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Committee advances bill to bar foreign nationals from financing or directing Georgia ballot campaigns; amendment to cut $100,000 threshold fails
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Summary
Representative Martin’s bill would forbid foreign nationals from directing, soliciting or certifying funds for ballot questions and requires committees to certify no foreign-sourced funds above a reporting threshold. The committee rejected an amendment to lower the $100,000 threshold to $15,000 and voted 6–4 to advance the bill.
Representative Martin introduced LC 473851 as a measure to extend prohibitions on foreign nationals — already applied to candidate campaigns under federal law — to state and local ballot questions. Martin said the bill prevents foreign nationals from directing or controlling ballot-question campaigns, soliciting donations for those campaigns, or certifying funds that originated from foreign sources. ‘‘We're trying to do at the state level what we already do at the federal and state level for candidates,’’ Martin said.
The bill uses the federal definition of 'foreign national' and applies it broadly to individuals, foreign governments, foreign political parties and foreign‑organized business entities. Martin said corporate donations generated in the U.S. and directed by U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents would not be covered; funds that originate outside the United States would be.
Committee members pressed the sponsor on practical questions: would large foreign‑owned companies operating in Georgia (for example, Hyundai) be barred from participating? Martin replied that if a company's funds are generated in the U.S. and controlled by U.S. citizens or lawful permanent residents, its U.S. operations could participate, but foreign‑sourced funds would be covered. Members also asked who enforces the law and what penalties apply. Martin said the campaign finance commission would enforce the law and apply existing campaign‑finance penalties; another senator referenced the Georgia Ethics entity as the enforcing body and noted existing procedures could be applied.
Several public witnesses addressed the committee. David Schafer of Common Cause of Georgia warned the bill’s certification and four‑year look‑back could create heavy compliance burdens for grassroots committees and could chill participation. Garland, cofounder of Lunar GA, said his group of about 20,000 supporters backed the bill. Brooke Mills, a self‑represented Jewish community member, said the bill risked chilling civic engagement in religious minority communities and suggested the language needed further refinement. Jackie Doyer of Honest Elections Project ACTION urged the committee to retain a $100,000 threshold and a four‑year window, citing Kansas precedent and multi‑state examples of foreign‑tied funds influencing ballot issues.
Vice Chair Williams offered an amendment to reduce the bill's $100,000 reporting threshold to $15,000. Sponsor and several members argued the $100,000 number has been upheld in federal court and increases the measure’s chance of surviving constitutional challenge; supporters of the lower threshold said a smaller number better prevents foreign influence. The committee voted on the amendment and ultimately rejected it. The final committee vote on LC 473851 was 6 in favor, 4 opposed; the committee gave the bill a do‑pass recommendation.
What happens next: The bill is advanced to the Senate floor for further consideration. Members and witnesses urged continued refinement on definitions and compliance mechanisms before floor action.
