Annette Cleveland signs onto key piece of Senate Democrats’ agenda
On Thursday, Washington’s Senate Democrats, which now control the chamber, issued a press release previewing the 2018 legislative agenda that includes bills banning bump stocks, preventing price gouging of prescription generic drug, reducing childhood hunger as well as another aimed at making elections more transparent.
This last bill, DISCLOSE Act, has the backing of state Sen. Annette Cleveland of Vancouver who is Clark County’s sole Democratic state senator.
The bill takes aim the increasingly common practice of nonprofit organizations donating heavily to political committees without disclosing their funders. Nonprofits don’t have to disclose their donors, so the arrangement effectively allows people to anonymously contribute to political campaigns.
During the race for Port of Vancouver commissioner, Don Orange was criticized for taking large donations from the political action committee associated with the Washington League of Conservation Voters. The committee was heavily funded by nonprofits who didn’t disclose their donors.
“I signed on because I believe we need greater transparency in contributions made to campaigns,” said Cleveland in a text. “This bill helps so expose dark money that current loopholes in our laws allow in campaigns.”
