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House amends Voluntary Contributions Act after debate over payroll deductions
Summary
Lawmakers debated whether public employers should facilitate payroll deductions for political contributions and whether employees could pay administrative costs; the House removed a committee amendment allowing employee-paid deduction costs and passed the bill as amended, 42–29.
Representative Styler moved an amendment to remove committee language in House Bill 302 that would allow payroll deductions for political contributions if the employee paid the administrative cost. Styler argued the change preserved the ‘‘paycheck protection’’ principle that government should not act as the middleman in collecting political funds, saying, "This amendment basically would take away the importance or the meaning of this bill." Representative Goodfellow, who defended the committee amendment, said the intent was to avoid spending tax dollars to administer contributions and that if an employee is willing to cover the cost, that should be permitted.
Members on both sides described principle and practical concerns: opponents warned government involvement could coerce or complicate employee choices; supporters said electronic transactions now allow individuals to make contributions without government facilitation. After floor debate and a division vote, the House adopted Styler’s motion to remove the committee amendment and passed HB 302 as amended by a roll‑call of 42–29.
The House record shows the amendment vote and final passage; the bill will be transmitted to the Senate for consideration.
