LANSING — State Rep. Darrin Camilleri (D-Brownstown Township) stood opposed today to Senate Bills 335 and 336, legislation that expands upon the Citizens United Supreme Court decision, allowing super PACs to solicit unlimited donations and funnel even more money into the political process, and blurring the line that prohibits coordination between PACs and candidates. Despite significant opposition, the bills moved from committee through final passage in one day, advancing to Gov. Rick Snyder’s desk on a 62-45 vote.
“I’m deeply disappointed that the House majority decided not only to facilitate even more untraceable money flowing into our elections, but also moved these bills so quickly that our ability to debate them and our constituents’ ability to learn about them was heavily limited,” Camilleri said.
Representatives proposed amendments in committee and on the House floor to blunt the influence of the bills. Camilleri offered an amendment to return Michigan’s individual political donation limits to the levels before they were doubled by the House majority in 2013. All the amendments were voted down along party lines.
“It’s disturbing to me that so many of my colleagues look at the state of our elections and think that we need to open the floodgates to even more political spending,” Camilleri said. “I’m going to continue fighting for political reforms that restore faith in our democracy — like increasing financial disclosure laws and ending gerrymandering — instead of eroding it.”