State commission suspends the $7,500 and $75,000 limits on late campaign contributions
What happened: The state Public Disclosure Commission (PDC) adopted an interpretive statement on Oct. 22 and says it will immediately suspend enforcement of the law that limits contributions in the 21 days before a general election: $75,000 for a statewide campaign and $7,500 for any other campaign (RCW 29B.40.070). The ordinary per-election limits in RCW 29B.40.020, generally $1,200 or $2,400 per contributor depending on the office, are not affected, the PDC says.
Why it matters: The 21 days the law covers before the Nov. 3 general election began Oct. 13 (our subtraction). The PDC cites concerns about whether the limits can be enforced under U.S. Supreme Court and other federal court decisions, and says it does not decide whether this or any other law is constitutional. The release gives no end date.
What's next: Nothing is scheduled in the release. We have not confirmed whether any Whatcom or Bellingham campaign has received a check above the old limits; local campaign money is next updated on Elections Oct. 28. We also have not read the statement itself or the court decisions it cites. This story reports only what the PDC release says.