Witnesses urge state push for constitutional amendment on campaign finance; members ask about voting-rights implications

Supporters of House Concurrent Resolution 19 told the House General Government Committee the resolution asks Congress to propose a constitutional amendment returning campaign‑finance authority to the states.

Julie Brogan of American Promise said the state of Oklahoma recently became the 24th state to pass a resolution calling for such an amendment and argued that decisions about money in politics belong with state legislatures. Leslie Loughman, a citizen witness, and Jamie Schwartz, an attorney and Ohio voter, emphasized federal-court decisions have limited states' ability to regulate outside money and that the proposed amendment would restore flexibility for state experimentation on campaign-finance rules.

Members pressed witnesses about potential interactions with voting rights and the safeguards needed to prevent dark-money influence. Representative Brent said federal protections historically enabled expansions in voting rights; witnesses said HCR19 addresses campaign finance rather than voting registration, though members warned the language could affect broader election law. Questions also covered whether the amendment would allow states to adopt public campaign financing or restrictions on out-of-state donors; witnesses said the amendment would permit states to experiment, including public-financing models, but that specific policy choices would remain up to state legislatures.

The committee heard multiple proponent witnesses and concluded the second hearing on HCR19.