March 19, 2013; Nancy Remsen; Burlington Free Press
Paul Burns, executive director of the Vermont Public Interest Research Group also praised the expanded reporting and other disclosure provisions.
“If this bill is passed, voters will eventually have a lot more useful information about where candidates and political action committees are getting their money,” Burns said.
“The bill also reestablishes limits on campaign contributions that are for the most part reasonable,” Burns added. “The final version of the bill passed by the Government Operations committee was certainly a vast improvement over earlier drafts that would have allowed wealthy individuals and corporations even greater influence over elections.”
The contributions limits were the most contentious provisions in the bill, said Senate Government Operations Vice Chairman Anthony Pollina, P/D-Washington.
He was prepared to reject the bill if the committee had stuck with contributions higher than in place today.