Will Phoenix lead U.S. out of the dark (money)?

Congress doesn’t have the guts to do it.

The Legislature has no desire to do it. So, the city of Phoenix will do it. Maybe.

The City Council voted recently to have “City Clerk Department and Law Department commence research on ordinance language and necessary charter changes” to “bring light to unaccountable money spent in city elections.”

What’s that mean? Essentially, thanks to a bad ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, wealthy groups and individuals have been able to spend huge amounts of money trying to influence elections (either for a cause or a candidate) without having to tell you who they are.

The only thing we know about them for sure is that they are cowards.

The cash they hand out is called “dark money.”

What the City Council would like to do is shine a spotlight on these wellheeled political cockroaches so voters could get a better look at the infestation.

According to a statement by Mayor Greg Stanton and council members Kate Gallego and Debra Stark, “The amount of independent expenditures in local and national elections has only grown in recent years. We believe now is the time to modernize our rules to require disclosure of the sources of independent expenditures.”

Tempe would like to do this as well. It’s not asking a lot.

It’s only asking for transparency. A group called Outlaw Dirty Money, headed by former Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard and others, is hoping to gather enough signatures that voters will decide whether they want a constitutional amendment outlawing dark money.

In an opinion piece for The Arizona

Republic, the group’s leaders wrote: “Our initiative states: ‘The People of Arizona have the right to know the identity of the original source of all major contributions used to pay, in whole or part, for a campaign expenditure. This right requires the prompt, accessible, comprehensible and public disclosure of original sources.’

“We are Republicans, Democrats and independents, current and former office holders. This is not a Democratic issue or a Republican issue. Regardless of whether the contribution source is a Koch or a Soros, from the right or the left, voters should know who is supporting the people who seek their vote.”

In the meantime, the dark-money backers at the GOP-controlled Arizona Legislature are hoping to pass a law stifling the efforts of cities like Phoenix.

House Bill 2153 would prohibit cit-

ies, counties or the state from requiring dark-money groups from disclosing who is behind them. Republicans have advanced it.

Why?

Really, why?

No one is suggesting that a person or group can’t donate to a campaign. But be open about it. Own it.

Politicians who won’t demand transparency and instead protect these hidden “investors” only makes it look even more like they’re bought and paid for.

Still, if Congress won’t do it. And the Legislature won’t do it. And if the cities will be barred from doing it, there remains one option.

You.

By supporting the Outlaw Dirty Money group, you can do it.