State Representative Jim Struzzi has teamed with fellow Republicans Eric Nelson and Clint Owlett to introduce a bill they say would close an election law loophole and stop the flow of money intended to influence elections in Pennsylvania.
The legislation was crafted as the House State Government Committee holds public hearings to examine the 2020 election. It targets organizations such as the non-profit Center for Tech and Civic Life, which used a $350 million donation from Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg last fall to sign contracts with election officials in select cities and counties dictating how those counties would manage elections and the number of voting opportunities available to voters.
Some counties were given vast amounts of money while others received little or none. The lawmakers say that is a violation of the 14th Amendment of the U.S. Constitution because voting opportunities cannot differ based on where a person lives.
Struzzi says the practice is “an affront to taxpayers and an assault on election integrity, and must be stopped.”
The bill prevents any recurrence to the unequal access by funds that were distributed in the last election; prohibits county officials from accepting private election funding; requires any groups that wish to defray the cost of elections to contribute to the Pennsylvania Depart of State; and establishes procedures for how the department handles the money, including ensuring that it is free of any policy-oriented conditions or restrictions. It also directs that all donated money be distributed equally across the state based on voting age population.
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