skip to main content
skip to newscasts

Saturday, August 31, 2024

Public News Service Logo
facebook instagram linkedin reddit youtube twitter
view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Layoffs at CA immigration services center lead to protests; Trump: Six-week abortion limit is "too short"; WV voters worried about abortion care, reproductive health access; IL Latino communities advocate for a cleaner environment.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Vice President Harris says she'd consider a bipartisan cabinet should she win in November, Louisiana is the latest state to push the false claim of noncitizen voters, and incidents of 'swatting' contribute to an increasingly toxic political culture.

view newscast page
play newscast audioPlay

Alaska's 'canary of the sea' is struggling with a deteriorating whale environment, those in rural as opposed to urban areas are more likely to think raw milk is safe to drink, and climate change increases malnutrition in America's low-income counties.

Outside Groups Nearly Match WV Candidates' Spending

play audio
Play

Monday, October 31, 2016   

CHARLESTON, W. Va. — Outside, often shadowy political groups have spent $15 million in West Virginia this year, according to a new report. That's nearly as much as all of the candidates combined.

Julie Archer, a co-coordinator of West Virginia Citizens For Clean Elections who worked on the study, said super PACS and groups not created by the candidates are a crucial tool used by powerful players to protect their interests in the state. And she said it can be dishonest.

"Attacking incumbent judges for being 'soft on crime' - and when you start looking more closely at it, it's really business interests who maybe want to shield themselves from liability,” Archer explained.

She said super PACs and other secretive organizations have become more important in state elections since the 2010 Citizens United verdict. In that decision, the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 5-4 that some kinds of political spending are constitutionally protected as free speech and cannot be restricted.

Challengers backed by outside money are more than three times more likely to unseat an incumbent, Archer said. And the groups spending the money often use names that are intentionally misleading. For example, the "Mountaineers Always Free PAC" was formed by the Republican Attorneys General Association to defend Attorney General Patrick Morrisey and attack his opponent, Delegate Doug Reynolds.

Archer said super PACS make it possible to target a state office for a comparatively small amount of money.

"Really, special interests and wealthy donors who want to advance their agenda, it's much easier for them to do it at the state and local level,” she said.

And state can only do so much to limit the impact of these donors. Archer said one of the motivations behind the report was to argue for better disclosure rules.

"Not only to highlight the growing role that outside money is playing in our elections, but also the need for more transparency,” she said, "so that voters can be better informed about who's trying to influence their votes."

The full report can be viewed here.




get more stories like this via email

more stories
Research shows South Dakota had the fifth-highest rate of cropland abandonment between 1986 and 2018, trailing Texas, North Dakota, Kansas and Montana. (Adobe Stock)

Environment

play sound

Researchers mapped American croplands that have fallen out of production in hopes of inspiring new uses for them, such as renewable energy. Roughly 3…


Social Issues

play sound

The Public Children's Services Association of Ohio has launched a groundbreaking new initiative called Practice in Action Together, aimed at …

Social Issues

play sound

New polling found an overwhelming majority, 85% of Americans believe abortion access should be allowed in some situations. Two years ago in the …


A plan for the Trump Administration put together by a right-wing think tank, called Project 2025, calls to reclassify tens of thousands of employees as political appointees. (Gage Skidmore/Wikimedia Commons)

Social Issues

play sound

Former president Donald Trump is vowing to eliminate or alter thousands of government jobs if he wins this November, which could have a big effect on …

Social Issues

play sound

As Connecticut's school year begins, the state is still dealing with a teacher shortage. Almost every subject area is facing a statewide shortage …

Studies show ending the subminimum wage does not hurt employment in tipped industries. (Adobe Stock)

Social Issues

play sound

National proposals to end taxes on tips might have mixed effects on New Yorkers. Vice President Kamala Harris and former President Donald Trump have …

play sound

New Yorkers could see relief from medical debt if several national proposals move forward. The Consumer Financial Protection Bureau proposed a new …

Social Issues

play sound

Eligible Oregon families have until Monday to apply for summer food benefits. The Summer EBT program provides families with a one-time payment of $12…

 

Phone: 303.448.9105 Toll Free: 888.891.9416 Fax: 208.247.1830 Your trusted member- and audience-supported news source since 1996 Copyright © 2021