Image Credit: capitol.tn.gov
The Tennessee Conservative [By Jason Vaughn] –
Tennessee State Senators refused to concur on amendments that the House made to a controversial campaign finance bill, leading both chambers to appoint conference committees in an attempt to work out a compromise.
Senate Bill 1005, sponsored by Lt. Governor Randy McNally (R-Oak Ridge-District 5), sets forth a number of campaign finance guidelines. A portion of the bill would require nonprofit 501( c) (4), 501 ( c) (5), and 501 ( c) (6) organizations to report any expenses in excess of $5,000 within sixty days of an election if the candidate’s name or image is included.
The House amendment would also require that candidates or political action committees disclose the names and addresses of any contributor who gave $1,000 or more within 10 days of an election for state or local offices. Currently that amount is set at $5,000.
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Co-sponsor of the House Bill 1201, Representative Sam Whitson (R-Franklin-District 65), previously said, “It is important to our democracy to hold bad actors accountable and to ensure our overwatch agencies are responsive to reports of violations of campaign laws and regulations.”
After the Senate opted not to concur, the House returned with a refusal to recede those amendments. The Senate then requested that a conference committee be appointed for each chamber of the legislature.
The Senate conference committee for this bill includes Senators Ferrell Haile (R-Gallatin-District 18), Jack Johnson (R-Franklin-District 23), John Stevens (R-Huntingdon-District 24), Ken Yager (R-Kingston-District 12), and Jeff Yarbro (D-Nashville-District 21).
House Speaker Cameron Sexton (R-Crossville-District 25) appointed Representatives John Crawford (R-Bristol/Kingsport-District 1), Darren Jernigan (D-Old Hickory-District 60), Sam Whitson (R-Franklin-District 65), Ryan Williams (R-Cookeville-District 42), and Jason Zachary (R-Knoxville-District 14) to the House conference committee.
These two conference committees will be tasked with attempting to reach a compromise on the amendments to the bill before it will be heard again.
About the Author: Jason Vaughn, Media Coordinator for The Tennessee Conservative ~ Jason previously worked for a legacy publishing company based in Crossville, TN in a variety of roles through his career. Most recently, he served as Deputy Director for their flagship publication. Prior, he was a freelance journalist writing articles that appeared in the Herald Citizen, the Crossville Chronicle and The Oracle among others. He graduated from Tennessee Technological University with a Bachelor’s in English-Journalism, with minors in Broadcast Journalism and History. Contact Jason at news@TennesseeConservativeNews.com
