February 12, 2016 •
West Virginia Campaign Finance Bill Stalls in Senate
A bill to increase campaign contribution limits hit a roadblock this week in the West Virginia Senate after Democrats successfully added amendments requiring greater disclosure. The Republican-inspired measure, Senate Bill 408, would increase the limit on contributions to state office candidates from $1,000 to $2,700 per election. Democrats, however, were willing to accept the increase only if greater disclosure by dark money groups was also part of the changes.
The effective date of the bill was also amended by the Democrats to go into effect in 2017, whereas the original would make the changes effective on May 11, 2016, the day after the primary election.
With these two amendments, the Republican leadership decided not to bring the bill up for a vote. Judiciary Committee Chairman Charles Trump said he will have to discuss the changes with other senators before deciding whether or not to move forward with the legislation.
State and Federal Communications, Inc. provides research and consulting services for government relations professionals on lobbying laws, procurement lobbying laws, political contribution laws in the United States and Canada. Learn more by visiting stateandfed.com.