Connecticut bill a model for what needs to be done

&#8220We don't care how they do it Outside.”

Long the mantra of independent-minded Alaskans, this rally cry has been a one-size-fits-all approach to many issues over the years here in the Last Frontier. Without a doubt, Outside solutions often fall short in addressing Alaska problems.

But not always. Nearly 5,000 miles away, on the other side of the continent, the Connecticut Legislature on Thursday took a bold and long overdue stand against the corrupting influence of money in politics. Lawmakers there passed tough new campaign finance laws that tightened limits on contributions and sent the message that political business as usual will no longer be tolerated.

The reform measures, which, among other things, ban campaign contributions from special interest groups, follow a corruption scandal last year that sent the former governor to prison for accepting favors from contractors and others who received contracts for state business. Lobbyists, state contractors and prospective state contractors are now prohibited from making contributions to candidate committees for legislative and statewide offices, candidate-affiliated political action committees (PACS) and party committees.

So sweeping is the new legislation that Public Campaign, a national organization that supports campaign finance reform, called it &#8220the strongest piece of reform legislation in the country.”

What does this have to do with Alaska? In a time when the state's prevailing political winds are blowing to undo or loosen less-stringent campaign finance laws already in place, there is a good lesson to be learned. Big money will always crowd out the interests of regular people, so this is one Outside bandwagon worth hitching a ride on.

State Sen. Ben Stevens, mired in seemingly endless controversies over money and favor he has received, could be the poster boy for needed reforms in this state. Recent efforts by the state Senate majority to ease restrictions on soft money contributions - against the expressed will of Alaskans - underscore the need for public vigilance and insistence that legislators remember who they were elected to work for.

Passage of the Connecticut reform legislation recognizes just that. In addition to establishing a new standard for toughness, the bill marks the first time legislative incumbents enacted a law that affects their own campaigns. It also provides a visionary lesson in the power of bipartisanship, since it brought together a Democratic Legislature and a Republican governor.

As a new campaign cycle begins here in Alaska, voters should insist on nothing less.