|
Mysterious donors provide $856,000 for initiative efforts
By Mike Dennison of The Standard State Bureau - 09/13/2006
HELENA — A Montana group that won’t reveal its donors continues to route money to the campaigns for three anti-government ballot measures, upping its total to $856,000, according to reports filed this week.
Montanans in Action, which is supporting constitutional initiatives 97 and 98 and Initiative 154, poured about $60,700 into the three separate campaigns during the month of August.
That came on top of nearly $800,000 it had already spent, much of which has been paid to signature-gathers who helped qualify the measures for the Nov. 7 ballot.
CI-97 is a constitutional limit on the growth of state spending; CI-98 allows the attempted recall of state judges for any reason; I-154 says property owners can demand and receive compensation from the government if they feel a government action has devalued their property.
While the measures are up for a public vote in November, they face legal challenges on several fronts.
A state District Court judge in Great Falls is expected to rule this week on whether the measures should be tossed from the ballot, because of alleged fraud by signature-gatherers.
The state political practices commissioner also is investigating whether Montanans in Action should be required to publicly reveal its donors. Montanans in Action has paid 99 percent of the money used to promote the three ballot measures.
Also this week, the opponents of the three measures reported raising $78,000 last month to support their campaigns. Here’s a summary of the money that’s being raised and spent on the three initiative campaigns and a fourth, unrelated measure:
The opponents of CI-97, mostly unions and consumer groups, have raised $272,000 in campaign funds and received another $121,000 of “in-kind” assistance, which is non-cash donation of time or services.
MEA-MFT, a union representing mostly teachers and public employees, has given $224,000 to the effort and another $49,000 of in-kind services. Another significant in-kind donor ($48,300) is the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities, a Washington, D.C., group that advocates for government programs that help low-income people.
Supporters of CI-97, known as Stop Over Spending, have raised and spent $357,300 through Sept. 5. All but some $4,000 has come from Montanans in Action.
CI-98 supporters have raised and spent $303,700 on their campaign, all of which is from Montanans in Action.
A group formed to oppose the measure, Montanans for Justice, had not raised any cash donations as of last week.
I-154 opponents, known as Property Owners Against I-154, reported raising $32,500 last month and had $16,300 of in-kind donations. Nearly all of the money came from environmental and conservation groups, who say the measure will essentially kill land-use laws and planning in the state.
They have yet to spend anything on their campaign.
The Sonoran Institute, headquartered in Tucson, Ariz., gave $15,000 to the anti-I-154 campaign, and the Montana Council of Trout Unlimited gave $10,000.
Supporters of the measure, known as Protect Our Homes Montana, have taken in and spent $199,130, all from Montanans in Action.
The supporters and opponents of Initiative 151, which would raise the state minimum wage in Montana to $6.15 and hour, filed their latest campaign-finance reports this week.
Raise Montana, the group formed to advocate for I-151, gave another $13,500 to the effort last month and has contributed nearly all of the campaign’s $59,700 in funds. Raise Montana’s donors include labor unions and attorneys.
The opponents, the Coalition Against Continual Price Increases No on 151, has yet to raise any money. Spearheaded by the Montana Chamber of Commerce and the Montana Retail Association, the group was formed only 10 days ago.
It says it opposes I-151 because the measure includes an annual escalator for the minimum wage, raising it each year by the amount of the increase in the Consumer Price Index.
| Civil Dialogue: | show/hide -No comments posted.- |
|
The site mtstandard.com provides this community forum for readers to exchange ideas and opinions on the news of the day. Passionate views, pointed criticism and critical thinking are welcome. Name-calling, crude language and personal abuse are not welcome. Moderators will monitor comments with an eye toward maintaining a high level of civility in this forum. If you don't see your comment, perhaps... more
|
|
|
TOP JOBS
|
The Montana Standard reserves the right to remove comments considered inappropriate for the community forum.