Steamboat Springs Board of Education member Roger Good was in Denver Wednesday to witness Gov. John Hickenlooper’s signing of House Bill 16-1282, which will align school election campaign finance reporting with the Fair Campaign Practices act.

“Essentially, HB 16-1282 puts school board elections under the same reporting requirements as all other elections,” Good said Wednesday afternoon.

This issue became particularly relevant to Steamboat voters in January, when campaign finance reports revealed a Front Range political committee had spent as much as $40,000 on campaign materials supporting school board candidates Margie Huron and Michelle Dover, who were both elected to the board in November.

The political committee Every Student Deserves Opportunity was not required to report its contributions or expenses until several weeks after the election based on disclosure requirements existing at the time.

The bill, now state law, will ensure such reporting delays will not occur in the future by aligning “regular biennial school elections with disclosure requirements governing other election races under the Fair Campaign Practices Act …” according to the text of the bill.

The Steamboat Springs Board of Education unanimously endorsed a resolution supporting the bill.

“Anyone should be able to give whatever they want to any candidate they want,” Good said, “but it’s in the public’s best interest to know who’s giving.”

To reach Jim Patterson, call 970-871-4208, email jpatterson@SteamboatToday.com or follow him on Twitter @JimPatterson15