Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association Political Action Committee (TSHA PAC)
Chair: Michelle Mendietta –
The TSHA Political Action Committee
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a Political Action Committee (PAC)?
A PAC is a group
that bands together under a unified mission to support candidates for public office. Operating as a non-profit, unincorporated and non-partisan group, a PAC can receive and distribute contributions to election campaigns. A PAC can only solicit
contributions from individuals associated with a specific organization/association.
A PAC gives an organization greater ability to advocate before elected officials and in state capitols. It provides the resources to hold elected officials accountable. PACs are identified with a core set of issues that the sponsoring organization seeks to advance.
What is the mission of TSHA PAC?
The TSHA PAC is a group of speech-language pathologists and audiologists who operate as a separate legal entity from the Texas Speech-Language-Hearing Association (TSHA) which can receive and distribute contributions to Texas election campaigns.
The mission of the TSHA PAC is to support legislative candidates for state office whose records and policy positions demonstrate an understanding of our fields, and those in a position to further the goals of TSHA in the areas of licensure, education, and healthcare.
Why does TSHA need a PAC?
Bi-annually in Texas, legislation is enacted that greatly impacts members of our profession and individuals with speech, language and hearing disorders. It has become more and more evident over the years that financial support through campaign donations
to legislators who are not only in a position to assist our professions but also devote time and effort to support our cause is increasingly important.
With Sunset Review upon us, the efforts of the TSHA PAC are more critical than ever.
How much money can I give to the TSHA PAC?
The TSHA PAC can accept cash contributions up to $100. There is no limit to a contribution made by check or credit card. All contributions to the TSHA PAC must be given from personal
funds. No corporate contributions are accepted.
Are PAC contributions voluntary?
Contributions to the TSHA PAC are voluntary and do not affect one’s standing in any professional organization.
Where do contributions go and how are those funds used?
Contributions to the TSHA PAC are used to create a collective political force that can influence social and governmental policy dealing with the issues relating to our professions by way of
donations to election campaigns. We contribute to candidates who share our concerns on matters such as licensure, education, and health care.
These issues do not divide neatly among party line and as a result, donations are made to election campaigns of candidates who are in a position to support our professions. The TSHA PAC does not give by party affiliations but rather to candidates who support TSHA and who are in a position to help our mission.
Why should I give to the
TSHA PAC vs. making a personal contribution to
a particular candidate?
The TSHA PAC carefully considers each candidate before making a contribution to their campaign. By pooling resources, we have the ability to have a strong, effective voice as we further the mission of our professions and voice our concerns regarding pending changes.
Are there rules I need to be aware of when talking about or soliciting funds for the TSHA PAC at my
workplace?
Ensure that your place of work is aware and in agreement of your efforts to solicit funds and share information on behalf of the TSHA PAC.
Can anyone ask for contributions or ask for support on behalf of the TSHA PAC?
TSHA PAC contributions may be solicited from TSHA members only.
Will my contribution to the TSHA PAC be reported?
The Texas Election Code requires that the TSHA PAC report the name, address, and dates of
the contributions from each person that exceed $50 and that are accepted during the reporting period.
How can I support the TSHA PAC?
You can support the TSHA PAC by contributing money, volunteering your time and helping share the mission of TSHA and the TSHA PAC.
From Ballotpedia
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Texas campaign finance requirements govern the following:
- how much money candidates may receive from individuals and organizations,
- how much and how often they must report those contributions, and
- how much individuals, organizations and political parties may contribute to campaigns.
In addition to direct campaign contributions, campaign finance laws also apply to third-party organizations and nonprofit organizations that seek to influence elections through independent expenditures or issue advocacy.
As of May 2015, individuals could make unlimited donations to individual candidates. Corporations and unions could not directly contribute to candidates for office but could make unlimited contributions to ballot measure campaigns.
