Thirty-Five Years Ago This Week: U.S. Senate candidate Carlos Lucero announced at his very first press conference that — unlike his opponents, Republican Hank Brown and Democrat Josie Heath — he was committed to neither solicit or accept contributions from political action committees.

“There is no such thing as a PAC contribution — there are only PAC contracts,” Lucero said. “You either accept PAC money or you don’t. I don’t intent to waste my time or my campaign’s time trying to determine whether or not a particular PAC is ‘good’ or ‘clean.’ I’ve made it easy for everyone — under no circumstances will I accept PAC money.”

Lucero said that 333 congressional representatives and 33 senators had accepted contributions from S&L (savings and loan) lobbyists in 1988.

“Hank Brown voted against a measure that would have made it illegal for Savings and Loan to have federal deposit insurance to invest in junk bonds,” Lucero said. “In addition, Hank Brown has enjoyed the fund-raising magic of Norman Brownstein … who also represented failed Lincoln Savings & Loan.”

Lucero further castigated Brown saying, “money talked and Hank Brown listened.”

As for Heath, “She preaches about the pernicious influence of PAC money … then goes out and practices it just like one of the good old boys.”

Looking back on his failed 1984 senate bid Lucero said the only thing he regretted was taking PAC money.

“It was a terrible process, like a ‘mating dance’ where candidates go around Washington D.C., meeting PAC directors and filling out PAC questionnaires,” Lucero said.”

Twenty-Five Years Ago: Colorado Common Cause filed a lawsuit in Denver District Court alleging that the state General Assembly’s House of Representatives had violated Colorado’s Opening Meeting or “Sunshine” Law during the debate and passage of House Bill 00-1194.

The Sunshine Law required the legislature to give “full and timely notice to the public” before taking action on and pending bill.

On Friday, March 3, HB 00-1194 appeared for the first time on the House calendar and debate began at 10:30, a mere three hours after the day’s calendar was posted. At 11:45 am the House voted to repass the bill.

“A scant three hours of notice cannot by any stretch of the imagination be considered ‘full and timely notice to the public,’” said Pete Maysmith, program director for Colorado Common Cause. “This is an obvious abuse of the Sunshine Law and we are urging the courts to remedy this abuse by voiding the improper action taken by the legislature.”

The bill in question dismantled many aspects of the voter-approved campaign finance reform initiative, Amendment 15, which had been passed in 1996, by eliminating the voluntary spending limits, increased the contribution limits and created several loopholes for large donors to pour money into campaigns.

“Limiting the openness with which our legislature functions sets a dangerous precedent and paves the way for citizens and citizen groups to be frozen out from participating meaningfully in our government,” Maysmith said.

Rachael Wright is the author of several novels including The Twins of Strathnaver, with degrees in Political Science and History from Colorado Mesa University, and is a contributing writer to Colorado Politics, the Colorado Springs Gazette and the Denver Gazette.