AB68: Bill Text

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1997 - 1998 LEGISLATURE

1997 Assembly BILL 68

February 10, 1997 - Introduced by Representatives Bock, Baumgart, La Fave, Murat, Black, Robson, Notestein, Hasenohrl, Boyle, R. Potter, Baldwin, J. Lehman, R. Young, Meyer, Krug, Cullen, Gronemus and Ryba, cosponsored by Senators Burke, Wineke, Risser, Decker, Clausing and Plache. Referred to Committee on Campaign Finance Reform.

AB68,1,3 An Act to renumber and amend 11.26 (8) (a); to amend 11.26 (8) (b) and (c); and to create 11.26 (8) (ag) of the statutes; relating to: limitations upon contributions that may be made to or received by political parties.

Analysis by the Legislative Reference Bureau

Currently, no political party may receive more than a total of $150,000 of its contributions in any biennium that begins on January 1 of an odd-numbered year from all other committees, excluding contributions from legislative campaign committees and transfers between party committees of that party. No political party may receive more than $6,000 in any calendar year from any specific committee or its subunits or affiliates, excluding legislative campaign and political party committees. No committee, other than a political party or legislative campaign committee, may directly or indirectly make any contribution or contributions exceeding $6,000 to a political party in a calendar year. In this law, "political party" is defined by a cross-reference to section 5.02 (13), Wis. stats., which provides that "`[p]olitical party' means a state committee ... and all county, congressional, legislative, local and other affiliated committees authorized to operate under the same name ... [but] ... does not include a legislative campaign committee or a committee [which is operating independently of any candidate]".

This bill eliminates the cross-reference and moves the definition of "political party" to the statute in which the term is used. The bill also inserts the words "in the aggregate" at the beginning of the definition.

The people of the state of Wisconsin, represented in senate and assembly, do enact as follows:

AB68, s. 1 Section 1. 11.26 (8) (a) of the statutes is renumbered 11.26 (8) (ar) and amended to read:

AB68,2,8 11.26 (8) (ar) No political party as defined in s. 5.02 (13) may receive more than a total of $150,000 in value of its contributions in any biennium from all other committees, excluding contributions from legislative campaign committees and transfers between party committees of the party. In this paragraph, a biennium commences with January 1 of each odd-numbered year and ends with December 31 of each even-numbered year.

AB68, s. 2 Section 2. 11.26 (8) (ag) is created to read:

AB68,2,14 511.26 (8) (ag) In this subsection, "political party" means, in the aggregate, a state committee under whose name candidates appear on a ballot at any election, and all county, congressional, legislative, local and other affiliated committees authorized to operate under the same name. The term does not include a legislative campaign committee or a committee filing an oath under s. 11.06 (7).

AB68, s. 3 Section 3. 11.26 (8) (b) and (c) of the statutes are amended to read:

AB68,2,18 11.26 (8) (b) No such political party may receive more than a total of $6,000 in value of its contributions in any calendar year from any specific committee or its subunits or affiliates, excluding legislative campaign and political party committees.

AB68,3,3 (c) No committee, other than a political party or legislative campaign committee, may make any contribution or contributions, directly or indirectly, to a political party under s. 5.02 (13) in a calendar year exceeding a total value of $6,000.

AB68,3,4 (End)