Plain Talk co-host Chad Oban says North Dakota's campaign finance laws are a joke. They're not transparent, he argues, and there's little in the way of consequence for those who flout them.

Sen. Sean Cleary, a Republican from Bismarck, wants to change that. He joined this episode of Plain Talk to discuss his idea for putting more information about campaigns and candidates before the voters, and creating some stiffer penalties for those who don't comply.

Legislation Cleary is drafting for the upcoming legislative session, which commences in January, aims to require more frequent campaign finance reports from candidates and expand the information being reported. It also seeks to make reporting requirements more consistent across different types of campaigns, from those run by candidates to those backing ballot measures.

Cleary is also looking at increasing the fines for non-compliance to put more of a "stick behind it," and he wants to require that both candidates and incumbents have to file statements of interest more regularly, disclosing certain facts about their holdings so that voters can scrutinize how they might intersect with the public's business.

Also on this episode, Oban and I discuss my recent story about a plan for the University of North Dakota Alumni Association and Foundation to pay retention bonuses to UND President Andrew Armacost. We also honor the passing of my friend and fellow columnist Tony Bender.

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