CASAGRANDE AND HANDLIN COMMEND ELEC INITIATIVE TO BRING MORE TRANSPARENCY TO MUNICIPAL CAMPAIGNSNew Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission announced today that public will now be able to track municipal contributions more easily      Assemblywomen Caroline Casagrande and Amy H. Handlin, advocates for anti-pay-to-play laws, commended the New Jersey Election Law Enforcement Commission, or ELEC, for a proactive initiative that will make it easier for the public to track campaign contributions at the municipal level.    "Every step toward transparency is a victory for taxpayers who often pay more when campaign contributions from government contractors are hidden," Casagrande, R-Monmouth and Mercer, said. "This new tool will be very helpful for residents learning to know whether a campaign contribution has influenced decisions made by their municipal representatives."    ELEC announced today it has added municipal contributions, starting with the 2009 primary election, to its database, which will make it easier to track campaign donors at the local level. Previously, anyone looking to thoroughly track donations at the municipal level would have to comb through thousands of pages of reports submitted by candidates throughout the state.    "ELEC has removed another cloak that unscrupulous politicians and government contractors have used to hide from the public," Handlin, R-Monmouth and Middlesex, said. "Hopefully, it will deter them from violating the spirit of our anti-pay-to-play laws until we break down the resistance from the Legislature that has blocked an ironclad ban on the practice which needlessly drives up costs for taxpayers and fosters corruption."    ELEC's database is located on its web site: http://www.elec.state.nj.us/.####On the Net:www.NJAssemblyRepublicans.comNJ Assembly Republicans on FacebookNJ Assembly Republicans on Twitter