Anyone who turns on a TV around election time only to find the screen blanketed with campaign ads knows that money and politics are tightly linked.
Like it or not, there's no reason to believe that fact of political life will change.
That makes it all the more important to know as much as possible about where that money comes from before we vote.
The General Assembly should act quickly in the 2008 session to pass a proposal to improve campaign finance reporting that was pre-filed this week by Sen. Damon Thayer, R-Georgetown.
If a similar bill had been passed this year, instead of dying in the House, the public would know this week who has given money to Gov. Ernie Fletcher and challenger Steve Beshear.
As it is, we won't know until Oct. 10.
This proposal also would require campaigns that raise more than $25,000 to file finance reports electronically. Many candidates still file handwritten reports, which delays posting the reports online because the data must be keyed into the reporting system.
The Campaign Disclosure Project, which ranks states according to the availability of this type of information, lowered Kentucky's ranking in 2005 in part because of the low rate of electronic filing.
The proposal, also supported by Secretary of State Trey Grayson, is a good first step toward improving public access to important information.
However, Thayer would perform an even greater service if he included legal defense funds in the disclosure requirements.
We're reminded of this loophole as Fletcher campaigns on his high moral horse while refusing to release information about contributions to the fund set up to pay the costs of his defense during the investigation of illegal hiring practices in his administration that lead to his indictment.
Under current law, Fletcher won't have to release that information until after the election, and despite requests throughout this campaign year to make it available sooner, he has steadfastly refused to do so.
It's reasonable and appropriate for voters to know who is paying the governor's legal bills, as well as campaign expenses, before deciding how to cast their votes.