Smart from the dark barrage of money that took two Senate incumbents in 2024, lawmakers will consider eliminating party and party caucus campaign contribution restrictions.

Sen. Richard Briggs, a Republican from Knoxville, said Senate Bill 229 after much spent last August on the meaning of the incumbent and the out-of-state political action committee that spent a lot to defeat John Lundberg. He said he is sponsoring Senate Bill 229 to sponsor. Rep. Tim Hicks of Gray in eastern Tennessee is carrying the House version of the bill.

Neely was supported by the School Freedom Fund but lost to Sen. Jesse Seal, who still voted against the governor’s private voucher bill, and Lundburg was defeated by first-term Senator Bobby Hirschberger. did. Two groups, including the American Policy Coalition, poured $600,000 worth of dark money into the race.

“The Senate Republican Caucus has 50 times more than what we can spend,” Briggs said. “It could have been more than that.”

Despite that support, Hirschberger also opposed the voucher bill that Gov. Bill Lee signed into law last week.

Harshbarger-Lundberg’s election was under investigation by the Tennessee Election Finance Register, summoning agents from the American Policy Coalition to determine whether they had been illegally adjusted through independent spending of lawmaker Diana Harshbarger. Wisconsin’s Thomas Dotwiler is the treasurer of both groups and the lawmaker is the mother of a strict Berger.

The Voucher’s Political Action Committee also spent nearly $1 million in support of Rep. New Leaves as he defeated county commissioner Brian Beythard by 95 votes in the Williamson County District 65 House Race.

Dark money groups that do not reveal donors are not limited as long as they make independent contributions without coordinating with the campaign.

However, state law restricts contributions from political parties and Caucus PACs from 2025-26, with statewide candidates, $81,800 in state Senate races, $38,300 in state races and local candidates. Those are limiting $41,100. Other PACs are limited to $15,400 for statewide races, $30,800 for Senate candidates, $15,400 for housing candidates and $10,100 for local candidates. All of these reflect an increase from past years.

The laws recommended by the Bureau of Ethics and Campaign Finance have no effect on leadership political action committees such as those controlled by the Speaker of the House or Senate.

Bill Young, executive director of the department, said the change was designed to eliminate the confusion surrounding the campaign’s contributions.

“The reason is that there are parties there for one reason to help candidates,” Young said. “They should be able to adjust.”

Dark Money Group may spend unlimited amounts for the US Supreme Court decision in 2010 US Supreme Court United vs. FEC.

The Republican Caucus in the Tennessee state home and Senate holds the vast majority, used as a money-making machine to support candidates, and often raises funds from their own members.

The House Republican Caucus raised $960,350 in late 2023 and 2024 ahead of the November election, spending more than $1 million. The Senate Republican Caucus has spent over $1.1 million in the second half of 2023 and 2024, spending more than $1.1 million, and at the end of January this year, $665,761 million on the bank.

The 24-member House Democrat Caucus brought nearly $950,000 from late 2023 to 2024, spending $934,000. The six-member Senate Democrat Caucus raised $229,000 in late 2023 and 2024, spending $194,560.

The bill is scheduled to be considered Tuesday in the Senate and local government, chaired by Briggs.

Young said the department considered reworking contribution restrictions but decided to ask Congress to remove them.

“Until Citizens United are gone, that really doesn’t make any sense,” he said.

In addition to lifting these restrictions, the department is asking Congress to transfer $100 in professional privilege tax paid by lobbyists directly from the state general fund to the department. Young said the department has $2 million bookings, but it costs $3 million to install a new campaign filing system and website, and $800,000 to run it.

Another provision in the bill places complaints filed before the Ethics Committee as a matter of public records. Any complaints filed against a candidate 30 days before the election are not subject to the Public Records Act.

The complaints filed last year against Education Secretary Lisette Reynolds will remain secret until resolved unless it is made public by claimant Democrat Caleb Hemmer. Reynolds traveled to two out-of-state education conferences paid by former employer Provoucher Group. Reynolds eventually repayed the group.