Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Committee advances bill to limit political spending by foreign‑influenced corporations after amendment banning out‑of‑state donations fails
Summary
The State Government Committee voted to report House Bill 497, which would bar corporations with defined foreign ownership stakes from making political expenditures or contributions; a minority amendment to outlaw out‑of‑state donations to statewide candidates failed after members debated constitutional and scope concerns.
The State Government Committee voted to report House Bill 497 to the floor after debate about the measure’s scope and constitutional implications.
House Bill 497, presented by Representative Webster, would bar corporations in which foreign investors own or control at least 1% individually or 5% in aggregate from making expenditures or contributions to influence candidates or ballot questions, and from contributing to candidates, parties, state committees or political committees. The committee considered minority Amendment A03168, which would have prohibited candidates for statewide office from accepting contributions from out‑of‑state donors.
Representative…
Already have an account? Log in
Subscribe to keep reading
Unlock the rest of this article — and every article on Citizen Portal.
- Unlimited articles
- AI-powered breakdowns of topics, speakers, decisions, and budgets
- Instant alerts when your location has a new meeting
- Follow topics and more locations
- 1,000 AI Insights / month, plus AI Chat
