A new bill in Montana's Senate would decrease the amount of information people who donate to political campaigns must reveal to the public.
The bill’s sponsor, Republican Keith Regier from Kalispell says he doesn’t think donors should have to share their employer or occupation when giving money to a political candidate or committee:
"The contributions have to come from the individual’s private accounts. That’s where the information should stop," Regier says.
Senator Regier says there are no assurances that the information donors give isn't just made up, so it doesn’t have much use.
Denise Roth Barber with the National Institute on Money in State Politics testified against the bill. She says a majority of states require donors to disclose the information Senator Regier wants to cut out of law:
"In the same way that I got up here and told you, today, who I am and where I am coming from because I’m here to influence policy. Donors need to be public as well," Roth Barber says.
Montana's Commissioner of Political Practices, a spokesperson for Governor Steve Bullock, and Montana’s public school teacher's union also objected to the proposed bill.
No one, other than Senator Keith Regier, testified in the hearing in support of the proposal.