LeVota: Restore campaign contribution limits

House Minority Leader Paul LeVota, D-Independence, responded to the Kansas City Star reports on the influence of money in politics with a call to return campaign contribution limits:

“The Kansas City Star’s investigation into the apparent selling of legislative action by current and former Republican leaders of the Missouri House of Representatives should disturb all Missourians who value integrity in the legislative process. The Star exposed numerous instances in which special interests that supported or opposed particular legislation gave huge campaign contributions to House Republican leaders, or campaign committees under their control, shortly after winning a favorable legislative outcome. The examples cited by the Star simply are too numerous to be explained away as mere coincidence and indicate a widespread culture of pay to play among House Republican leaders.

“A major reason these situations occur is the repeal of Missouri’s voter-approved campaign contributions limits, which House Republicans jammed through in the closing minutes of the 2008 legislative session with virtually no debate. House Democrats opposed the repeal of contribution limits and remain committed to legislation that not only would reinstate limits but crack down on the laundering of funds through shell committees, which has continued unabated despite claims by repeal supporters that ending limits would improve transparency.”