In a surprising turn of events at the Legislative Building, Republican lawmakers introduced a bill that would bring significant changes to state campaign finance laws. The sudden unveiling of the legislation led to a walkout by all 20 Senate Democrats in protest, as the bill was swiftly brought to a vote and approved 28-0 by the remaining Republicans on the Senate floor. The House is set to review the measure next week.
The proposed changes to the campaign finance laws would make it easier for major donors to contribute large sums of money anonymously to support political candidates in North Carolina. Republicans argued that the bill aimed to “level the playing field” with Democrats in response to a 2020 advisory opinion that they believed favored the Democratic Governors Association. However, Democratic legislators and advocacy groups criticized both the content of the bill and the rushed process used to introduce it.
Campaign finance watchdog Bob Hall highlighted the complexity of the proposed changes, noting that they would allow wealthy individuals and corporate donors to contribute substantial amounts of money to candidates through indirect channels, ultimately concealing the true source of the funds.
Following the walkout by Senate Democrats, who denounced the legislation as a means to funnel campaign contributions to GOP gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson, the bill is now under scrutiny in the House Rules Committee. Democratic leaders have expressed strong opposition to the changes, labeling them as an attempt to undermine the democratic process and allow unlimited money from out-of-state billionaires to influence North Carolina elections. The House is expected to deliberate on the bill in the coming days amidst growing concerns over transparency and accountability in campaign finance.