Background
The Federal Election Commission (FEC) is the independent regulatory agency that administers and enforces federal campaign election laws. The FEC is responsible for disclosing campaign finance information, enforcing limits and prohibitions on contributions, and overseeing public funding of presidential elections.[1] According to the FEC, an individual becomes a federal candidate and must begin reporting campaign finances once he or she has either raised or spent $5,000 in his or her campaign. Within fifteen days of this benchmark, the candidate must register with the FEC and designate an official campaign committee, which is responsible for the funds and expenditures of the campaign. This committee must have an official treasurer and cannot support any candidate but the one who registered it. Detailed financial reports are then made to the FEC every financial quarter after the individual is registered. Reports are also made before primaries and before the general election.[2]
The Supreme Court of the United States has issued a number of rulings pertaining to federal election campaign finance regulations. In the 2010 Citizens United v. Federal Election Commission decision, the court held that corporate funding of independent political broadcasts in candidate elections cannot be limited. The court's decision also overturned the ban on for-profit and not-for-profit corporations and unions broadcasting electioneering communications in the 30 days before a presidential primary and in the 60 days before a general election.[3] In the SpeechNOW.org v. Federal Election Commission decision, the first application of the Citizens United decision, the court held that contribution limits on what individuals could give to independent expenditure-only groups, and the amount these organizations could receive, were unconstitutional. Contribution limits on donations directly to candidates, however, remained unchanged.[4][5] In 2014's McCutcheon v. Federal Election Commission decision, the court overturned biennial aggregate campaign contribution limits, and held that individuals may contribute to as many federal candidates as they want, but may only contribute up to the federal limit in each case.[6]
While the FEC governs federal election campaigns and contribution limits, individual states enforce their own regulation and reporting requirements. Regulations vary by state, as do limits on campaign contributions and third-party activities to influence elections.
Contribution limits
The table below details contribution limits as they applied to various types of individuals and groups in Texas as of May 2015. The uppermost row of the table indicates the contributor, while the leftmost column indicates the recipient.
| Statewide Candidate (incl. Governor) | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Senate | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| House | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| PAC | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Party committees | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | $0 | $0 | $0 |
| Ballot measures | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | unlimited | $0 | unlimited | unlimited |
| Sources: The Texas Politics Project, "Federal and Texas Campaign Contribution Limits," accessed May 22, 2015 Texas Ethics Commission, "Campaign Finance Guide for Candidates and Officeholders Who File With the Texas Ethics Commission," accessed May 22, 2015 Texas Ethics Commission, "Campaign Finance Guide for Political Committees," accessed May 22, 2015 |
Candidate requirements
A candidate for statewide office, the state legislature, State Board of Education, or district attorney must file campaign finance reports with the Texas Ethics Commission. The candidate must file an Appointment of a Campaign Treasurer by a Candidate Form (Form CTA) with the Texas Ethics Commission when he or she becomes a candidate even if he or she does not intend to accept campaign contributions or make campaign expenditures.[7]
After a candidate has filed a form appointing a campaign treasurer, the candidate is responsible for filing periodic reports of contributions and expenditures. Filing reports is the responsibility of the candidate, not the campaign treasurer. A candidate may not accept a campaign contribution or make a campaign expenditure unless he or she has a campaign treasurer appointment on file with the Texas Ethics Commission.[7]
A report must disclose all political contributions accepted and expenditures made during the reporting period.[7]
- If a contributor contributes $50 or less during the reporting period, contributions from that contributor may be disclosed as part of a lump sum. For other contributions, the candidate must disclose the name and address of the contributor, the date of the contribution, and, for in-kind contributions, the nature and value of the contribution.[7]
- A candidate must report any campaign expenditure (regardless of whether it is made from political contributions or from personal funds) and any political expenditure (campaign or officeholder) from political contributions (regardless of whether the expenditure is a political expenditure).[7]
Required reports
The candidate must file the following reports with the Texas Ethics Commission electronically unless the filer is entitled to claim the exemption from electronic filing.
- Report After Appointment of a Campaign Treasurer: The candidate must file a report after filing a campaign treasurer appointment. This report of contributions and expenditures is due no later than 15 days after the campaign treasurer appointment was filed. This report is required even if there is no activity to report.[7]
- Personal Financial Statement: A candidate must file a financial statement within 40 days after the regular deadline for filing an application for a place on the ballot in the March primary election.
