UPDATE: Top-two primary forces campaign finance changes

• Published May 22, 2008

UPDATE: The PDC just reconsidered its decision to suspend the enforcement of party-affiliation rules for campaign materials — at least for another month.

Commissioners decided they wanted to let the public weigh in on the matter, too, before acting the suspend the enforcement, agency spokeswoman Lori Anderson said. See below for details as we reported them earlier today.

The decision to hold hearings on two other rules on June 26 stands.

ORIGINAL POST: Some campaign finance rules will change as a result of Washington going to a top-two runoff primary system in August.

The State Public Disclosure Commission agreed this morning to temporarily suspend enforcement of one rule that requires campaign ads and brochures to designate the party affiliation of a candidate for partisan office who declares a party preference.

That’s because under the top-two, which voter-approved Initiative 872 put into law, candidates can declare their party preference without actually naming a party. In fact, any description that fits into a 16-character space could qualify as party affiliation — including No New Taxes or Stop The War.

The PDC decision not to enforce the rule is temporary but gives the Legislature time to consider a response to the situation next year, PDC spokeswoman Lori Anderson said.

A majority of citizen commissioners who set policy at the PDC also agreed today to hold hearings June 26 on two emergency rule changes it wants to adopt next month. Both rules are related to the top-two.

Go here to see the PDC staff’s recommendations.

One proposal changes the definition of “bona fide political party” to include minor parties that had met certain election criteria in 2004-2007. It would subject the Green, Libertarian, Socialist Workers and Workers World parties to the same limits on contributions that they receive or give to candidates as the major parties are held to.

Federal court rulings on I-872 said the initiative in 2004 “impliedly repealed” the definition of a bona fide party, leaving minor parties no means to being recognized in finance law, according to a PDC staff briefing on the subject.

With the changes, the PDC background papers say a party could give up to $59,964 to a state Senate candidate in Olympia’s 22nd Legislative District, for instance, and $2.6 million to a candidate for statewide office.

Without the change the party would be limited to $800 per election for a legislative race and $1,600 for statewide offices, the same limits as for political action committees.

The other proposed rule change would alter PDC rules to reflect I-872’s “party preference” instead of “party affiliation’’ under the old system.