New York Funding Effort

B. Thomas Golisano’s political efforts in New York are discussed in this article.

Election lawyers, speaking privately, said Golisano is skating on thin legal ice.

A donor is limited to $150,000 in political contributions in a year. But Golisano is establishing an entity entirely funded with his own money and is not authorized by any one campaign to spend money.

State law would allow him to spend as much as he wants promoting issues, say, such as the need for change in Albany. He could even tout a specific candidate’s virtues or problems, and suggest voters back or oppose a candidate.

But working in concert — or “coordinating,” as election lawyers put it — with a candidate’s campaign would be a violation.

Limits in Aurora

The Aurora, Illinois City Council is considering campaign finance limits.

Alderman Scheketa Hart-Burns put her foot on the accelerator Tuesday in an effort to get the full City Council debating campaign-finance reform in Aurora.

After two meetings of the Government Operations Committee Burns leads, the 7th Ward alderman called for a special session on Friday to wrap up the group’s discussion of Mayor Tom Weisner’s proposal to cap contributions from businesses with or seeking city contracts, as well as limit how much an individual candidate can pump into his or her own campaign.

Weisner’s ordinance differs from rules proposed in May by Alderman and fellow mayoral candidate Rick Lawrence only in that it includes the individual spending provision.

NASCAR and Politics

There are some developments regarding NASCAR’s policies on political activity.

According to officials from the International Speedway Corporation (ISC), which owns the Daytona International Speedway, as well as major facilities in both candidates’ home states of Arizona and Illinois, the company is implementing a firm policy that prohibits political candidates from campaigning in any capacity at their racing events.