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Committee hears testimony for ban on foreign funding of Michigan ballot measures
Summary
Representative Smith introduced House Bill 51‑97 to bar foreign nationals from contributing to state ballot measure campaigns, saying the federal prohibition on foreign contributions to candidate campaigns does not extend to ballot questions.
Representative Smith introduced House Bill 51‑97, saying federal law already bans foreign nationals from contributing to candidate campaigns but "this prohibition does not apply to ballot measures." Smith told the committee the bill would close that loophole by banning foreign funding of ballot proposals and initiatives and cited Governor Gretchen Whitmer's 2021 veto letter urging bipartisan legislation on the issue.
Caitlin Sutherland, founding executive director of Americans Republic Trust, testified in support and said…
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