Privileges and Elections Committee members - vote yes for SB 582 and SB688.

My name is Karen Greenaway and I support SB141. With the explosion of AI use in the creation of everything from books to deep fake political videos, voters are inundated with misleading, mischarachterized, and false information that is shaping our political discourse. While many see AI as a tool to enhance storytelling or artistic expression, it should not be a mechanism used to sell or destroy a candidate and his or her reputation. Our current use of AI has no guard rails, no mechanism to validate AI created content, and no limits on its power to manipulate our emotions and our inner sense of acceptable human behaviour. While some argue that prohibiting the use of AI inhibits free speech, I strongly disagree. Until we have established legal guard rails for the use of AI created content in our political discourse, AI as a content tool should be prohibited. This kind of content should be the equivalent of subliminal messaging which is prohibited by law , i,e, you cannot hide messages to advertise and sell products in creative content. Therefore, I urge this committe to support this bill. I also support SB699 Senator Survoll's bill on sensible campaign donation contribution limits. For more than five years, I have volunteered to advocate for campaign finance reform in the Commonwealth. I have spoken with members from both sides of the aisle, both current and past elected officials, as well as NGOs and members of civil society organizations. The bottom line is that it should be a disgrace that this Commonwealth has the most expensive election cycle in the country. The power this brings one side of the aisle or the other should not outweigh the fact that only the wealthy and arrogant corporate monopolies are the true winners in our elections. It has created a reality where hundreds of thousands of our citizens can no longer pay their tax bills, electric bills, healthcare costs, and grocery bills because greedy corporate citizens continue to have their voices and pocket books prioritized with this body under the fiction of job creation and increased tax revenue. The only reason this body cannot connect their overflowing campaign coffers with the true suffering their greedy donors are causing the average human being in the Commonwealth is because it refuses to stare that reality in the face. In five years of doing this work, the ends do not justify the means. Senator Suovell is making a well-reasoned attempt to change that. I urge this body to support his efforts. Thank you.

I strongly urge your support for SB141 and SB688. SB141 addresses a growing and dangerous threat to our elections: the use of synthetic media to deceive voters. Deepfakes and AI-generated political content can fabricate speech, manipulate images, and distort reality itself. Requiring clear disclosure when synthetic media is used is not censorship — it is basic transparency. Voters deserve to know when what they are seeing or hearing has been artificially generated. Truth is foundational to democracy, and this bill protects that foundation. SB688 confronts another serious distortion: unlimited money in politics. The consequences of Citizens United and related decisions are visible in declining public trust and the outsized influence of concentrated wealth. Establishing reasonable contribution and expenditure limits — even contingent on constitutional viability — signals that Virginia will not normalize a system where money outweighs voters. These bills defend two pillars of democracy: truth and accountability. I respectfully ask you to move them forward.

My name is Raymond Fary, a citizen residing in Rockingham County. I wish to urge the Committee to vote in support of full passage by the House of Senate Bills 141 and 688. Like a large majority of our countrymen across the political spectrum, I believe that representative government: 1. depends on an electorate that is well informed and entitled to the means to evaluate the truthfulness of campaign information. Just as the law requires disclosure of the funders of campaign advertising, it should compel advertisers to identify imagery and animation that is manipulated by artificial intelligence, as SB 141 would mandate. 2. should not be for sale to the highest bidder. Constitutionally defensible limits must be placed on the contributions of corporations and political action committees, SB 688 is an important first step in this direction It is unfortunate that more of the campaign finance reform proposals introduced this session have been killed by an entrenched leadership. I hope that passage of these bills will provide a glimmer of hope, and a foundation to build on in the future. Tahnk you for your consideration.

The League of Women Voters strongly supports legislation that puts limits to campaign contributions and expenditures and provides serious penalties for violations. We recognize that SB 688 is only a promissory note for effective campaign finance reform, since it depends on several unlikely anteceding events. But we support this bill nonetheless, recognizing that much more needs to be done in Virginia to improve our abysmal record on campaign finance reform.

