Campaign Finance Changes Advance
A measure to allow corporations to make direct contributions to political candidates is advancing in the Tennessee Legislature.
The Republican bill sponsored by Sen. Jamie Woodson of Knoxville and Rep. Glen Casada of Franklin would also retroactively tie contribution limits to the consumer price index beginning in 1996.
That means the maximum individual contribution to a legislative candidate would increase from $1,000 to $1,400, and the top donation to a gubernatorial candidate would rise from $2,500 to $3,600.
Corporate contributions would fall under the same campaign finance laws as political action committees, which would be able to give up to $7,100 to House candidates and $10,700 to Senate or gubernatorial candidates, up from previous respective limits of $5,000 and $7,500.
