Senate committee revisits contribution limits
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Senate committee revisits contribution limits

Date: February 18, 2008
By: Stephanie Levy
State Capitol Bureau

Intro: The Senate Finance Committee voted in favor of a bill that would repeal contribution limits on individual campaigns.

Stephanie Levy (Lee-vee) has more.

RunTime:0:46
OutCue: SOC

Senate Republican Leader Charlie Shields sponsored the legislation, and says the bill would hold Missouri politicians accountable for the money they raise in the election process.

Actuality:  SHIELDS.WAV
Run Time: 00:14
Description: Missouri politicians could give Colombian drug lords seminars in how to launder money under the existing laws. We need to get back to a system where the money flows directly from the contributor to the candidate without multiple committees in between that make it difficult to follow.


 

Last year, the Missouri Supreme Court ruled the removal of campaign contribution limits was unconstitutional, after Shields presented a similar bill the legislature passed last session.

Senate Democratic Leader Maida Coleman says the bill would create more confusion about campaign finances in an election year.

Reporting from the State Capitol, I'm Stephanie Levy.

Intro: The Senate Finance Committee voted in favor of removing limits on contributions to individual political campaigns during their committee hearing Monday.

Stephanie Levy (Lee-vee) has more from Jefferson City.

RunTime:0:47
OutCue: SOC

The bill's sponsor claims it would bring transparency to fundraising by having politicians disclose where they receive funding for their campaigns.

But Senate Democratic Leader Maida Coleman, says it would make campaign finances more confusing, especially in an election year.

Actuality:  COLEMAN.WAV
Run Time: 00:15
Description: I don't have much faith that, in recent years based on the huge amounts of monies that people can donate to campaigns, that this is a just a good time. We need to be able to figure out something that works for everyone.


Senate Republican Leader Charlie Shields sponsored the bill. Shields supported a similar bill that passed the Senate in 2006, but the Missouri Supreme Court found it unconstituional.

The bill will now go to the full Senate.

Reporting from the State Capitol, I'm Stephanie Levy.