Campaign Disclosure Bill Passes Senate Budget and Appropriations Committee

Today the bill S1500(Singleton/Greenstein) was passed in Senate Budget today. The bill requires disclosure by independent expenditure committees; raises certain campaign contribution limits; repeals ban on certain intraparty fund transfers.

“This bill would require 527 independent expenditures on elections are disclose to contributors. This will shed a light on dark money. We believe this legislation is important because we are always concerned that when campaign monies are hidden, it can’t be for anything good. Independent expenditures are more common now than direct expenditures on candidates. We also believe these contributions should be subject to pay to play so that we don’t see companies that have contracts with the state or others,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club. “Too often, dark money can stop green initiatives. Sierra Club always supports campaign finance reform because special interest have a lot more money and power.”

“PSEG cannot give direct expenditures to a campaign in New Jersey but they can give money to 527 for independent expenditures. If they are giving money to these funds, then they should be subject to pay to play. We need to know where this money is coming from. We also need to know if these independent campaigns are getting contributions from business or entities that they regulate or do legislation in their fields. This is important for the public to know that. It is important that we shed more light on dark money so that maybe it can go away,” said Jeff Tittel, Director of the New Jersey Sierra Club.