NASHVILLE, Tenn. (AP) - The state Senate has voted to double the amount of money candidates for the upper chamber of Tennessee General Assembly can raise for their campaigns.
The Chattanooga Times Free Press reports (https://bit.ly/2oVixyv ) that the measure passed on a 27-2 vote on Monday evening. All but one of the votes in favor of the bill came from Republicans.
Senate Democratic Caucus Chairman Jeff Yarbro of Nashville spoke out against the bill, arguing that it would allow candidates to collect about $750,000 from political action committees and their party without seeking any individual contributions.
“While I’d love to raise more money, I don’t think the people of Tennessee would want us to raise basically three quarters of a million dollars from parties and PACs,” Yarbro said.
The bill would also boost the maximum individual donors’ contribution limits from $3,000 to $6,000 over a four-year period, and for each political action committee from $23,600 to $47,200.
Senate State and Local Government Chairman Ken Yager, R-Kingston, said the bill was aimed at establishing “parity” with House members, whose fundraising limits reset every two years in keeping with the length of their terms. Senate members serve four-year terms.
Sen. Steve Southerland, R-Morristown, said the change is justified because senators represent three times the number of Tennesseans than their House counterparts.
The change was tacked on to a bill seeking to create a loophole to the ban on fundraising during legislative sessions so lawmakers could collect campaign contributions while awaiting a potential veto-override session.
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Information from: Chattanooga Times Free Press, https://www.timesfreepress.com
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