Illinois Senate passes strong campaign finance limits
Illinois Gov. Quinn will have another chance to pass historic campaign finance reform.
The Illinois Senate passed legislation Friday, Oct. 30 in a 36-22 vote that will for the first time ever impose restrictions on donations to political campaigns. Contributions from individuals are capped at $5,000 for primary and general elections; at $10,000 during each election from business groups and unions; and at $50,000 from political action committees.
“I think we need to be clear: If we have someone like former Gov. Blagojevich, who is hell bent on robbing the state blind, then we’ll need the good offices of the U.S. attorney,” Cindi Canary, director of the Illinois Campaign for Political Reform, told the Chicago Sun-Times.
“However, this system starts to restore elections to the public. It gives more transparency to public policy-making, and it puts more power into the hands of the voters,” she said.
Those in favor of the legislation claim it to be the strongest campaign finance regulations the state has ever seen.
Republicans however voted against the Democrat-friendly bill, claiming the bill fails to keep legislative leaders and state parties from running wild with power because it would allow them to raise unlimited funds during general elections.
“The public believes the Legislature is too leader driven. To impose a system that caps everybody but the leaders in general elections? This is not reform,” Sen. Dale Righter (R-Mattoon), the No. 2 Senate Republican, told the Sun-Times.
Quinn originally vetoed campaign finance legislation in May after backlash from Illinois residents.
Read the entire Sun-Times article here. Also, check out the Chicago Tribune’s article.
ICPR, along with other Midwest Democracy Network partner organizations, played a key role in the reform effort through a broad coalition, called CHANGE Illinois!, formed to tackle the lack of campaign contributions limits in the state.
Check out the CHANGE Illinois! news release and comparison chart of recent reform bills voted on by the legislature.
By the numbers (courtesy of the Illinois Issues Blog)
Individuals can donate up to:
- $5,000 to any candidate
- $10,000 to any political party or legislative caucus committee
- $10,000 to any political action committee
Businesses, unions and associations can donate up to:
- $10,000 to any candidate
- $20,000 to any political party or legislative caucus committee
- $20,000 to any political action committee
Candidates can donate up to:
- $50,000 to any candidate
- $50,000 to any political action committee
- Unlimited contributions to any political party or legislative caucus committee, except a $50,000 limit to a committee participating in primary elections
For political parties and legislative caucus’ committees during primary elections, the aggregate amount between state, county, township and city political committees cannot exceed:
- $200,000 to statewide candidates
- $125,000 to any state Senate candidate
- $75,000 to any state House candidate
- Between $50,000 - $125,000 to candidates for local and judicial offices
- $20,000 to political action committees
- Unlimited contributions to candidates during general elections
