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By STEVE BOUSQUET, Times Staff WriterHouse Republicans reject Democratic moves to revise the fundraising legislation.
TALLAHASSEE - House Republicans on Thursday blocked Democratic moves to make legislators' fundraising committees more accountable and restrict how the money can be spent.
The debate came on a bill (HB 1793) that would require committees to reveal all donors for the first time.
More than two dozen lawmakers set up committees to sidestep the $500 contribution limit and strict disclosure requirements that apply to their re-election campaigns. They exploited a loophole meant to help trade groups avoid recording hundreds of members' political contributions.
News reports last fall in the St. Petersburg Times and other newspapers of secret donations, some as large as $50,000, from influential special interests brought criticism from Gov. Jeb Bush and demands for change from legislative leaders.
The House bill would block the committees from transferring money to shadowy groups that are organized under the IRS code, and it would require all committees to file reports electronically with the state Division of Elections.
Most committees are controlled by Republican lawmakers. Some Democrats say the changes are too weak. When they sought tougher provisions, Republicans rejected them on voice votes.
Rep. Anne Gannon, D-Delray Beach, sought to prohibit lawmakers from spending committee funds for car repairs, signs, flowers and dry cleaning. Citing St. Petersburg Times reports, Gannon said her amendment would restrict expenses to "legal, accounting and administrative expenses," other than direct contributions to candidates.
"This amendment puts us in a good light with the public because they think we're all up here doing all kinds of shenanigans all the time anyhow," Gannon said.
Republicans rejected the amendment on an unrecorded voice vote. Another amendment voted down was one by Rep. Tim Ryan, D-Dania Beach, that would have required any contribution of $10,000 or more to committees or political parties be disclosed within five days.
Existing laws, which require donations to be reported quarterly, cannot show which special interests are trying to influence lawmakers in the final days of the annual session, Ryan said.
"We just want to know who's putting up large sums of money in favor of or against an issue," Ryan said.
As Ryan called for adoption of the five-day disclosure rule, the bill's sponsor, Rep. Lindsay Harrington, R-Punta Gorda, gave a thumbs-down sign to the House, a sign to fellow Republicans how to vote.
The stricter disclosure requirements would be "too onerous" on state elections recordkeepers in the Division of Elections, Harrington said.
The House is expected to pass the bill early next week.
If the bill passes the Senate and is signed by Gov. Jeb Bush, it will alter some campaign practices this fall. Groups sponsoring "electioneering" ads close to Election Day would be required to list four of the largest donors and display them on screen.