Senate panel backs in-session fundraising ban

Kemp leadership committee raised $355K in a month.

The Georgia Senate Ethics Committee unanimously backed legislation banning the new leadership committees affiliated with candidates such as Gov. Brian Kemp from raising money during legislative sessions.

The campaign committees of statewide elected officials — such as Kemp — and lawmakers have been barred for more than three decades from raising money during legislative sessions, when they are passing bills and deciding how to spend state tax money.

Senate Bill 580 by Sen. Greg Dolezal, R-alpharetta, would add that prohibition for leadership committees, which the Republican leadership in the General Assembly created last year to help Kemp and House and Senate leaders. Even if the bill wins final passage, it won’t impact fundraising this year because Kemp likely won’t consider signing it until after the session.

Kemp’s leadership committee raised about $355,000 during the first month of the 2022 session. Reports on how much his and other leadership committees have raised since then won’t be available until later this year.

Decades ago, the General Assembly decided it looked bad for a governor or lawmaker to take a check at the same time he or she is considering legislation or funding that the donor may be trying to get approved or killed.

Old-timers at the Capitol remember when lobbyists seeking to pass legislation could go onto the legislative chamber floors or into anterooms and buttonhole lawmakers. The atmosphere was more freewheeling than today, although lobbyists still wine and dine lawmakers off-campus during sessions.

Last year, the General Assembly’s majority voted to create special committees for the governor, along with the opposing party’s eventual gubernatorial nominee and party caucuses, that could raise unlimited contributions, including during legislative sessions. Dolezal voted against the leadership committee bill, but most Republicans backed it while Democrats opposed it.

There are limits on how much a candidate can raise from an individual or business interest. There are none for leadership committees, so they can raise $10,000, $50,000, $100,000 or more from a donor. The committees can coordinate with candidate reelection campaigns as well.

AJC FILE 2020 Republican state Sen. Greg Dolezal’s Senate Bill 580 would prohibit leadership committees, created last year by Republican leadership in the General Assembly, from raising funds during legislative sessions.