Conference committee advances amended campaign-finance bill; rejects immediate fund-balance disclosure for legislative candidates

Madam Chair Steiner convened the conference committee to consider reconciled language for Senate Bill 1377 and House Bill 2156 and the panel voted to advance the amended measure to the full Legislature on a 5-1-0 recommendation.

Senator Rose, a member of the conference committee, said she was not satisfied with the deal but offered language to move the process forward. "I am not happy with this this is not a compromise I am excited about, but it is also 11:10 on, the final night, and I understand that we need to find a path forward," she said. Rose described a proposal to delay the increase in the itemization threshold from the current $200 to $250: "So I agreed to a 2 year delay on the increase to 2 50. So we would remain at the 200 we are today. The 2 50 would go into effect January of 28, so for the next election cycle. And then the inflator language would start every 10 years from that date."

Under the conference language the…