Ohio hopes to see through political ad donors

In response to a United States Supreme Court decision Citizens United v FEC that struck down a decades-old federal law banning independent expenditures by corporations and unions on political campaigns, State Senator Jon Husted (R-Kettering) introduced Senate Bill 240 .  If passed, this bill will change Ohio law to comply with the Supreme Court ruling and the sponsor hopes to advance transparency of corporate contributions to political advertisements.

Catherine Turcer, Director of the Money in Politics Project of Ohio Citizen Action testified before the Ohio Senate State and Local Government and Veteran Affairs Committee yesterday, ‘Voters have the right to know who is funding political advertisements ... This basic information will help voters consider the source of election information.’ Turcer recommended that S.B. 240 be expanded to require listing the top donors to an organization that purchases campaign-related TV advertising on the screen at the end of the message or political ad.’ At the federal level, the Disclose Act H.R. 5175 ,  had its first hearing on May 7.”  Leontien Kennedy, Ohio Citizen Action.