The Olympian

PDC wins No. 1 ranking for campaign disclosure

By Brad Shannon | • Published October 17, 2007

For the fourth time in as many years, the state Public Disclosure Commission ranks No. 1 in the country for campaign disclosure.

That's according to the Campaign Disclosure project, which awarded Washington an A-minus grade, tops of any state. No. 2 was California, followed by Oregon, Florida and Hawaii, all with B-plus grades in the fourth year of grading by the project.

Oregon was rated most improved in 2007. In all 14, states had flunking or F grades, 36 states passed and 21 had higher grades than in previous years.

A news release issued this morning by the California Voter Foundation describes the project as “a collaboration of the California Voter Foundation, the Center for Governmental Studies and the UCLA School of Law and is supported by The Pew Charitable Trusts.''

The release adds: “A significant area of improvement is in electronic filing; 40 states now permit candidates to file disclosure reports electronically. The number of states requiring electronic filing by legislative and statewide candidates has nearly doubled in the past four years, increasing from twelve in 2003 to 23 today. The study found that states with electronic filing programs are far more likely to also provide online, searchable databases of campaign contributions and expenditures.”

That would describe Washington’s PDC to a T.

To get more information on the report, go to: www.campaigndisclosure.org.

Here’s the report card, by state:

1. Washington: A-

2. California: B+

3. Oregon: B+

4. Florida: B+

4. Hawaii: B+

6. Michigan: B

7. Virginia: B

8. Georgia: B

9. Illinois: B

10. New Jersey: B

10. Ohio: B

12. Rhode Island: B

13. Maine: B

13. Massachusetts: B

15. Colorado: B-

16. New York: B-

17. Missouri: B-

17. Texas: B-

19. Minnesota: C+

20. Kentucky: C+

21. North Carolina: C+

22. Pennsylvania: C+

23. Louisiana: C

23. Oklahoma: C

25. Indiana: C

26. Idaho: C

27. Alaska: C

28. Maryland: C

28. Tennessee: C

30. Arizona: C-

30. Wisconsin: C-

32. West Virginia: D+

33. South Carolina: D+

34. Iowa: D

35. Connecticut: D

36. Kansas: D

37. New Mexico: F

38. Arkansas: F

39. Utah: F

40. Vermont: F

41. Delaware: F

41. Nebraska: F

43. New Hampshire: F

44. Nevada: F

45. North Dakota: F

46. Mississippi: F

47. Montana: F

48. South Dakota: F

49. Alabama: F

50. Wyoming: F