The Republican-dominant West Virginia legislature has cleared legislation designed to bring more money into the state's politics. GOP Gov. Jim Justice has not yet committed to signing the bill, which would nearly triple the amount individuals may contribute to candidates (to $2,800), boost in the donation limit to the state parties 10 times over (to $10,000) and boost fivefold (to $5,000) the cap on giving to political action committees.
Those limits would match the national caps established by the Federal Election Commission.
"There's no sound reason for increasing the amount of influence a person or group can have over a politician by enabling them to spend even more," the Charleston Gazette-Mail, the state's primary newspaper, editorialized. "The absolute indifference to furthering political corruption and outside influence in the form of SB 622 is maddening. It also shows a startling lack of shame on the part of legislators who support the bill."
In terms of money flowing through the campaign-finance system, political action committees (PACs) are three times more active than candidates running for reelection or office. That is concentrated political power that leaves many congressional candidates running for reelection or office dependent on PAC support.
