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HARRISBURG, March 12 -- State Rep. Babette Josephs, D-Phila., said a bill that would ensure Philadelphia could set its own campaign finance rules was reported out of the House State Government Committee today and sent to the full House for consideration.
"This legislation will be good for Philadelphia and its politics where numerous indictments have been sought and convictions imposed based on the city's 'pay to play' culture," Josephs said. "The bill we reported out of committee will remove any doubt that the city of Philadelphia is allowed to regulate its own campaign contribution system. I urge swift passage of this reform measure so that Philadelphia can limit the influence of monied interests in its elections."
Josephs, majority chairwoman of the State Government Committee, said the bill, introduced by Rep. Dwight Evans, would explicitly give the city of Philadelphia the power and authority to regulate public and private campaign finance laws and regulations for municipal candidates.
Recent conflicting rulings from two different Court of Common Pleas judges on whether Philadelphia City Council has the authority to establish campaign contribution limits for municipal candidates have called into question the city ordinance.
The apparent confusion results from two different laws: the home rule act for Philadelphia and the state election law. The city of Philadelphia operates under a home rule charter, which gives it the power to set its own regulations, however, state election law also controls the election of candidates for public office across the state.
Philadelphia City Council implemented a city ordinance in 2003 that limited campaign contributions from individuals to $2,500 and from political committees to $10,000. In 2006, Common Pleas Judge Allan L. Tereshko ruled that the ordinance was unconstitutional, while Common Pleas Judge Gary S. Glazer affirmed the city's power to enact the ordinance.
Similar legislation passed the House last year, but failed to be taken up in the Senate.
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