SELLING POLITICAL MERCHANDISE - S.B. 197: FLOOR ANALYSIS
Senate Bill 197 (as reported without amendment)
Sponsor: Senator Bill Bullard, Jr.
Committee: Government Operations
CONTENT
The bill would amend the Michigan Campaign Finance Act to require a candidate committee, a ballot question committee, or any other committee that held or sponsored a fund-raising event, or was present at any other event at which political merchandise was sold to benefit the committee, to post at the event a sign or signs indicating that a portion of the proceeds from the sale of political merchandise at the event would be used for political purposes. The bill specifies that it would not apply to activities regulated by the Bingo Act.
Under the bill, before political merchandise was sold at an event, a committee would have to post a sign or signs that were visible to any person approaching the sale area, before that person offered to purchase the political merchandise, and were large enough and had typeface large enough to be easily read by the general public from a distance of at least five feet from the sale area. The sign or signs also would have to contain all of the following:
-- A statement that said: "A portion of the proceeds from the merchandise sold at this event will be used for political purposes."
-- The name of the committee holding, sponsoring, or present at the event.
-- The name of the candidate or ballot question supported or opposed by the committee.
-- For a committee other than a candidate or ballot question committee, the portion of the proceeds from the sale of the political merchandise that would be allocated to each candidate committee and ballot question committee.
-- A statement indicating that it is a violation of Michigan law to spend more than $20 to purchase merchandise at the event, unless the name, address, and occupation, if applicable, of the purchaser is recorded as required by the Campaign Finance Act.
The committee would have to ensure that the sign or signs remained posted during the entire time that political merchandise was offered for sale at the event.
Proposed MCL 169.240 - Legislative Analyst: G. Towne
FISCAL IMPACT
The bill would have no fiscal impact on State or local government.
Date Completed: 2-19-99 - Fiscal Analyst: E. Limbs
Floor\sb197 - Analysis available @ http://www.michiganlegislature.org
This analysis was prepared by nonpartisan Senate staff for use by the Senate in its deliberations and does not constitute an official statement of legislative intent.