Three candidates for state office who want to help make the laws you live by and two local candidates who want to collect Richmond County taxes failed to meet the deadline for filing campaign contribution reports.

Former Augusta Commissioner Marion Williams, the challenger to incumbent District 22 state Sen. Ed Tarver in next week's Democratic primary, did not meet Tuesday's deadline for filing his report with the State Ethics Commission. Neither did incumbent Georgia House District 123 Rep. Gloria Frazier, who is being challenged in the Democratic primary by A.K. Hasan.

District 121 Rep. Wayne Howard, who has no opposition this year but is still required to file campaign contribution reports, also had not filed his report by the deadline, according to the State Ethics Commission Web site. Mr. Howard did not return a phone call Wednesday seeking comment for this article.

Mr. Williams, however, said he would just have to pay the penalty.

"It ain't like I broke the law to be breaking it," he said.

He contends that if he pays the penalty, no law has been broken.

"If I didn't pay the penalty, I would be breaking the law," he said.

Candidates are required by state law to submit financial disclosure reports by deadlines or pay a $25 penalty. They are, however, allowed a five-day grace period. If the report is 15 days late after the grace period, $50 is added to that penalty, said Rick Thompson, the executive secretary for the state Ethics Commission.

Of the three candidates for tax commissioner, only Tommy Boyles submitted his report on time. Candidate Steven Kendrick turned his report in Wednesday, a day late, after being contacted by The Chronicle . Candidate Sanford Loyd, a CPA, said he had mistakenly thought his staff had completed the report.

"Mine won't make it there until tomorrow morning," he said Wednesday afternoon.

Mr. Williams said everybody is going to be surprised at how little money he has collected for his campaign and that most of his signs are cheap cardboard ones that he bought online and that he has to continually replace, but that he will win anyway.

Mr. Tarver, meanwhile, reported contributions totalling $94,616.63, but $35,486.63 of that amount was carried over from the previous reporting period. He listed 133 individual contributions this period. Maximum amounts of $2,000 came from Jimmy Allgood, of Dublin, Ga.; Barry L. Story, of Augusta; and Georgia Bankers Association PAC. Augusta Commissioner Johnny R. Hatney contributed $1,250. Among those contributing $1,000 were Robert L. Allgood; R. Adair Blackwood; Clayton P. Boardman III; Cousins Properties Inc.; Warren A. Daniel; Georgia Association of Educators; Gardnyr Michael Capital Inc.; IIA of Georgia; Sen. Eric Johnson; and Paul S. Simon.

Mr. Hasan reported $14,885 in contributions, $5,965 of that amount from the previous reporting period. Builders PAC of CSRA contributed $1,300 and Southeastern Carpenter Regional Council PAC contributed $2,300.

Mr. Boyles reported $13,146 in contributions, which included a $9,000 loan from his wife, Kathy.

Mr. Kendrick reported $6,427.48 in contributions, $4,177.48 of which were separate contributions of less than $101.

Reach Sylvia Cooper at (706) 823-3228 or sylvia.cooper@augustachronicle.com.