In Washington, Secretary of State Hillary Rodham Clinton, like her 65 predecessors, deals with foreign affairs.

In Lansing, Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land, like her 40 predecessors, deals with domestic affairs—including, most importantly, those involving drivers and elections.

But, of late in our border state during these post-9/11 days of heightened national security concerns, Land also has a role in some security issues.

She made Michigan a pace-setter among states in offering an enhanced driver’s license and personal identification card option as a handy alternative to passports to help Michiganians meet federal ID requirements for border crossing.

“I said there’s gotta be a better way,” she said in a phone chat last week about issuing 100,000 of the new cards under a program she developed that has been duplicated in varying forms by other states, including Washington and Vermont.

Her department, through material available at branch offices for boaters, has partnered with the Coast Guard in America’s Waterways Watch program, enlisting “citizens to report suspicious activity on Michigan’s lakes and rivers.”

As a further sign of the times, Land instituted training for employees of all branch offices to “ensure proper security procedures are followed” on verification of citizenship.

For decades, I have reviewed year-end reports by assorted officeholders. Land’s year-ender is impressive in accomplishments and scope, often in partnership with other agencies, beyond her department’s traditional chores—ranging from clearing more than 80,000 abandoned vehicles from communities and roads to signing up a record 250,000 more organ donors.

“We have a rock-solid strategic plan that has allowed this department to provide quality convenient service with fewer resources,” Land said in releasing her nine-page brag report. “By moving more transactions online and providing innovative and cost-effective ways to deliver service, we will continue to meet budgetary challenges while maintaining a high level of service for our customers.”

A major challenge in her final year in office is to get the Legislature to give the secretary of state more enforcement power on campaign finance issues.

“I don’t have any teeth on enforcement,” she said. “I can’t subpoena anybody.”

The fact is—although not mentioned in Land’s year-end review—there is much wrong with Michigan’s state campaign finance regulations.

Too much falls through the cracks between Land’s office and that of Attorney General Mike Cox.

In a May report highlighting several ways in which regulations and accountability are lacking, the Michigan Campaign Finance Network (MCFN) said of the $7.5 million spent for 2008 Supreme Court campaigns, over half the money was not disclosed in campaign finance reports.

It said, “The money spent by the Michigan Chamber of Commerce and the Democratic and Republican Parties for candidate-focused ‘issue’ advertising is entirely off the books.”

MCFN Executive Director Rick Robinson said, “That is particularly insidious for Supreme Court campaigns because the prospective justices’ biggest financial backers may come before the Court as litigants and we wouldn’t even know it. This is no place for a ‘don’t ask, don’t tell’ policy.”

Voters will have opportunities to ask questions about the views on campaign finance regulation by the many candidates running to replace termlimited Republicans Land and Cox and Democratic Governor Jennifer Granholm.

(Cox seeks the GOP gubernatorial nomination. Land, after deciding against running for governor, now campaigns in tandem with Oakland County Sheriff Mike Bouchard as his prospective gubernatorial running mate.)

Citizens also should pin down their local legislative candidates on the issue.

The MCFN’s Robinson noted that current officeholders won’t file another campaign finance report this year, even though elected officials hold hundreds of fundraising events and raise millions of dollars every year.

“Officeholders should be filing campaign finance reports at least quarterly, every year,” he said. “Citizens should be able to know who is giving what to whom as policy debates unfold, not a year after the fact.”

He said the absence of limits on contributions to state political action committees is particularly important in Michigan House campaigns. He said independent expenditures by state PACs were up by more than 500% at $2.5 million in 2008, and they were a major financial factor in the most competitive races. The vast majority of that spending traced back to PACs that received most of their funds from Kalamazoo philanthropist Jon Stryker.

“Mr. Stryker is playing according to the rules we have,” Robinson said, “and Michigan’s political culture doesn’t include limits on spending. That’s a world different from federal law, but there doesn’t seem to be much inclination for change in either party.”

There would be if voters demanded change. Do ask. Make them tell.

Checking political climate

Greg MacMaster, chief meteorologist for Traverse City’s WPBN-TV 7&4, says “I’m considering” running next year for the 105th District seat being vacated by House Minority Leader Kevin Elsenheimer (R-Kewadin), who plans to seek a district judgeship.

A complaint was filed with Land’s office contending that he already is “an all but declared candidate” and should have filed required paperwork. The complaint was filed by Chet Zarko of Dewitt, a supporter of Cheboygan County Drain Commissioner Dennis Lennox, a Republican who is campaigning and gathering endorsements for the House race to represent Antrim, Charlevoix, Cheboygan, and Otsego counties.

Land’s office said it is reviewing the complaint “to see if it meets basic standards” and contains “legitimate evidence.”

George Weeks retired in 2006 after 22 years as political columnist for The Detroit News. His weekly Michigan Politics column is syndicated by Superior Features.