Critics are upset Governor Pat Quinn signed a law they say will weaken Illinois’ brand-new limits on campaign contributions. But they’re hoping it’s not the final word. The caps Illinois put on how much individuals, businesses and unions can give to candidates didn’t make it through a full election cycle.
November would have been the first general election they’d been in place.
Instead, a new law removes the limits in races in which a candidate’s opponent is getting funded by a so-called SuperPAC. The Illinois Campaign for Political Reform’s David Morrison says it’s the wrong way to go.
MORRISON “There’s far too much money, special interest money, trying to buy … willing to buy … public policy. The way that the state has solved this is going to cause problems down the road.”
But supporters of the law say it’s only fair … otherwise a candidate whose fundraising is restricted could get trounced. Morrison says he’ll try to find a compromise. He wants something in Illinois law that would clarify what constitutes a Super PAC. While they’re supposed to be independent from either candidate’s campaign, he says there’s usually some coordination. A narrower definition could reduce how often candidates would be allowed to collect unlimited donations.
