Here’s the press release from the North Carolina Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform :
Following the money will be easier in North Carolina thanks to passage of a bill that will require electronic filing for all campaigns spending and raising more than ten thousand dollars. The law, passed by the North Carolina General Assembly, has been one of the North Carolina Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform’s top priorities in recent years.
“Democracy in North Carolina got a little boost today. ” said Chris Fitzsimon, of the NC Justice Center, and a member of the North Carolina Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform. “Citizens will be able to know much more quickly who is contributing to campaigns and how much they are giving.”
The bIll also allows the North Carolina State Board of Elections to examine campaign finance reports much faster. Currently state employees must enter all campaign finance reports manually which takes time and manpower and has resulted in a multi-year backlog of reports not being reviewed. Electronic filing will provide near instant access.
“Requiring electronic filing is a big step forward. The disclosure of who is spending money and on what is much better when the reports are filed electronically,” stated John Hood, President of the John Locke Foundation, also a member of the coalition.
The North Carolina Coalition for Lobbying and Government Reform is nearly a decade old and made up of conservative and progressive partners committed to improving democracy. The coalition was a leading force in passage of the most comprehensive lobbying and ethics laws ever adopted by North Carolina in 2007.
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