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Democrat bill would tailor
campaign contribution rule
Legislation assumes companies are formed purely
for political purposes
A Democrat bill that would
tailor
state campaign contribution limits rolled through the House tonight over
the strong objections of Republicans who see it as unfairly restricting
the right of individuals to support candidates and measures.
House Bill 1189 passed with a 59-36 vote, with all but one Democrat
present voting yes.
"I expect we'll see
several bills passed this session that would skew our campaign and
election laws, and it started tonight," said
Rep. Bruce Chandler, Republican leader of the House State
Government committee. "This bill is aimed at one individual in one
legislative district. But it would restrict political speech throughout
our state, and that's wrong."
State law limits
individual campaign contributions by an individual, a union or business,
or a political action committee to a candidate for state legislative
office to $700. Limited liability companies (LLCs) with common ownership
are considered to be separate when it comes to campaign contribution
purposes, and that's what prompted HB 1189.
LLCs are formed for the
purpose of doing business, not engaging in political activity, Chandler
explained. But as amended by the House before final passage tonight, HB
1189 would change the law so that LLCs which are affiliated even loosely
would be considered a single entity when it comes to campaign
contributions.
"If one person owns only
10 percent of two LLCs -- not even close to a majority interest -- those
LLCs would be considered as one. Compare that to the change made to
campaign law during the past legislative term, to treat affiliates of a
single labor union as individuals for the purpose of contributions. This
bill would make the playing field very uneven," said Chandler,
R-Granger.
"The amendment that passed
only reinforced the idea that this is a narrowly targeted bill, being
moved for political purposes," Chandler added. "People who are critical
of a particular candidate and contribute to that candidate's opponent
play an important part in our political system. The idea that
legislation would be used as a weapon for personal retribution is an
offense to us all."
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