H.B. 5074: REVISED COMMITTEE SUMMARY LOCAL CAMPAIGN CONTRIBUTION LIMITS
House Bill 5074
Sponsor: Representative Frank M. Fitzgerald House Committee: House Oversight and Ethics Senate Committee: Government Operations
Date Completed: 12-2-96
The bill would amend the Michigan Campaign Finance Act to limit the amount of campaign contributions that could be made each election cycle to candidates for local elective offices. The limits would be based on the population of the district in which the candidate was seeking office. The limits for a candidate for local elective office would be effective beginning with the first election cycle for that candidate immediately following the bill’s effective date. The bill also would require local units receiving campaign statements to make them available for public inspection.
The bill would define “local elective office” as an elective office at the local unit of government level, also including judge of the Court of Appeals, circuit court judge, Recorder’s Court judge, district court judge, probate court judge, and municipal court judge. “Local unit of government” would mean a district, authority, county, city, village, township, board, school district, intermediate school district, or community college district.
Currently, a person, other than an independent committee or political party committee, may not make contributions to a candidate committee of a candidate for State elective office, with respect to an election cycle, that are more than the following:
-- $3,400 for a candidate for State elective office other than the office of State legislator.
-- $1,000 for a candidate for State Senator.
-- $500 for a candidate for State Representative.
The bill would establish limits for contributions to local candidates, as follows:
-- $3,400 if the district had a population over 250,000.
-- $1,000 if the district had a population over 85,000 but not over 250,000.
-- $500 if the district had a population of 85,000 or less.
Under the Act, a State central committee of a political party may not make contributions to a candidate for State elective office, other than a candidate for the Legislature, that are more than 20 times the amount permitted a person other than an independent committee or political party committee. A State central committee may not make contributions to a candidate for State Senator or Representative that are more than 10 times the amount permitted a person other than an independent committee or political party committee. Under the bill, the limit applicable to contributions for Senate and House candidates would include candidates for local elective office.
The bill provides that a local unit of government that received copies of campaign statements under the Act would have to make the statements available for public inspection and reproduction during regular business hours of the local unit. The local unit would have to make the statements available as soon as practicable after receipt, but not later than the third business day following the day they were received.
Currently, a committee supporting or opposing a candidate for school board must file a copy of the campaign statement required under the Act with the clerk of the county in which the greatest number of registered voters eligible to vote on the office reside, if the office is to be voted on in more than one county but not Statewide. Under the bill, this requirement would apply to committees supporting or opposing any local candidate, if the office were in more than one county.
MCL 169.205 et al. Legislative Analyst: S. Margules
The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.
Enforcement costs under the bill would depend on the number of violations. Campaign statements are currently available to the public and, therefore, provisions in the bill regarding making statements available for public inspection and reproduction would not result in new costs.
Fiscal Analyst: B. Bowerman
S9596\S5074SA
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.