COLUMBUS — Secret cash donations that state party leaders and special interests use to bankroll multimillion-dollar election campaigns would be disclosed under a plan Gov. Bob Taft and Secretary of State J. Kenneth Blackwell endorsed Tuesday.

        The first serious effort to reform Ohio's campaign finance laws in seven years would make state and county political parties disclose donors to their operating funds. Special interest groups that collect money for voter education campaigns would likewise have to open their books.

        While these unlimited and secret donations are legal, the practice of collecting the money has embarrassed Mr. Taft, Treasurer Joe Deters and their GOP allies over the past two years.

        The proposal would not affect this year's campaigns for statewide offices, the Ohio Supreme Court or the General Assembly. It also faces strong opposition from GOP lawmakers.

        Despite that, the governor said the measure is needed to build on a 1995 law that capped direct contributions to candidates at $2,500 for primary elections and $2,500 for general election campaigns.

        “I believe that law has served Ohio well,” Mr. Taft said. “It's time to fine tune it and to improve it.”

        Two years ago, Mr. Taft offered personal access and Ohio State University football tickets in return for $25,000 donations to the Ohio Republican Party. He has stopped that practice.

        Business groups gathered $4 million from undisclosed sources to fund an unsuccessful 2000 campaign intended to oust Democratic Supreme Court Justice Alice Robie Resnick.

        Mr. Deters acknowledged earlier this month that contributors were steered to the Hamilton County Republican Party to help fund his campaign. The donors included groups that do business with the Treasurer's office.

        Campaign spokeswoman Lisa Peterson said Mr. Deters supports the reforms.

        Many Ohio Democrats were critical of the timing of the proposed reforms, coming close on the heels of news reports detailing Mr. Deters' fund-raising tactics.

        “Democrats have been calling for this reform for a long time, including just last week,” said Senate Minority Leader Greg DiDonato, D-Dennison. “I'm afraid that this is just lip service from the Republicans during an election year.”

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