Democratic lawmakers in many states are making a conscious effort to keep international money out of ballot initiative efforts while their party is riding high on their group’s 2024 election victories.
The Missouri Senate Local Government, Elections, and Pensions Committee approved legislation ( SB 152 ) on Monday that would limit noncitizens ‘ ability to influence the outcome of ballot measures that are deemed to be invalid by voters. Particularly, the bill includes measures prohibiting foreign nationals from “directly or directly” giving cash to like causes with the intention to “influence a poll measure”.
SB 152 did then nose to the full Missouri Senate for attention.
Although federal law forbids the use of foreign currency in election efforts, for protection are not in place in some states when it comes to ballot initiative activities.
In recent elections in Ohio, the Sixteen Thirty Fund, a left-wing dark money group, poured millions of dollars into Democrat-aligned organizations involved in statewide ballot campaigns. This issue came to prominence. As noted in a 2024 Americans for Public Trust report, the Sixteen Thirty Fund has received “hundreds of millions of dollars” from the Berger Action Fund, a 501 ( c ) ( 4 ) organization bankrolled by left-wing Swiss national Hansjörg Wyss.
According to a local ABC affiliate, the Sixteen Thirty Fund , dumped , more than$ 11 million into the pockets of left-wing groups backing a 2023 Ohio pro-abortion ballot initiative and aiming to defeat a ballot measure that sought to raise the threshold to amend the Ohio Constitution. The Sixteen Thirty Fund’s influence was also notable in Ohio’s 2024 elections, in which the organization gave$ 6 million to the , group  , behind a Democrat-backed redistricting amendment on the same day Gov. Mike DeWine , announced , a special legislative session to pass legislation prohibiting foreign money in ballot campaigns.
In the end, DeWine passed a bill that was later upheld by a federal appellate court in response to a legal challenge brought by left-wing activists.
But Missouri isn’t the only state in which Republicans are following in Ohio’s footsteps by closing the loopholes used by foreign actors to rig U.S. elections.
A bill ( HB 2106 ) that would prohibit contributions made by noncitizens in state constitutional amendment campaigns is scheduled to be taken up by a committee in the Kansas Senate on Wednesday. The measure was previously supported by the majority in the House ( 94-25 ).
In Indiana, House lawmakers last week overwhelmingly passed a bill ( HB 1467 ) that prohibits the use and accept of foreign currency in elections involving a “public question.” The Senate, which is controlled by the GOP, will now consider the proposal.
Can These Republican bills stop Democrats from” Wanning Ballot Initiatives Before It’s Too Late”?
Republicans in Kentucky, Mississippi, Tennessee, Utah, and Wyoming have introduced and advanced similar legislation in recent weeks. Although Democrats ‘ control of the legislature makes it seem unlikely that the measure will pass, a constitutional amendment proposal that only allows “qualified ]state ] voters” may participate in ballot initiative campaigns has also been introduced in Oregon.
For more election news and updates, visit , electionbriefing.com.
Shawn Fleetwood is a University of Mary Washington graduate and a staff writer for The Federalist. He previously served as a state content writer for Convention of States Action and his work has been featured in numerous outlets, including RealClearPolitics, RealClear Health, and Conservative Review. Follow him on Twitter @ShawnFleetwood
