Ethics

Constituency Accounts

There is nothing more important than trust in out elected officials. One of the contentious issues of late was the use or misuse by elected officials of “Constituent Accounts”. These accounts can be a place where extra funds from a previous campaign can be deposited and used for mailings and efforts to get information to voters without asking for their votes. There are no reporting requirements or regulations on these accounts so the perception of impropriety is a possibility. We must say that most elected officials are not abusing these accounts. However the potential for mischief remains.

These accounts should be eliminated. There were several bills in the last session to change or adjust the use of these accounts. Only one bill, SB 310, was an effective way to handle these accounts. Senator Brown was the sponsor of this bill and it eliminated all such accounts. Any excess funds from previous campaigns had to be given away to a charity or a party organization. Roy’s bill was vigorously opposed by the Democrats in both Houses for a watered down version that allowed Governor Schweitzer to hide his donors and his expenditures from his constituent accounts. Roy’s elimination bill was killed on a party line vote while the watered down version passed with the help of the democrat majorities. Brian Schweitzer still refuses to disclose what happened to those funds.

Disclosure

“Sunshine and light bulbs” is always the best policy. In other words, we need to have full disclosure of our donors in a way that is convenient to the public to analyze. Roy Brown aims to have his finance reports on the web site for anyone who wishes to see them. He also think the outside influence of special interest groups such as Political Action Committees could have a negative effect on the perception of the people about the process, therefore he has decided not to accept PAC donations.

Openness in Government

Roy believes the people and the media should have full access to the legislative process and will work to expand upon this. There should not be restrictions placed on credentialed media.