Campaign Finance Measures Finalized – Sent to Governor

The House of Representatives passed the campaign finance reform package, but not before making at least one material change…a change the Senate ultimately concurred in, sending the three bills to the Governor’s desk for signature. Senate Bills 440, 441, and 661 passed the Senate prior to the Thanksgiving/Hunting recess.

The House kept the Senate language to double individual and political action committee contribution limits, as well as the language to codify in statute the ability of issue ad donors to remain anonymous. The latter was a point of disagreement between legislative Republicans and Republican Secretary of State Ruth Johnson who had recently announced her intentions of proposing rules to provide for greater transparency in issue-ad funding sources.

The House of Representatives removed the Senate’s language to allow legislative caucus campaign committees to involve themselves in primary elections. Many of the Tea-Party supported members of both the House and Senate opposed this particular provision, seeing it as a way for the party establishment to further fund opposition in coming races.

Senate Bills 440 and 441 passed nearly unanimously; however, SB 661, the measure with the most controversial portions of the package, passed 56-52. The four Republicans who joined all 48 Democrats in voting “no” were Representatives Kevin Daley (R-Lum), Gail Haines (R-Lake Angelus), Martin Howrylak (R-Troy), and Ed McBroom (R-Vulcan). Representative John Olumba (I-Detroit) ended up giving the Republicans the affirmative vote needed to send the measure back to the Senate.

posted by PAA Online , Friday, December 13, 2013 12:08 PM
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