Putting the clamps on campaign money

Washington voters embraced campaign-contribution limits for state races to corral the influence of rich special interests on public policy.

But the law left out some other races — such as for judgeships and political offices in large counties — that clearly would benefit from similar limits, considering the increasing influence of special-interest money in the past 13 years.

The House state government committee today is holding a hearing on House Bill 1226, which would apply existing limits on state campaigns to judicial races and those in the state's largest counties and port districts.

Individual contribution limits for appellate and Supreme Court races would be the same as for statewide executive office, currently $1,350 for each election.

Contributions to candidates for county office and port districts with more than 200,000 constituents would mirror the limits for state legislative races — $675 per election. Covered would be King, which already has limits, Snohomish, Pierce, Clark and Spokane counties and the Seattle and Tacoma port districts.

The law also has population-based limits for how much political organizations can contribute to campaigns. The limits are considered every two years and adjusted for inflation.

Rep. Shay Schual-Berke, D-Normandy Park, represents a district affected by Sea-Tac Airport's third runway. She proposed the bill initially because she was concerned that special-interest money was influencing Port of Seattle commission races and the business of large counties. She's persuaded that unfettered special-interest contributions also can threaten judicial independence.

Special-interest money has been pouring into the nation's state Supreme Court races, with contributions from business interests in 2004 eclipsing those from attorneys for the second election cycle in a row, according to the Justice at Stake Campaign's most recent report.

Campaign contributions flow where there is most at stake. The expansion of the law that has served Washington voters well for 12 election cycles will ensure that special interests do not exert too much influence on public policy.