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State of Democracy's coverage of campaign finance and the role money is playing in the 2016 New Hampshire primary and beyond.0000017a-15d9-d736-a57f-17ff8ee60000

N.H. Senate Moves to Restrict Political Advertising, But Not LLC Campaign Contributions

New Hampshire Senate
Allegra Boverman
/
NHPR

The New Hampshire Senate voted Thursday to keep campaign contributions flowing from LLCs, but moved to tighten restrictions on political advertising. 

Senator Dan Feltes argued in vain Thursday in favor of his bill, which would have closed what he calls the Limited Liability Corporation loophole. The bill sought to prevent multiple LLCs with the same owner from collectively exceeding the individual campaign contribution limit.

The majority instead voted with Senator Andy Sanborn, who owns several LLCs himself.

"The sheer thought that a legislative body is going to look, and consider, separating our people in their legal ability to participate in the electoral process," said Sanborn, "frankly is a bridge too high for me."

Preventing some restrictions and imposing others, the senate then voted in favor bill that would require greater transparency from political advocacy organizations. If passed, third party organizations in New Hampshire will be required to report their spending, even if their campaign ads do not explicitly endorse a candidate.

Hannah McCarthy first came to NHPR an intern in 2015, returned as a Fellow the following year and then bounced around as a reporter and producer before landing as co-host of Civics 101. She has reported on everything from the opioid epidemic to State House politics to haunted woods of New Hampshire.
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