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FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
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State
Rep. Bob Freeman D-
Northampton |
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Committee approves Freeman campaign finance reform bill
HARRISBURG, May 11 – The House State Government Committee has unanimously approved legislation introduced by Rep. Bob Freeman, D-Northampton, that would require candidates for the state legislature to file campaign expense reports at more frequent intervals in order to create a more transparent record-keeping process during an election year.
The legislation (H.B. 1169) would require candidates for state House and state Senate seats to file campaign expense reports on or before the sixth Tuesday prior to the election, in addition to the second Friday before the election. They are currently required to file on the second Friday before the election. However, only candidates for statewide office are required to file by the sixth Tuesday prior to the election.
"If this bill is enacted, it would provide earlier disclosure and greater transparency on who's contributing to General Assembly candidates because that information would be provided in a more timely fashion than currently exists," Freeman said.
Freeman said the second Friday before the election reports come so close to the election that the information about where a candidate is getting their contributions tends to get lost in the last week of campaign literature and other information.
"This would put everything on the table and allow voters to see who is backing which candidates and what they stand for, or more importantly, who they stand with," Freeman said.
The bill now goes to the full House for consideration.
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