skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Wednesday, September 18, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Post-presidential debate poll shows a shift in WI; Teamsters won't endorse in presidential race after releasing internal polling showing most members support Trump; IL energy jobs growth is strong but lacks female workers; Pregnant, Black Coloradans twice as likely to die than the overall population.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

The Teamsters choose not to endorse a presidential candidate, county officials in Texas fight back against state moves to limit voter registration efforts, and the FBI investigate suspicious packages sent to elections offices in at least 17 states.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

A USDA report shows a widening gap in rural versus urban health, a North Carolina county remains divided over a LGBTQ library display, and Minnesota Gov. Tim Walz' policies are spotlighted after his elevation to the Democratic presidential ticket.

Campaign Spending Limits Case: Blowback for Maine?

play audio
Play

Monday, October 14, 2013   

PORTLAND, Maine - A case before the U.S. Supreme Court could do away with limits on how much individuals can donate to political candidates, and some people say that could do harm to Maine's campaign finance reform efforts. An Alabama businessman, Shaun McCutcheon, and the Republican National Committee want to remove the limit on contributions by a single donor to federal candidates and political action committees during any two-year election cycle. The current limit is just over $123,000.

Stephen Spaulding, an attorney for Common Cause, pointed out that Maine, like 11 other states with aggregate contribution limits, could feel the effect of a ruling in favor of McCutcheon.

"Those are at issue: again, depending on the logic of the opinion, the aggregate contribution limits in these states could also go by the wayside, depending on the decision," Spaulding said.

Critics say the Citizens United ruling two years ago and the rise of so-called super PACs have flooded the system with money and the McCutcheon case could open the taps wider.

According to lawyer Spaulding, momentum is growing in an effort to negate the effects of the Citizens United ruling that held, in effect, that "corporations are people" and that the First Amendment permitted unlimited campaign-related spending by corporations and labor unions, and not just by individuals.

"Over a third of the Senate has gone on record supporting a constitutional amendment, in this Congress; over a third of the House of Representatives; we've seen a number of constitutional amendments introduced that now have the support of a third of the states, a third of the House and a third of the Senate," Spaulding said.

In the McCutcheon case, Supreme Court observers said that, based on questions asked by the Justices last week, the court's ruling will likely go according to its familiar alignments among the justices, forecasting trouble for campaign finance regulation.






get more stories like this via email

more stories
Including the $236 million in federal funding for wildland fire management recently announced for 2025, the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law has invested a total of $1 billion to the cause, according to the Department of the Interior. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

This month, the federal government announced funding for next year's wildfire management, totaling $236 million and experts hope threatened …


Social Issues

play sound

From gubernatorial candidate Mark Robinson to Superintendent of Public Instruction hopeful Michele Morrow, some Republicans running for office have …

Social Issues

play sound

California is home to more than 181,000 people who are unhoused, with 75,000 in Los Angeles alone, so the Los Angeles Food Policy Council will host a …


The California Department of Conservation is holding a public meeting online on Sept. 24, to update the public on its progress in plugging abandoned oil wells. (Alizada Studios/Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Groups concerned about pollution and climate change are asking Gov. Gavin Newsom to sign a trio of bills dubbed the "make polluters pay" package…

Social Issues

play sound

This week, National Voter Registration Day was another timely reminder for Ohioans preparing for the 2024 general election. The latest reports from …

The American Heart Association said caregivers often experience personal and spiritual growth, discovering their own resilience, competence and capacity for sacrifice as they help a friend or loved one. (Justlight/Adobe Stock)

Health and Wellness

play sound

September is Self-Care Awareness Month and the American Heart Association in Missouri is urging caregivers to take some much-needed time for themselve…

Environment

play sound

In Virginia's waters, the decline of a small but critically important fish is causing growing concern among conservation groups and fishermen alike…

Social Issues

play sound

Colorado voters will decide whether to change the state's constitution to ensure families have school choice as a fundamental right. Kallie Leyba…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021