I support SB688 because the amounts of money being spent on elections in the Commonwealth are ridiculous. Fundraising is not a skill I seek in my elected officials. Having the biggest donors does not tell voters anything about a candidate's qualifications for office. What this money race does do is breed cynicism and distrust of everyone in office. It is damaging our democracy which depends on citizen belief in our system of government. Please support SB688 and do all you can to rein in this mis-valuing of money over people.

Virginia needs campaign finance reform. Stop big money and manipulation of campaigns through finance control and hidden donors.

I strong encourage the passage of SB688, which will establish campaign contribution and expenditure limits for all persons and committees in Virginia. Excessive campaign donations, dark money, and 'pay-for-play' are at the heart of what is currently destroying our country's democracy. Virginia's campaign finance laws are among the WORST in the nation, and not fitting of the leadership the Commonwealth had taken in other areas. Please take this first step to stop our country's slide into oligarchy and dictator ship. Relatedly, please also pass SB 141, which requires disclosure if campaign ads and other materials contain AI-generated content. Most state statues either (a) require disclosure when campaign material uses synthetic media; or prohibit disclosure of deceptive deepfakes with a fixed pre-election window. Elections depend on informed decisions. When synthetic media is shared without clear labels, it can distort public opinion, unfairly influence voters, and undermine trust in the electoral process. A disclosure requirement helps maintain fair competition and electoral legitimacy. Thank you.

Please support this bill for the following reasons: - Matter of Public Interest - Dark money groups are often involved in elections and direct lobbying. It is in the interest of the public to know who is attempting to manipulate democratic institutions. Hypothetically, if a dark money group sought to unseat an influential state lawmaker, due to their opposition to private prisons, by running negative attack ads in their re-election, wouldn't it be important for voters to know if the group running the ads was largely funded by private prison owners? If Neuralink funded the efforts of a dark money group to push a pilot program to deregulate consumer protections in health care, is that not a matter of public interest? - Enhancement of Public Discourse - Knowing who the donors funding election and lobbying initiatives helps the public and decision makers act on informed decisions. Consider the increase of public engagement for a nuance land zoning bill if the public was aware a dark money group backing it was largely funded by foreign investors seeking legislative changes for their own gain (Chinese firms own 14,000 acres of VA farmland). - Leveling the Playing Field - Dark money supporters often claim their will be great harm from making the identity of donors known. They do not possess any unique risk that the average person has who donates directly to an elected official or protests in the public square. Those who wish to remain anonymous should understand the trade offs that it should come with limitations to influence elected officials, not a greater ability to influence. Dark money supporters will point to origins of the ruling in the 1950s in favor of the NAACP to shield the identity of their donors. But, if the Citizens United ruling happened in the 1950s and White Supremecists could hide behind dark money, would civil rights have made the same progression?

I support the required disclosure of "synthetic" media or information used in campaign materials. I support institution of campaign contribution and expendature limits - campaigns have gotten too expensive and we don't need people buying our elections.

The outsized influence of money in politics is one of the greatest threats to genuine democratic representation. Since the Supreme Court's decisions in Citizens United and McCutcheon, wealthy donors and corporate interests have been able to pour virtually unlimited funds into elections, drowning out the voices of ordinary voters and making elected officials increasingly accountable to their largest contributors rather than their constituents. We agree with the General Assembly's declaration that these decisions were wrongly decided and have done real damage to our democratic process. This bill takes a prudent and constitutionally thoughtful approach by tying its effectiveness to Attorney General certification of constitutional viability, ensuring Virginia is positioned to act swiftly the moment the legal landscape shifts, whether through Supreme Court precedent, constitutional amendment, or otherwise. The contingency structure reflects careful legal craftsmanship, not timidity. Working families across Virginia are underrepresented in our political process, in no small part because their voices are drowned out by big money. Contribution and expenditure limits are essential to restoring a democracy that works for everyone. I strongly urge the committee to advance this bill.

