W.Va. Senate Passes Bill to Change Campaign Finance Law, Opponents Say It Lacks Transparency

The West Virginia Senate has cleared a bill that would make changes to the state’s campaign finance laws. While the measure increases the limits on donations to candidates and other political groups, opponents say the bill fails to provide transparency on so-called dark money in elections.

Senate Bill 622 seeks to increase the limits an individual would be allowed to give to a candidate, state party executive committee and a political action committee each election cycle or year. It also offers changes to reporting requirements for funds spent in support or opposition of candidates without their knowledge.

Individual contributions to a candidate committee would be capped at $2,800 per election cycle. Limits on donations to state party executive committees would be set at $10,000 per donor each calendar year. Contributions to a political action committee would be limited to $5,000 per person per year.

All of those limits -- for contributions to a candidate committee, a state party executive committee and a political action committee -- currently stand at $1,000.

Read more: http://www.wvpublic.org/post/wva-senate-passes-bill-change-campaign-finance-law-opponents-say-it-lacks-transparency#stream/0