Bills · 2015-2016 Regular Session
Relating to: shareholder objections to corporate political expenditures.
Corporation Elections — Campaign expense
- Introduced, stopped here
- Passes Senate, not reached
- Passes Assembly, not reached
- Governor signs, not reached
- Law, not reached
Unfamiliar terms? Glossary
What this bill does
Plain-language analysis by the nonpartisan Legislative Reference Bureau
Current law defines "disbursement," for purposes relating to campaign
financing, to include a purchase, payment, loan, or gift made for political purposes;
an authorized expenditure from a campaign depository account; and a payment for
a broadcast or print communication to the general public for a political purpose.
This bill requires corporations to give written notice to their shareholders
before making disbursements, as defined under current campaign finance law. The
corporation is required to give only one notice for each corporate fiscal year. The
notice must include a form that the shareholder may complete and return to the
corporation to object to any disbursement during the applicable fiscal year.
The bill requires a corporation, within three months after the end of its fiscal
year, to calculate the total value of its expenditures for disbursements made during
the fiscal year. If an objecting shareholder returns the objection form to the
corporation (opts out) within 30 days after the date stated on the corporation's notice,
the corporation must, within four months after the end of its fiscal year, do all of the
following: 1) pay the objecting shareholder an amount determined by multiplying
the total value of corporate expenditures for disbursements by the objecting
shareholder's percentage of ownership in the corporation; and 2) provide the
objecting shareholder with the corporation's calculation of the total value of its
expenditures for disbursements made during the fiscal year, along with information
related to the calculation.
The provisions of the bill also apply to foreign corporations authorized to
transact business in this state, with respect to resident shareholders and
disbursements involving political activity or political purposes related to this state.
Sponsors
Introduced by: Carpenter (D) , Harris Dodd (D) , Lassa (D) , Risser (D) , Wirch (D)
Full history
- Feb 11, 2015 · Senate
Introduced by Senators Wirch, Carpenter, Risser, Harris Dodd and Lassa; cosponsored by Representatives Wachs, Genrich, C. Taylor, Hebl, Doyle, Pope, Sinicki, Berceau, Danou, Sargent, Kolste, Subeck, Bowen, Ohnstad, Johnson, Hesselbein, Considine, Barca and Zamarripa
- Feb 11, 2015 · Senate
Read first time and referred to Committee on Elections and Local Government
- Mar 12, 2015 · Senate
Representative Spreitzer added as a cosponsor
- Apr 13, 2016 · Senate
Failed to pass pursuant to Senate Joint Resolution 1