Hello. I am writing to support SB688 (Surovell) regarding campaign contributions and expenditures limitations. Reasonable limits will enhance public trust in our system to elect candidates who will represent their constituents, not campaign donors. It will enhance transparency in our elections and help make legislators accountable to their constituents. Please vote "Yes" on this bill. Thank you.

I am urging you — strongly — to support SB582 and SB688. SB582 is about dignity. No eligible voter should lose their ballot because of a correctable technical error. Transparency, timely notification, and a real opportunity to cure mistakes are not favors to voters — they are obligations in a democracy. If we say every vote matters, then our systems must reflect that promise in action. SB688 goes to the heart of what is distorting our democracy: unlimited money and concentrated power. The damage from Citizens United and related rulings is not theoretical. It has weakened public trust, amplified the influence of wealth over voters, and fueled cynicism about whose voices truly count. Establishing reasonable limits — even contingently — is a statement that Virginia refuses to normalize a system where money speaks louder than people. This is a defining moment. We either protect access and accountability, or we accept erosion. I ask you to lead. Move these bills forward.

Hello. I am writing to support SB688 (Surovell) regarding campaign contributions and expenditures limitations. Reasonable limits will enhance public trust in our system to elect candidates who will represent their constituents, not campaign donors. It will enhance transparency in our elections and help make legislators accountable to their constituents. Please vote "Yes" on this bill. Thank you.

Campaign finance limits: Surovell (SB688). My name is Nancy Morgan, coordinator of BigMoneyOutVA. We appreciate Senator Surovell’s clear recognition that Citizens United has undermined confidence in Virginia’s democratic process. Importantly and we want to make this clear, that decision — and other Supreme Court rulings — do not prevent states from establishing contribution limits or increasing transparency around political spending. In reviewing this bill, we consulted with experts at the Campaign Legal Center and the Brennan Center for Justice, who monitor campaign finance laws nationwide. Based on their feedback, we understand that some provisions — specifically the expenditure and aggregation caps — would definitely face constitutional challenges under Buckley v. Valeo and McCutcheon and could ultimately be struck down through the process outlined in the bill. It is clear that the A.G. would likely immediately strike down these provisions. However, other key provisions are on solid legal footing and would meaningfully strengthen Virginia law. We understand that the A.G. would not prohibit the enactment of the other provisions in the bill which are constitutional, ie the prohibition on contributions by business entities (line 16) and the contribution limits included in this bill. They are clearly consistent with existing legal precedent and could successfully become law. We hope that this committee passes this bill.

Please support SB 582 and 688.

Virginia is one of only 5 states with no campaign finance limits. As a result, campaign contributions are out of control in Virginia. For example, one candidate for the Democratic nomination for Attorney General received over $800,000 from one state regulated monopoly public utility last year. Virginia needs campaign finance limits to restore public trust in elections. The Citizens United decision does not prohibit states from setting limits on campaign contributions to candidates. It is time that Virginia enacts such limits.

Virginia is one of only 5 states with no campaign finance limits. As a result, campaign contributions are out of control in Virginia. For example, one candidate for the Democratic nomination for Attorney General received over $800,000 from one state regulated monopoly public utility last year. Virginia needs campaign finance limits to restore public trust in elections. The Citizens United decision does not prohibit states from setting limits on campaign contributions to candidates. It is time that Virginia enacts such limits.

We are the political swamp and it is blight on the reputation of this great commonwealth. Please pass all campaign finance reform and please allow the Corporate Power Reset legislation to committee next year and to the ballot. It would pass here. You work for the people and we want reform.

We have to get $$ out of campaigns. Running for office is a public service, campaigns should be limited in length (6 weeks), and TV, radio, etc. must be provided equally and FREE of charge. Let the merits decide who wins, not who spends the most.