Mar 14, 2025
VOTED DOWN — The House rejected House Bill 2719, dealing with campaign finance and reporting, in a 41-54 vote Thursday. — Photo Courtesy/WV Legislative Photography
CHARLESTON — A group of Republican and Democratic lawmakers in the West Virginia House of Delegates rejected a bill that would have allowed corporations to donate to political candidates in primary and general elections.
The House rejected House Bill 2719, dealing with campaign finance and reporting, in a 41-54 vote Thursday. The bill was opposed by 46 Republicans and eight Democrats.
HB 2719 would allow corporations and membership organizations to contribute to candidates, candidate committees, and political action committees under certain limitations and disclosure requirements. The bill would require candidates to list the name of any corporation, type of business, and address if the donations exceed $250 during a primary or general election.
State Code currently prohibits corporate campaign contributions. Corporations and membership organizations would be subject to the same campaign contribution limits of $2,800 during the primary and $2,800 during the general election. Contributions to political actions committees would be limited to $5,000 in both the primary and general election.
“As a small business owner, I think a candidate should be able to have a business support them in their elections,” said Del. Michael Hornby, R-Berkeley, the lead sponsor of the bill.
According to House Judiciary Committee Vice Chairman Jordan Maynor, R-Raleigh, 29 states have similar campaign finance laws allowing for direct corporate donations to candidates. Maynor said passing HB 2719 would help encourage transparency rather than corporations choosing to donate to shadowy third-party political action committees.
“This is a transparency bill,” Maynor said. “(Hornby) wanted to be able to show that his local businesses support him. When you’re going through those campaign finance reports, it shows, because it’s transparent. It shows the businesses that are behind your campaign and that support you. This is a policy question. And I would just remind you that this does bring additional light to those corporate donations.”
But opposition to the bill was bipartisan, with both Republican and Democratic lawmakers concerned about the potential of corporate money flooding campaigns.
“We were sent here to help the average voter, the constituents in our districts, for whom $2,800 toward politics, they can’t even begin to afford to part with,” said Del. Henry Dillon, R-Wayne. “And yet we’re going to open up new avenues for people who have ample resources, virtually unlimited resources, to be able to influence our elections.”
“This is exactly the direction that we should not be going,” said House Minority Leader Sean Hornbuckle, D-Cabell. “Nobody in our districts wants more money in politics. Not a one of them. They want less. They want to be able to decide again on merit…This piece of legislation, especially at this time in American politics, flies in the face of all of our friends and neighbors back home.”
Concerns were also raised about the bill allowing an individual to donate in both the primary and the general at the maximum levels, then using multiple corporations to also max out in donations.
“You know, we just banned food dyes from certain foods. I’m not sure which is more harmful, the dyes in the foods or the money in politics,” said Del. Mike Pushkin, D-Kanawha. “Because if you allow corporate money into politics, you’re not going to be able to pass legislation like that in the future.”
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