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Illinois could lift donation caps in 'super PAC' races

The Illinois House has approved a plan to drop campaign-donation limits in races where super PACs jump in with big money. 

The legislation would apply in races where an independent super PAC spends more than $100,000 supporting a legislative candidate or $250,000 supporting a statewide candidate. If that happens, the opposing candidate would not have to follow the state's new limits on donations. The bill passed 63-55 yesterday in the Illinois House and now goes to the Senate. Government watchdog groups fear this will create a loophole for big money to pour into political races. But House Majority Leader Barbara Flynn Currie says it would let candidates "fight fire with fire" if they're targeted by super PACs with deep pockets.

Todd Hatton hails from Paducah, Kentucky, where he got into radio under the auspices of the late, great John Stewart of WKYX while a student at Paducah Community College. He also worked at WKMS in the reel-to-reel tape days of the early 1990s before running off first to San Francisco, then Orlando in search of something to do when he grew up. He received his MFA in Creative Writing at Murray State University. He vigorously resists adulthood and watches his wife, Angela Hatton, save the world one plastic bottle at a time.
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