“I hate to say this, but I don’t think we have much choice. At this late hour, we have to accept the Senate amendments. That being said, what do the amendments do?” I emailed our committee counsel on election law.

          I had just read the changes that a Senate committee had made to the House bill requiring disclosure of independent expenditures in campaigns for state or local offices.

          Prompted by the Supreme Court’s United Citizens decision, my objective when helping to draft this bill was to impose the same requirements for campaign spending by groups acting independently of a candidate that we have long had for committees formed by a candidate.

           I was far from elated when I read the lengthy Senate amendments. So I emailed our staff person.

            “They’re technical,” he responded.

              I hope that’s the case for the amendments that may be added to other bills in the approaching final days of the session.

April 7