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New Campaign Finance Rules Now in Effect

Florida’s legislature voted to change campaign finance rules seven months ago, and now those changes are going into effect. Committees of Continuous Existence that were considered “slush funds for politicians” have been eliminated. The legislation also raises limits on the amount of money individuals can give to candidates.

West Palm Beach Democratic Representative Mark Pafford says raising the cap on contributions will change the way Florida campaigns work.

“You’re going to see a flood of cash", Pafford warned. "You know, with more money the issues become removed from candidates talking to voters, to basically big corporations talking to voters."

For candidates like state senators and representatives, the contribution limit used to be $500, but now it’s doubled. And for people running for statewide office like Governor or Attorney General, their limit is six times what it used to be, jumping to $3,000 dollars.

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