Disclosure and Transparency

Everyone has a right to know who is trying to influence our representatives and our vote.

A 21st-century democracy requires strong transparency and disclosure laws so everyone knows who is funding political campaigns. Secret money in elections is unacceptable and corrupting.

The need for heightened transparency has never been more urgent, as millions of dollars from anonymous sources flood into elections around the country. In Nebraska, we’ve seen spending spike dramatically over the last decade as races for the unicameral, governor, and Board of Regents have skyrocketed.

The Citizens United Supreme Court decision wiped out limits on political spending. However, the court – in that decision and others – has upheld the need for disclosure.

Common Cause Nebraska is working to pass these essential disclosure laws in Nebraska.

1. Expanded Electioneering Disclosure – State law includes a loophole allowing organizations to escape reporting spending on campaign advertisements by simply claiming the ads are “educational” materials and not an attempt to influence the election. This has left room for bad actors to campaign without disclosing a dollar spent We’re working with legislators to plug this gap.
2. Lowering Campaign Reporting Threshold – Individual donors only show up on campaign reports when they contribute more than $250 to a candidate; with digital reporting we believe that standard should be lower.