Committee Hears Changes to Campaign Contribution Limits in House Bill 2054

A legislative committee heard testimony on House Bill 2,054, which would change contribution limits for candidates, alter how party committees may transfer money to candidates and allow campaigns to accept general-election contributions before a primary if they maintain prescribed accounting records.

The bill, as described by the committee reviser Jason, would raise several contribution limits: from 2 to 4,000 for governor and lieutenant governor; from 500 to 1,000 for members of the House and local offices; and from 1,000 to 2,000 for state senators and State Board of Education members. Jason also described amendments that (1) remove some statutory exemptions for party committees so party cash transfers to candidates become subject to contribution limits, (2) make only cash payments by party committees count toward those limits while excluding in-kind party committee contributions from the limits, and (3) allow campaigns to accept contributions intended for the general election before the primary…