States are experimenting with campaign finance laws, and those who advocate reforming federal laws are watching the states closely.

So far the results have been a mixed bag.

• Legislatures in 26 states are considering campaign-finance reform bills.

• Political campaigns spent an estimated $2 billion plus last year.

• After Minnesota enacted reforms it thought would deal with the perceived pending problem in 1993, various loopholes allowed political action committee money to actually increase from $2.5 million in 1992 to $3.1 million in 1996.

• Current laws regulating state campaign financing range from anything goes in Utah to Massachusetts' prohibition on candidates' children donating more than $25 to daddy's or mommy's bid for office.

Here are some of the latest state proposals:

• Some lawmakers in Nevada want full disclosure of donors -- making it illegal for contributors to funnel money through second parties.

• North Carolina, Kansas and Virginia are considering preventing politicians from receiving money while the legislature is in session in an effort to ban vote-buying -- a law which already exists in 21 states.

• Maryland lawmakers have barred themselves from fund-raising during the legislative session and required businesses awarded contracts of $100,000 or more to disclose contributions.

Some observers believe Maine's approach could be the model for reform. Beginning in 1999, corporations and PACs will be limited to giving $500 to gubernatorial campaigns and $250 to state legislative races. Candidates who agree to abide by spending limits in 2000 will be able to finance their campaigns from the Maine Clean Election Fund, which is funded in part by taxes.

Source: Judy Keen, "States a Testing Ground for Campaign Finance Reform," USA Today, May 2, 1997.