Montana is one of the states leading the way to make elections clean and transparent. Last fall, along with Colorado, the state's citizens overwhelmingly voted for a resolution calling for a constitutional amendment to overturn theruling.

Now the state lawmakers are working on a way to do what they've got power to do: stop dark money in state elections with an initiative to end anonymous, third-party spending in campaigns.



The measure, if it gathers the necessary number of signatures, will be on the November 2014 ballot. Supporters of the initiative, which is not yet drafted, said it will be based on two key sections of Senate Bill 375. That bill, which was backed by Democratic Gov. Steve Bullock, received bipartisan support in the Senate before dying in a House committee last session. Buffalo Republican Sen. Jim Peterson, SB 375’s sponsor, said the initiative would require “full transparency” in Montana state elections. [...] “Dark money has brought great divisiveness to the election process,” Peterson said. “Locals have no idea who is influencing their politicians and their government officials, so today we’re going to put the power back into the democratic process and let the people answer this question for us.”

Anonymous spending in last year's bitter Montana Republican primaries fueled a rift in the state GOP and in the efforts to force disclosure in state elections. Though the effort is currently spearheaded by Republicans, Democrats are likely to continue their support, and assist in in the year-long effort to gain the 24,175 signatures that will be needed to get the initiative on the ballot.