The Big Peach Republican-led Senate has voted 30-21 last Friday along party lines for Senate Bill 221. It is sponsoring by Senate Rules Chairman Jeff Mullis, Republican-Chickamauga. Moreover, it is backing by GGOP leaders. Thereby, it would allow the implementation of something being called state “leadership committees,” which are more commonplace in Washington.
The Big Peach GOP Want Big-Money Political Donors Involved
This is how big-money political donors may get another way to give unlimited campaign contributions to their state politicians of choice. Moreover, the Big Peach GOP lawmakers are considering the bills they want.
However, Senate Democrats do oppose this measure from their posts in Atlanta.
Creating Committees to Raise Money
Moreover, the bill would let a governor, lieutenant governor, a party’s nominee for those positions, and House and Senate Republican and Democratic leaders to develop such committees. That would, in fact, raise money for either of their own races. Thus, try to affect other contests.
The Big Peach Statewide Candidates
Raising about $18,000 per election cycle is what statewide candidates can get. That is in fact if they make a runoff. It would $7,100 in legislative races from individual donors. Moreover, it limits how much donors could give to the committees so, in essence, it would not apply.
So contributors — typically lobbyists, industry associations or businesses interested in legislation or state funding — could give as much as they like. The bill was designed, Mullis said, to fight so-called dark money. The funds would hide the identity of donors. Moreover, that is something that has become more common in the past decade.
Dark Money is a Presence That Still Exists
In 2018, the Republican lieutenant governor’s race was significantly affected by last-minute dark money attack ads. They were against former Senate Republican leader Dave Shafter. Geoff Duncan beat Shafter in the party’s runoff that year. Then, Duncan did go on to win the general election.