[EL] Baltimore Sun - Campaign finance reform passes Senate

[Joseph E. Sandler]

Jim-- I served as a member of the Maryland Commission to Study Campaign Finance Law, the report and recommendations of which were the basis for the campaign finance reform law that has been passed by the Md House of Delegates and now the State Senate.  I appreciate your calling attention to this measure.  But increased contribution limits are just one feature of the bill, which I think moves in the right direction of strengthening the political parties while increasing transparency for outside groups.  The bill would:


*         Introduce the nation's most expansive disclosure regime for independent expenditures and electioneering communications, including EC's by nonprofit organizations-- requiring disclosure of contributions over $10k used to finance, not just broadcast, but all forms of political communications

*         Increase the amount of coordinated expenditures that can be made by the parties on behalf of their candidates and introduce legislative caucus committees as an additional party-centered means of supporting candidates

*         Increase contribution limits, as you note, which haven't been updated since the early 90's, in particular the unrealistically low $10k aggregate limit over a 4-year cycle--that's increased to $24k.

*         Closes a loophole that allowed evasion of limits by LLC's

*         Strengthens enforcement



By giving more resources to parties while requiring the disclosure of funds used by c4's & c6's for electioneering communications and I/E's  (that the FEC has declined to require at the federal level), it is hoped that this new measure in Maryland will increase transparency and accountability, and counter some of the unfortunate trend-- recently discussed at length in this forum-- of independent groups significantly outspending the parties.



It's significant that this bill is being supported both by the Democratic and Republican parties in Maryland and, in large part, by the state's leading campaign finance reform groups as well.

From: law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu [mailto:law-election-bounces at department-lists.uci.edu] On Behalf Of JBoppjr at aol.com
Sent: Thursday, April 04, 2013 8:57 AM
To: rhasen at law.uci.edu; law-election at UCI.EDU
Subject: [EL] Baltimore Sun - Campaign finance reform passes Senate

Click here: Baltimore Sun - Campaign finance reform passes Senate<http://touch.baltimoresun.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-75167947/>

Ultra-blue Maryland joining trend to increase contribution limits.  Jim Bopp
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