Republican gubernatorial candidate Dan Maes has struggled to raise campaign funds in his primary bid against former 3rd District Congressman Scott McInnis — now, the Evergreen businessman faces more than $27,000 in fines for campaign finance violations that include nearly $43,000 in reimbursements to the candidate for gas mileage, The Colorado Statesman reports.

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STATE BILL COLORADO

Colorado candidates are now making public their fundraising totals for June. Here’s how news organizations are covering the story.

The Colorado Independent: Widely seen as the front-runner for the GOP nomination for Colorado state treasurer, J.J. Ament has fallen badly behind Walker Stapleton in fund raising. As of the end of June, Stapleton had amassed more than $226,000 in cash to spend between now and the August primary. Ament has just $76,000 on hand.

The Colorado Independent: While none of the gubernatorial candidates had filed June fund-raising reports as of 3 p.m. today, the campaign for Democrat John Hickenlooper released preliminary numbers to the press at 2:30 p.m.

The Denver Post: Democrat John Hickenlooper raised about three times the amount of money Republican Scott McInnis collected last month in the race for governor.

Published below is a press release from the camp of gubernatorial candidate John Hickenlooper:

Hickenlooper

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Editor’s Note: This bill has since been introduced and has been titled SB10-203. It’s published below this report.

By Matt Masich, STATE BILL COLORADO

Colorado lawmakers are introducing legislation today in response to the U.S. Supreme Court’s recent Citizens United decision, which allowed corporations and labor unions to make unlimited independent expenditures advocating for political candidates or issues.

Sen. Morgan Carroll, D-Aurora, and House Majority Leader Paul Weissmann, D-Louisville, are sponsoring a bill, to be introduced before the day is out in the state Senate, that they say would close a loopholes in the state’s campaign finance laws created by Citizens United.

“If we do nothing,” Carroll said, “we will have literally, potentially an unlimited amount of corporate and labor union spending without disclosures in the state of Colorado, up to and including foreign corporations….”

The proposed bill would force corporations and unions that make independent expenditures of $1,000 or more to register an “independent expenditure committee” with the Colorado Secretary of State’s office. These committee’s finances would be made searchable on that agency’s website.

Citizens United opened up another gap in state law, Carroll said.

“Colorado campaign finance law prohibits foreign persons from being able to contribute to Colorado’s campaigns,” she said. But there are currently no prohibitions on foreign corporations; the proposed bill would ban such contributions.

“We’ve crafted a proposal that the citizens deserve, Weissmann said, adding that the measure would make it so that “individuals, corporations and unions are all under the same rules if they start playing politics.”

Carroll said she imagined some corporations and unions might oppose the bill, but that she didn’t know for certain of any opposition. If it passes, she said, it would be enacted immediately in anticipation of the 2010 elections.

Carroll and Weissmann distributed a fact sheet, below, to support their push for greater disclosure from corporations and unions.

Citizens

SB203

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Political campaign spending, you might say, is trending through the roof, and not just on the federal level. State politicians and political issue committees are raising historic sums, according to a study released today by the National Institute on Money in State Politics. And the spending works. Incumbent lawmakers raise more money than their opponents and they win 95 percent of the time. In 2004, Colorado politicians and committees spent$20 million winning and losing votes. In 2008, they spent $85 million.

At that rate– quadrupling every four years– $340 million will be spent on state races and issues in 2012, a conservative estimate perhaps given that it doesn’t take into account the changes that will flow from the recent Supreme Court Citizens United ruling lifting limits on corporate spending, The Colorado Independent reports.

Overview

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By Peter Marcus, DENVER DAILY NEWS

Republican U.S. Senate candidate Jane Norton announced Monday that her campaign raised $816,000 for the first quarter of this year — an increase of about 48 percent.

But her opponents are looking forward to Norton’s final cash on hand numbers, which were still being tabulated Monday. The former lieutenant governor’s campaign spokesman, Nate Strauch, said cash on hand “should be around” $650,000 when spending is tabulated.

Norton, who has received generous funding from national interests, has raised nearly $1.9 million. Despite her fundraising abilities, primary opponent Ken Buck, the conservative Weld County District Attorney, finished nearly dead even with Norton in the March caucuses.

But in a news release issued Monday, Norton’s campaign focused on her grassroots appeal, stating that she is the “only conservative candidate with the ability to parlay grassroots support into a strong campaign war chest.” The release states that 83 percent of Norton’s 4,560 individual donors reside in Colorado.

“From day one my focus in this race has been on the issues and on appointed (Democratic U.S.) Sen. Michael Bennet, and it has proven to be a message that resonates with Coloradans,” Norton said in the release. “I would like to thank the thousands of citizens who participated in the caucus process for their enthusiasm and for their financial support as we continue the march to November.”

