ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Wednesday, February 21, 1996 TAG: 9602210066
SECTION: VIRGINIA PAGE: C-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
DATELINE: RICHMOND
SOURCE: Associated Press
The Senate Privileges and Elections Committee approved a bill Tuesday that would raise the minimum campaign contribution amount that candidates must disclose from $100 to $200.
The measure, sponsored by Del. Marian Van Landingham, D-Alexandria, already has passed the House of Delegates.
Van Landingham said the public reporting threshold has not been raised since the 1970s. She said eliminating some of the information required would ease the reporting burden on candidates and help them to fill out their campaign reports more accurately.
She told the committee there were many reports during the last campaign of inaccurate and incomplete campaign disclosure reports.
The $200 minimum would not eliminate the reporting of larger contributions that might influence a legislator, she said.
A computer analysis of campaign contributions received by General Assembly candidates between April 1995 and November's election shows that about 7,000 of the 26,516 itemized contributions would not have to be revealed if the bill becomes law. The data base was created for the Richmond Times-Dispatch by Virginia Commonwealth University's Center for Public Policy.
The bill has drawn no opposition from campaign watchdog groups. No one on the Senate committee commented on the bill Tuesday as it was approved on a voice vote.
While easing reporting requirements, the General Assembly has turned down proposals to put a dollar limit on campaign contributions. Virginia is one of only four states that allow individuals, corporations or political committees to give an unlimited amount to a candidate.
The House of Delegates this year killed a measure that would have set limits. Similar bills have died in the past three sessions.
LENGTH: Short : 43 lines KEYWORDS: GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1996by CNB