Thursday, February 4, 2010

Committee Agrees on Contributions Bill

The House Voters & Elections Committee earlier today combined two bills that would prohibit campaign contributions from lobbyists, state contractors and companies seeking "targeted subsidies" like tax incentives.

As I reported earlier this week, there was one bill 118, sponsored by Rep. Joe Campos, D-Santa Rosa, , which is the brainchild of Think New Mexico, the Santa Fe-based think tank. The second bill, HB 172, sponsored by Rep. Gail Chasey, D-Albuquerque is backed by Gov. Bill Richardson.

The committee substitute removed a provision from Chasey's bill that would have prohibited contributions from corporations and a section from Campos' bill that would have required nonprofit groups that get involved in political advocacy to disclose their contributors.

The vote was 6-4.

The bill goes on the House Judiciary Committee.