Buck’s campaign said Monday that they were not yet ready to release the latest fundraising numbers. But they pointed to heavy spending on the part of Norton’s campaign.

“Jane Norton is spending her campaign money like the Democrats in D.C. are spending taxpayer dollars,” said Owen Loftus, spokesman for the Buck campaign.

Meanwhile, neither Democratic U.S. Senate candidate had released their fundraising numbers for the quarter as of Monday.

But a spokesman for Bennet’s campaign, Craig Hughes, said they “expect to report a strong quarter, with far more individual donations than any of our opponents.” The campaign announced on Friday that it has mounted a petition drive to ensure a spot for Bennet on the Aug. 10 primary ballot.

Former House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, who is challenging Bennet without contributions from political action committees, earned an easy nine-point caucus night victory over his well-funded and nationally backed challenger.

The Romanoff campaign said over the weekend that they would earn a spot on the primary ballot from assembly delegates.

“We respect every voter — including the 23,000 Democrats who attended the precinct caucuses last month,” Romanoff campaign manager Bill Romjue said in a statement. “We are grateful to everyone who participated in that process — and proud to have won the caucuses, despite the barrage of corporate cash aimed against us.”

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By Debi Brazzale, Colorado News Agency

After lively debate on the House floor Tuesday, lawmakers soundly rejected a measure that would have placed limits on campaign contributions for elected school board and RTD board positions

Sponsored by Democrat Beth McCann of Denver, House Bill 1272 would have established contribution limits of $2,500 for individuals and political action commitees, and $5,000 for small donor committees. Current law does not limit contributions for school board and RTD races as it does for other elected offices per Amendment 27, passed by the voters in 2002. McCann thinks the limitations should apply across the board.

“We ought to honor the voice and the view of our citizens by making it consistent that those who are running for public office are subject to campaign contribution limits,” said McCann.

McCann began house floor discussion by offering an amendment to her bill increasing the small donor limit to $10,000, a gesture that McCann said would move closer to reflecting the limits imposed on other races. Those limits for the Colorado statehouse and executive branch are $200 for individuals and PACS and $2,000 for small donor groups, and $400 and $4,000 respectively.

Rep. Mark Waller, R-Colorado Springs, took issue with McCann’s amendment by offering his own, which was ultimately rejected. Waller’s amendment would have created equal limits for individuals and small donor committees. Waller said that small donor committees in school board races are essentially an arm of unions that represent schools, and that parents especially would have their voices muted.

“We’re saying a school union has more of a voice than an individual does in the United States of America and that’s wrong,” said Waller.

McCann defended the discrepancy between individuals and small donor groups, citing Amendment 27.

“It takes away the whole point of small donor committees. Our citizens have spoken and they want to give people the right to pool money into small donor committees,” McCann said in response to Waller’s amendment.

Rep Amy Stephens, R-Monument, agreed with Waller’s amendment to level the playing field between individuals and small donor groups, rejecting McCann’s higher limits for small donor groups.

“Frankly I think it’s terrible to limit [speech] in any way shape or form but if you’re going to do thisĐthis is a fair way to do it. The previous way gives much more advantage to the unions who don’t need that advantage,” said Stephens.

Rep. Lois Court, D-Denver, upped the ante with yet another unsuccessful amendment that would have raised the small donor committee limit to equal 10 times the individual limit, as is the case under Amendment 27. Court, a firm supporter of campaign limits said that school board and RTD board races should be limitedĐbut she recognized that those races have a much harder time raising money.

“So we clearly have a philosophical divide here and that’s quite obvious. I firmly believe in campaign finance limits,” said Court. I believe in the constitutional amendment that the people of Colorado passed saying that we spend too darn much money on campaigns and it’s obscene.”

Waller put the philosophical divide into sharper focus.

“Now the school unions will be given 10 times more of a voice than an individual in a school board election,” said Waller. “The school union small donor committees can now give and control and effect the outcome of a school board election and get their candidate elected.

McCann countered that the small donor committees empower individuals that might not otherwise have as much of a voice on their own.

“We are not changing what the citizens have told us they would like us to do. Small donor committees are made up of individuals who may not be able to give $1000 but who want to have a say in the election.“ said McCann. “It actually gives more power to the individual who can give a smaller amount and have more impact on an election.”

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Just a day after the state Supreme Court allowed corporations and unions more leeway in political giving, lawmakers were looking to add greater disclosure and possibly new limitations for those entities in state campaign-finance laws.

