Key Terms: interest groups, dark money, federalism, policy diffusion
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A bill that critics fear could unleash a wave of “dark money” in political spending quietly slipped through the Mississippi Legislature this year and became law.
There were no rallies for or against the bill, which was loaded with jargon about non-profit organizations.
It only caused a stir by the time it reached the desk of Gov. Phil Bryant, who signed it with no hesitation.
Supporters of the bill say it protects the privacy of donors, yet acknowledged that donor privacy is not a problem in Mississippi.
Some did not realize it had originated outside of Mississippi, or that a nearly identical bill had been pushed through the Michigan Legislature months earlier.
That’s because House Bill 1205, like many Mississippi bills, is a model bill, meaning it was essentially copied from a bill in a different state.
Rather than lobby the U.S. Congress, partisan organizations, business interests, and religious groups with national agendas plant these bills in statehouses across the country.
A USA Today investigation found Mississippi — which has fewer than 3 million residents — has more model bills introduced in its Legislature than any other state in the country.
Bills about donor privacy, abortion, divesting from Iran and many other issues frequently come from outside Mississippi’s borders.
Most never end up becoming law.
But some do. They have restricted abortion rights and public benefits and have changed policies on drugs, charter schools and much more.
