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Apr 10, 2006 -- Legal Center Weekly Report: April 7, 2006 Legal Center Supports 527 Regulation in House
On Wednesday, April 5, H.R. 513, the 527 Reform Act of 2006, introduced by Representative Chris Shays (R-CT) and Marty Meehan (D-MA), was passed by the House in a 218-209 vote. The bill seeks to close a soft money loophole by requiring so called "527 groups" to comply with federal campaign finance laws. The reform coalition, of which CLC is a member, supported passage of the bill. The coalition is concerned about an amendment which was added in committee that would repeal the limits on the amount parties can spend in coordination with their candidates.
To read the groups' letters in support of H.R. 513, click here.
To read the groups' letters in opposition to the Pence "Poison Pill" amendment to H.R. 513, click here.
With the House set to consider lobbying reform legislation at the end of April, the Campaign Legal Center continues to support efforts to pass meaningful and effective reform. On Tuesday, April 4, the reform coalition sent a letter to House members urging them to support Representative Marty Meehan's (D-MA) amendments to the lobbying reform bill pending before the House Judiciary Committee. The Meehan amendments, which were not included in the Committee reported bill, would have provided for: disclosure of ways that lobbyists provided financial help to Members; disclosure of professional grassroots lobbying campaigns; and strengthened revolving door provisions .
To read the reform groups' letter, click here.
The FEC today adopted a final rule on "coordinated communications" to conclude the final rulemaking initiated by order of the U.S. District and Circuit Courts in Shays and Meehan v. FEC . The courts ruled that the FEC's old regulations defining "coordinated communications"—which largely exempted advertisements aired more than 120 days before an election—may "permit exactly what BCRA aims to prevent: evasion of campaign finance restrictions through unregulated collaboration."
The new rule eliminates the gap in the old rule's coverage between presidential primary and general elections—bringing within the scope of the new coordination regulations presidential campaign ads that air any time during the period beginning 120 days before a presidential primary and ending on the day of the presidential general election. The new rule, however, narrows the application of coordination restrictions as applied to congressional election advertising—by reducing the pre-election time period from 120 days to 90 days. Furthermore, the new rule does not eliminate the gap in coverage between congressional primary and general elections.
Legal Center Co-Sponsors Redistricting Conference
On April 3-5, 2006, the Campaign Legal Center co-sponsored a redistricting reform conference with the Council for Excellence in Government and the League of Women Voters. The Conference's main theme was "Building A National Redistricting Reform Movement" and it examined strategies used in states where redistricting reform has been attempted or implemented. The conference, which was attended by over 50 conferees from all over the United States, melded the principles adopted at a redistricting reform conference held last year (sponsored by the Legal Center and the Council for Excellence in Government) with suitable strategies for implementing those principles in the various states. The University of Utah hosted the conference.
To review a copy of the redistricting reform principles adopted at the 2005 conference, click here.
Many bills have been presented in the House and Senate about reforming the lobby and ethics processes on the Hill. The Legal Center has tracked these bills and has developed a side by side comparison sheet. The comparison sheet compares each proposed lobby/ethics reform bill, as well as current law in this area, in light of the six benchmarks for reform endorsed by the Legal Center and other reform groups earlier this year.
To view the side by side comparison, click here.
CLC Policy Director, Meredith McGehee had several speaking engagements this week. On Monday, McGehee met with a group of Moldovan legislative assistants currently visiting the U.S. on a State Department program. Through the group's interpreter, McGehee explained some of the Legal Center's legislative efforts and answered their questions on the role of money and private interests in American politics.
On Thursday, McGehee spoke to a group of Coro Fellows currently visiting Washington. McGehee first explained some of the work the Legal Center is doing and then answered the Fellows insightful questions on the roll of public interest lobbying in our political system, redistricting reform, and the future of campaign finance reform.
Friday, McGehee spoke at an American Bar Association conference on lobbying in today's legislative environment. She addressed the issues of grassroots, media and technology in lobbying campaigns.
Statement of Meredith McGehee on the Passage of 527 Reform Act of 2006
On Friday April 7, 2006, Meredith McGehee, Policy Director at the Campaign Legal Center, issued a statement on the passage of the 527 Reform Act of 2006. According to her statement, "This legislation passed by the House on Wednesday seeks to close a large soft money loophole by requiring so-called 527 groups to comply with federal campaign finance laws."
To read the full statement, click here.
To read a variety of this week's editorials and articles on campaign finance , please click here. |
