morning Edition and All Things Considered

WestSouthwest: Campaign finance in Michigan

Melissa Benmark
/
WKAR

Governor Rick Snyder signed legislation in late December that increases the limits on contributions to political campaigns. 

Michigan Campaign Finance Network Executive Director Rich Robinson says the legislation makes the situation in Michigan worse than it was before. 

He says amendments added to the bill will help conceal the identity of donors paying for "issue ads." Defenders of keeping those identities secret say donors should be able to give money for causes they care about without worrying about harassment or retribution. But Robinson says most "issue ads" are political parties attacking rival candidates. He says powerful interest groups and politically powerful people in the state don't need protection to speak their mind in politics. 

richrobinson010614-web.mp3
Extended interview with Rich Robinson

Robinson says part of the law that requires additional campaign finance reports will help improve transparency. He says candidates have been able to go more than a year without filing campaign finance reports. Robinson says he would have liked to require even more reporting. But he says it's the one part of the law that does shed more light on political donations.

But Robinson says the new law will make Michigan's current system worse. He says overall it will help groups hide the source of money in political campaigns. 

The Detroit Free Press published an op-ed column from Rich Robinson on "dark money" and the new campaign finance legislation. American Justice Partnership president, and former Western Michigan University trustee, Dan Pero wrote in the Free Press in support of the legislation

Gordon Evans became WMUK's Content Director in 2019 after more than 20 years as an anchor, host and reporter. A 1990 graduate of Michigan State, he began work at WMUK in 1996.