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The Honolulu Advertiser
Updated at 3:15 p.m., Wednesday, February 25, 2009

House kills unlimited political contributions bill

Associated Press

The state House of Representatives has killed a bill that would have allowed unlimited contributions from companies to political action committees that donate to Hawaii candidates.

The House voted today to scrap the measure after hearing an outcry from good-government groups opposed to growing the influence of money in politics.

The bill would have lifted a $1,000 cap on corporate contributions to political action committees.

Rep. Della Au Belatti says lawmakers put the people they represent ahead of greed.

House Judiciary Committee chairman Rep. Jon Riki Karamatsu says the bill was designed to increase transparency by encouraging business money to be pooled into political action committees rather than distributed among many individuals.