Monday’s state court decision follows the U.S. Supreme Court decision in January allowing corporations and unions to spend money directly advocating for or against candidates and to buy advertisements in the run-up to primary and general elections.

State Sen. Morgan Carroll, D-Aurora, wants to close reporting loopholes she said already exist and ensure that any new forms of spending are properly disclosed ahead of an important election, The Denver Post reports.

In other coverage:

The Durango Herald: Corporations that want to spend money on Colorado elections might soon face tighter requirements for telling the public about their campaign activities. Gov. Bill Ritter and Secretary of State Bernie Buescher are backing the effort, which they said would be introduced in the Legislature this year. It’s a response to a U.S. Supreme Court ruling in January that said corporations have the First Amendment right to spend freely on elections.

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Lisa Grace Kellogg

STATE BILL COLORADO
A state House candidate in southern Colorado has sold The Huerfano World, a newspaper in Walsenburg, and it has since been resold to area publishers Brian and Gretchen Orr, who have combined the newspaper with their Huerfano Journal, now called The Huerfano World Journal.
Lisa Grace Kellogg, who’s running for the GOP nomination for the Colorado House seat now held by rancher Wes McKinley, a Democrat, sold the paper seven weeks ago to Dale Bean.
Bean, in turn, sold the World to the Orrs last week.
Before starting her American Print Media company, Kellogg served as general counsel to a news media company owned by her parents, The Colorado Statesman has reported. Her husband, Michael Kellogg, who played for the Denver Broncos in the 1960s, is a judge in Los Angeles Superior Court and resides at the couple’s ranch in Malibu.

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Source: Politico

President Barack Obama blew through Denver during a snowstorm Thursday afternoon to boost Sen. Michael Bennet’s re-election campaign, part of a skip across the West to help vulnerable candidates, The Denver Post reports. The president stumped for the rookie Democratic senator in front of about 2,700 people packed into Fillmore Auditorium, then cruised through town in his motorcade to a cocktail fundraiser at the downtown Sheraton.

In other coverage:

Mike Littwin, The Denver Post: If you want an idea just how toxic things are in Washington these days, all you had to do was take a trip to Denver. As you’ve probably seen, Jane Norton welcomed Barack Obama to town by cutting her first TV ad, calling on Obama — who may not have seen the ad — to balance the budget or not run for re-election in 2012.

The Denver Daily News: President Barack Obama’s fundraising visit to Denver yesterday in support of U.S. Sen. Michael Bennet came with its fair share of controversy and protest. From medical marijuana advocates who want to stop raids on growers, to conservatives who questioned the cost of Obama’s visit to Denver, the picket lines were colorful yesterday afternoon outside the Fillmore Auditorium where Obama spoke.

Bloomberg: President Barack Obama is emphasizing his administration’s actions on the economy during a two-state Western state swing that comes as he’s trying to bolster the chances of Democrats in November’s elections. The president plans to announce today in Las Vegas $1.5 billion in funding for housing finance agencies in states where the average prices for homes have fallen more than 20 percent from their peak, according to an administration fact sheet.

Politico: President Obama did his best to present Democratic Sen. Michael Bennet as a Washington outsider who’s only in the nation’s capital to change it. Obama pointed out that this is the first election for Bennet, who was named as Colorado senator just over a year ago. He told a story of how Bennet recently stood up in a Democratic caucus meeting and challenged his colleagues on the ways of Washington. Obama talked about how the two of them have no time for politics. Bennet, he said, is so new to political scene he’s “still kind of puzzled” by it all.

San Francisco Examiner: Complaining that America has grown “numb” from “slash and burn politics,” President Obama urged Democrats here to keep faith with the party and ignore the noise from Washington. Back in full-throated campaign mode, Obama is on a two-day swing through the West trying to shore up a pair of his party’s embattled Senate incumbents.

Los Angeles Times: Looking to galvanize Democrats, President Barack Obama cast himself Thursday as a truth-teller in the Harry S. Truman mold, mocking Republicans who opposed his $787-billion economic stimulus package while claiming credit for delivering projects back home. Speaking to about 2,400 people at a fundraising reception in Denver, the president invoked a famous phrase from Truman’s come-from-behind bid to stay in the White House in 1948.

The Denver Post: Text of Obama’s Denver remarks.

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Gov. Bill Ritter has asked the Colorado Supreme Court to weigh in on a campaign-finance dispute over contribution limits, The Denver Post reports. Ritter wants clarification in the aftermath of a recent U.S. Supreme Court decision that allows businesses and unions to directly spend unlimited amounts of money to produce and run their own campaign ads.
Law Week Colorado, a sister publication of State Bill Colorado, originally reported this story last week. That story featured video of Secretary of State Bernie Buescher.

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