Campaign finance bills filed in the Florida House and Senate for the legislative session that begins Tuesday signal that Florida lawmakers are poised to increase campaign-contribution limits for statewide candidates. Consultants for blue and red state candidates agree limits should rise, but by how much? They are less than exact.
HB 569, a priority of House Speaker Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, raises the limit for Gubernatorial candidates and for those running for Florida Cabinet positions to $10,000. Meanwhile, moving through the Senate will be SB 1382 -- spearheaded by Sen. Jack Latvala, R-Clearwater that sets a more modest limit of $3,000. Under current law, candidates are limited to $500, a Lawton Chiles-era limit.
Randy Nielsen, a South Florida-based consultant for Republican candidates, argued for higher limits based on changing times in Candidate World. "A change from the current $500 limit is long overdue," said Nielsen. "In the 20 years since the $500 limit was established statewide, candidates have faced huge increases in the cost of TV and overall campaigns."
The increase makes real sense, he said, because "higherreasonable limits, free up candidates from the constant grind of fundraising and give them more time to engage with real voters.
Meanwhile, Steven Vancore, a Tallahassee consultant for Democratic candidates and co-sponsor of "Usual Suspects," North Florida's top political talk show, claims he's more concerned that the increase doesn't rocket out of sight. "Ten thousand dollars is too high," he said. "It takes so much to raise seven figures at $500 a pop, you force the system to move into soft money."
Vancore said, "If a U.S. congressman can fund his campaign with a lot less money, certainly a local candidate can, too."
The House Ethics and Elections Subcommittee has already voted in favor of the proposal, sponsored by Rob Schenck, R-Spring Hill, which raises limits and eliminates Committees of Continuous Existence (CCEs). Only two committee members, both Democrats, voted against it Rep. Janet Cruz, of Tampa, and Rep. Alan Williams, of Tallahassee. In a show of good faith, Weatherford retired his Committee for a Conservative House CCE in January.
The House Appropriations Committee, has also approved the measure, on a 15-10 party-line vote. Democrats complained a provision that allows candidates running for reelection to the same seat to carry-over $100,000 from the prior campaign account amounts to incumbent protection.
While the amount of money donated to campaigns could be the same, supporters of the legislation contend there would be more transparency as to where the money originates. Rep. Steve Precourt, R-Orlando, has blasted Democrats for their opposition to free speech. The House majority leader also was quick to point out that the Supreme Court, with its Citizens United ruling, already defined political donations to be a vehicle of free speech.
While Latvala, chairman of the Senate Ethics and Elections Committee, wants a more modest bump in contributions limits to $3,000 rather than $10,000, hes not convinced CCEs, which have been around half a century, need to go entirely. He believes steps should be taken to clean up CCEs rather than to eliminate them altogether. Latvalas bill, filedon Thursday, has not been taken up by any committees.
Rounding out the changes, the House bill also includes a provision requiring more frequent reporting by Electioneering Communications Organizations (ECOs).
Reach Nancy Smith at nsmith@sunshinestatenews.com or at (850) 727-0859.
