Reply #6: VT: HOuse Committee Approves Campaign Finance Bill

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House committee approves campaign finance bill
By Dave Gram
Associated Press Writer / February 8, 2008

MONTPELIER, Vt.—A new attempt to limit the influence of money in Vermont politics cleared a House committee on Friday, but two years after the last bid to do so lost in the U.S. Supreme Court, opponents were saying the new legislation could land the state back in court.

more stories like thisMembers of the House Government Operations Committee, which approved the measure 9-0 with two not voting, made one of two changes sought by Gov. Jim Douglas: It increased from $750 to $1,000 the cap on individual contributions to candidates for statewide office other than governor, bringing them even with gubernatorial candidates.

But they rebuffed the governor on another key provision: He had sought to have stripped from the bill limits on contributions by political parties -- which the bill sets at $30,000 for governor down to $500 for House candidates. The House panel kept those limits in the bill.

"I think it strikes a good balance of what's right for Vermont in terms of contribution controls, limits," said Rep. Tim Jerman, D-Essex, a member of the committee.

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http://www.boston.com/news/local/vermont/articles/2008/02/08/house_committee_approves_campaign_finance_bill/