CHARLESTON — West Virginia lawmakers are again seeking the disclosure of spending behind third-party election ads. They’re also proposing rules for corporations that devote funds to such activities.
The House Judiciary Committee advanced two bills Tuesday that each react to last month’s landmark U.S. Supreme Court ruling on campaign finance.
One measure embraces the court’s decision to define when individuals, groups or corporations behind ads must disclose their spending. Under the bill, the ad must be “susceptible of no reasonable interpretation other than as an appeal to vote for or against a specific candidate.”
The bill would also tweak reporting rules for third-party ads that identify a state-level candidate and appear within 60 days of a general election of 30 days of a primary.
That provision addresses a federal judge’s ruling that limits disclosure to radio or television ads. Supporters say the bill could help resolve, at least partly, the pending legal challenges that prompted that ruling.
Tuesday’s other bill would require in-state corporations that want to spend funds on political activities to obtain shareholder approval beforehand, and report on that spending to them afterward.
Unlike its companion, this measure did not advance without dissent. Several committee members questioned whether its provisions were workable, or fair given that out-of-state corporations would be exempt.
Both bills now go to the full House.
State News
February 23, 2010
W.Va. lawmakers reacting to major elections ruling
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