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House debates reporting threshold for small political groups, rejects amendment and passes PIC exemption bill
Summary
Second substitute HB107 creates a narrow exemption for small groups of individuals acting on a single ballot issue from political-issue-committee registration; a motion to raise the committee’s $5,000 threshold to $10,000 failed 31–41 before the House passed the bill 71–0.
Representative Greene introduced second substitute HB107 to narrow the definition of a political issue committee (PIC) and create an exemption for informal groups of individuals who unite around a single ballot issue but do not form a legal entity or raise outside funds. Greene said the change was meant to avoid criminalizing citizens who organically organize around one local ballot measure.
"Every year during our election process, there are citizens groups that routinely conduct their activities in a way that potentially subjects them to criminal liability under our political issue committee statute," Representative Greene said, explaining the bill’s intent to exclude single-purpose, self-funded citizen groups from PIC requirements while capping exempted expenditures.
The committee had considered a $10,000 threshold in an earlier substitute; an amendment adopted in committee lowered that figure to $5,000. Representative Stratton offered a floor motion to amend the bill and raise the exemption back to $10,000, arguing the higher threshold better balances free-speech concerns with transparency. Stratton said the motion aimed to avoid chilling grassroots speech.
Representative Cox opposed the amendment, saying the committee reduced the threshold to $5,000 to preserve transparency and that groups spending over $5,000 would likely be aware of reporting obligations. Representative Hall, who supported the committee amendment, said $5,000 struck the right balance to encourage grassroots participation while ensuring public disclosure.
The motion to amend the threshold from $5,000 to $10,000 failed, 31–41. After further debate about enforcement and transparency, the House passed second substitute HB107 by a recorded vote of 71–0; the bill will move to the Senate for consideration.
The record shows key points of contention were the expenditure threshold that triggers PIC reporting and the statute’s potential chilling effect on grassroots action. The bill includes an increased registration trigger for other PICs (raised from $50 to $750 per a lieutenant governor request) and prohibits exempted groups from fundraising from outside sources.
