Legislation introduced during Sunshine Week

State Rep. Jim Lower today introduced a plan to ensure people are fully informed about who is paying for the political advertisements they receive in the mail.

Lower, of Cedar Lake, said current law does not require election-related communications paid for by organizations to contain a “paid for by” disclaimer if they are only sent to members of that organization.

“People get flooded with mail during election season, and the mailers members receive from their organizations often look no different from all of the other political ads they receive,” Lower said. “People have no way of knowing who sent the mailer if it does not contain a disclaimer.”

House Bill 4341 would require all printed material referencing an election, candidate or ballot proposal to contain a disclaimer clearly stating which organization funded the ad.

The legislation was introduced during Sunshine Week, a national initiative highlighting the importance of transparency and open government.

“This week is a perfect opportunity to shine a light on an area of campaign finance law in need of reform,” Lower said. “My solution will ensure people are better informed about the way organizations spend their money.”

The plan has been referred to the House Elections and Ethics Committee for consideration.

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