A Senate committee approved legislation to reform Mississippi’s notoriously lax campaign finance laws, while a House committee made clear it has no intentions of even considering it.  The Senate Elections Committee on Thursday approved a bill that would require local and state candidates to f ile reports online, cap cash donations from any donor to political candidates at $1,000 and corporate donations, cash or otherwise, to $1,000 a year. Donations from individuals, other than cash, would still not be capped. The measure would transfer enforcement authority from the Mississippi Ethics Commission to both the Secretary of State’s office and the Attorney General’s office.  Some members of the Senate committee said they want certain portions of the legislation to change, but committed to working on the bill.  “You know I’ve voted with you every time on these campaign finance bills,” Republican Sen. Jeff Tate of Meridian said. “I know they’re complicated, but I hope that one day we can get to a point to where we have actual bank statements tied into this, because until you have that, you can put down whatever the heck you want.” But the House Elections Committee, on the same day killed a similar measure with no discussion and without allowing the chairman of the committee, Republican Rep. Noah Sanford of Collins, to even explain what the bill would do.  A photo of state Rep. Gene Newman, R-Pearl. Credit: Courtesy: Mississippi Legislature Rep. Gene Newman, a Republican from Pearl, motioned to table the bill. This passed on a voice vote, which essentially killed it. There are no recorded roll call votes in committees, but no member voiced any audible opposition to Newman’s motion. When asked why Newman opposed the legislation, he said: “It’s too complicated.”  “We’ve got too much other stuff going on right now,” Newman added.  Chairman Sanford seemed caught off guard by the opposition to the legislation and told Mississippi Today he didn’t know why the committee shot it down.  “I was a little surprised,” Sanford said.  Republican Secretary of State Michael Watson has made strengthening the state’s campaign finance laws a main priority during the 2026 legislative session. One reason he’s pushing for the reforms is that federal officials have recently accused several local Mississippi officials of campaign finance-related bribery over the last year.  A federal grand jury last year indicted two county sheriffs in the Mississippi Delta on charges of corruption linked to an alleged drug-trafficking scheme. The two have pleaded not guilty. Court documents allege that undercover law enforcement agents bribed the officials through campaign donations.  Hinds County District Attorney Jody Owens and former Jackson Mayor Chokwe Antar Lumumba are also fighting federal bribery charges, where law enforcement agents accuse them of accepting bribes in the form of campaign donations. They have pleaded not guilty.  Some of the measures in the proposed legislation, such as the $1,000 corporate donation limit, are what many believed current Mississippi law already says. But after complaints during the 2023 elections of what some believed were flagrant violations of campaign finance laws, Attorney General Lynn Fitch said the state’s campaign finance code is such a confusing, conflicting mess that she cannot enforce such measures. Watson told Mississippi Today that he was thankful the Senate Elections Committee passed the campaign finance reform bill and looks forward to hearing more debate on the Senate floor.  “While there’s more work left to do, I’m excited to see Senate Bill 2558 clear the first hurdle, but ready to get it done!” Watson said.  The deadline for the Senate to pass its bill on to the House is Feb. 12. ...read more read less