Super PACs and other political organizations wanting involvement in Rhode Island elections will now have to disclose their supporters and expenditures under a new law.

 

Lawmakers adopted the Transparency in Political Spending Act (TIPS) to better inform voters about who is financing campaign advertisements.

 

TIPS requires any group that spends more than $1,000 to support a candidate or a political issue within 60 days of an election or 30 days of a primary to reveal their donors and expenditures. The $1,000 rule also applies to an organization engaged in “electioneering communications.”

 

The law does not limit expenditures by super PACs and other political groups. “But it may have the same effect,” writes Nick Lyell at Republic Report.

 

“The Chamber of Commerce and other large national organizations may stray away from ad buys or other expenditures in Rhode Island now that the law is passed. If they believe disclosure could threaten their funding from big national donors who wish to remain anonymous, it might be safer for them to keep their money out of the state,” Lyell wrote.

-Noel Brinkerhoff

 

Rhode Island’s Disclosure Bill Signed into Law (by Nick Lyell, Republic Report)

S 2569 (Rhode Island General Assembly) (pdf)

Senate Committee Fights To Keep Contractor Campaign Contributions Secret (by Noel Brinkerhoff, AllGov)

Judge Overrules FEC’s Support of Anonymous Campaign Donations (by Noel Brinkerhoff and David Wallechinsky, AllGov)