- Semiannual Reports: Every candidate and every officeholder is required to file reports of contributions and expenditures by January 15 and July 15 of each year. The candidate must file semiannual reports even if there is no activity to report for the period covered.[7]
- Final Report: If a filer expects to accept no further political contributions and to make no further political expenditures and if the filer expects to take no further action to get elected to a public office, the filer may file a final report. Filing a final report terminates a filer’s campaign treasurer appointment and relieves the filer from any additional filing obligations as a candidate.[7]
Campaign finance legislation
The following is a list of recent campaign finance bills that have been introduced in or passed by the Texas state legislature. To learn more about each of these bills, click the bill title. This information is provided by BillTrack50 and LegiScan.
Note: Due to the nature of the sorting process used to generate this list, some results may not be relevant to the topic. If no bills are displayed below, no legislation pertaining to this topic has been introduced in the legislature recently.
Election and campaign ballot measures
See also: Elections and campaigns on the ballot and List of Texas ballot measuresBallotpedia has tracked 21 statewide ballot measures relating to elections and campaigns.
- Texas Elections for County Surveyors, Proposition 15 (1993)
- Texas Elections With Unopposed Candidates, Proposition 18 (September 2003)
- Texas Legislative Vacancies, Proposition 9 (2001)
- Texas Appointment of Presidential Electors, Proposition 6 (2001)
- Texas Elections with Unopposed Candidates, Proposition 8 (September 2003)
- Texas Voting Requirements, Proposition 8 (1966)
- Texas Election of Railroad Commissioners, Proposition 2 (1894)
- Texas Voting Requirements, Proposition 2 (1896)
- Texas Poll Tax Payment, Proposition 1 (1902)
- Texas Voting in Different Precincts, Proposition 1 (July 1915)
- Texas Voter Qualifications, Proposition 1 (July 1921)
- Texas Qualifications to Vote on Bond Issues, Proposition 7 (1932)
- Texas Military Poll Tax Exemption, Proposition 1 (August 1945)
- Texas Poll Tax and Voter Registration, Proposition 4 (1949)
- Texas Military Voting Qualifications, Proposition 2 (1954)
- Texas Elections for Assessor-Collector of Taxes, Proposition 3 (1954)
- Texas Poll Tax and Voter Registration, Proposition 1 (1963)
- Texas Poll Tax, Proposition 7 (1966)
- Texas Voting in the Armed Forces, Proposition 14 (1966)
- Texas Voter and Election Constitutional Provisions, Proposition 3 (1975)
- Texas State Debt Ballot Questions, Proposition 8 (1991)
Candidates running for office will require some form of interaction with the following agencies:
- Texas Secretary of State-Elections Division
Rusk Building, Third Floor
Austin, Texas 78701-2407
Toll-free: 1.800.252.VOTE (8683)
Phone: 512-463-5650
Fax: 512-475-2811
Email:
Main website: //www.sos.state.tx.us/elections/index.shtml
Complaint website: //www.sos.ga.gov/cgi-bin/emailelectionscomplaint.asp
- Texas Ethics Commission
Austin, TX 78701
Phone: 512-463-5800
Website: //www.ethics.state.tx.us/tec
Recent news
The link below is to the most recent stories in a Google news search for the terms Texas campaign finance. These results are automatically generated from Google. Ballotpedia does not curate or endorse these articles.
See also
- Campaign finance regulation
- Ballot access requirements for political candidates in Texas
- Texas
- Texas Ethics Commission
Footnotes
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "About the FEC," accessed June 27, 2012
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Candidate Registration Brochure," accessed December 7, 2012
- ↑ New York Times, "Justices, 5-4, Reject Corporate Spending Limit," January 21, 2010
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Speechnow.org v. FEC," April 7, 2014
- ↑ OpenSecrets, "Two Federal Court Rulings Could Change Campaign Finance Landscape," March 26, 2010
- ↑ Federal Election Commission, "Ongoing Litigation," accessed March 18, 2015
- ↑ 7.0 7.1 7.2 7.3 7.4 7.5 7.6 7.7 Texas Ethics Commission, "Campaign Finance Guide for Candidates and Officeholders," accessed December 11, 2013
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