ROANOKE TIMES 

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: TUESDAY, January 31, 1995                   TAG: 9501310168
SECTION: VIRGINIA                    PAGE: C-4   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: ROBERT LITTLE AND GREG SCHNEIDER STAFF WRITERS
DATELINE: RICHMOND                                 LENGTH: Short

SENATE PASSES CAMPAIGN BILL

The Virginia Senate passed a bill Monday that would limit the amount of money candidates for state office can receive in campaign contributions, but not before a Virginia Beach senator added an escape clause to keep wealthy candidates from running away with the race for dollars.

Senate Bill 697 would limit personal contributions to candidates running for governor, lieutenant governor and attorney general to $5,000 per election, with primaries counting separately from the general election.

Contributors to a state Senate or House of Delegates race could give no more than $1,000 a year.

Corporations and political action committees could give as much as $10,000 for statewide races, and $2,000 for General Assembly races.

Virginia currently sets no limit on campaign contributions. The Senate bill would take effect next January, meaning this fall's General Assembly races would not be restricted.

Sen. Kenneth Stolle, R-Virginia Beach, amended the bill, hoping to make it easier for candidates to compete with wealthy opponents. Termed the ``rich man amendment'' by some, the change meant eliminating the fund-raising limit in races where one candidate contributes more then 20 percent of his own war chest.

``If someone is of average means, but they have a good message or good ideas, they should be able to run,'' Stolle said. ``They shouldn't lose to someone who's rich, just because they can't raise the money.''

A version of the bill failed last year because lawmakers tried to set separate spending limits for the state Senate and House of Delegates. The bill still must clear the House and be signed by the governor to become law.

Keywords:
GENERAL ASSEMBLY 1995 


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