Thursday, January 27, 2000
Measure would limit political donations from children
BY MICHAEL HAWTHORNE
Enquirer Columbus Bureau
COLUMBUS — Armed with a new U.S. Supreme Court decision, supporters of legislation that would limit political contributions by children say there's no excuse to block their bill.
The measure by state Rep. Chris Redfern, D-Port Clinton, would prohibit contributions to state candidates from children younger than 11 and limit donations to $250 from youngsters ages 11 to 17.
While critics contend the measure would violate the free-speech rights of children, Mr. Redfern and govern ment watchdog groups backing his bill noted the U.S. Supreme Court earlier this week upheld the power of states to limit campaign contributions.
“What this says is legislators can't cop out and hide behind the Constitution,” Ray Cadwallader, executive director of Ohio Common Cause, told the House Ethics and Standards Committee. “Children already are treated differently under the law. They can't vote and they can't drive a car, so why should they be able to give $1,000 or $2,500 to a politician?”
Mr. Redfern introduced his bill after The Cincinnati Enquirer reported that children and high school and college students across the coun try have given $7.4 million to federal candidates since 1991.
In Ohio, students have contributed nearly $48,000 to state candidates since 1995, the year state lawmakers approved legislation limiting individual donations and required campaigns to list the occupations of supporters.
Advocates of campaign finance reform contend most of the kiddie contributions are designed to skirt state and federal limits on giving by adults.
Many of the student contributions came about the same time the students' parents gave the maximum allowed under federal and state laws. In each case, the family's money went to candidates favored by the parents.
“We shouldn't allow this ludicrous loophole to continue,” said Catherine Turcer, campaign finance reform director for Ohio Citizen Action.
Reform advocates think they got a boost this week when the U.S. Supreme Court voted, 6-3, to uphold ceilings on the amount of cash individuals and political action committees can give to political candidates.
In a concurring opinion, Justice John Paul Stevens refuted the notion that limiting contributions limits the right to free speech. “Money is property; it is not speech,” he wrote.
Rep. Jeff Jacobson, R-Phillipsburg, who chairs the committee considering Mr. Redfern's bill, said a decision has not been made on its fate.
However, many lawmakers in the Republican-controlled General Assembly oppose any attempts to place additional limits on campaign cash.
State law prohibits donors from giving money to political causes in the name of another person. Parents interviewed by the Enquirer said their children gave voluntarily from their own bank accounts, even though some kids still were in diapers when the contributions were given.
Kiddie-giving is so widespread that federal election officials have urged Congress to ban donations from minors, based on the presumption that youngsters are not making contributions on their own behalf.
“That's not the way to go,” said Senate President Richard Finan, R-Evendale. “Kids are no different than adults. There is nothing to say that your constitutional rights to free speech are limited before you turn 18.”
LAWS ON GIVING
• Individuals can give $2,500 to a state candidate and $1,000 to a federal candidate in each election. State law prohibits donors from giving money to political causes in the name of another person.
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