MaryPIRG
supports SB 140, closing the campaign finance loophole for affiliated
corporations. A campaign contribution limit of $4,000 per person is
already too high. These limits are out of reach of the average citizen,
inevitably creating an electoral process dominated by wealthy special
interests.
Furthermore,
campaign contributions from corporations should be prohibited.
Corporations cannot vote, for obvious reasons. They should not be
allowed to vote with their dollars.
Allowing
contributions as high as $4,000 and allowing contributions from
corporations already distorts our electoral system too much. To allow
loopholes that enable some individuals and corporations to evade these
limits distorts the system even further. These distortions also erode
people’s confidence in government.
In
a preliminary inquiry into campaign finance records, we compiled a list
of contributions that appear to be from affiliated business entities.
This list proved no less than 50 pages long. Some of these entries, on
closer inspection, are probably from companies that are legitimately
separate entities using the same address. Most of them, however, are
likely to be deliberate evasions of our campaign finance laws.
This
bill would close this loophole most of the way shut. We will never be
able to prohibit all affiliated companies from bundling contributions,
but we should do what we can. This bill takes us down the right path.
MaryPIRG respectfully urges a favorable report for HB 566.
