Politics

Five-fold Upsurge: Super PACs, Dark Money Spent Far More Than ’12 Cycle at Same Point

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Political organizations working to influence the 2016 elections outside the party or official campaign structure had spent more than $25.1 million as of Sept. 21. That’s an increase of more than 34 percent over their counterparts at this point in the 2014 midterm elections — and a five-fold leap over their outlays by this date in the last presidential cycle, a Center for Responsive Politics review of Federal Election Commission data shows.? Meanwhile, among super PACs, Sen. Kelly Ayotte (R-N.H.) — deemed by both parties to be vulnerable in a presidential election year in a light-blue state — who’s at the center of a battle already underway. Through Sept.

Education

Update: Walker’s Exit Leaves Some Major Donors Up For Grabs

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As Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker dropped out of the presidential race late Monday afternoon, his announcement created at least an $18 million vacuum, according to OpenSecrets.org. The super PAC backing Walker, Unintimidated PAC, spent $1.8 million on independent expenditures before Walker bowed out. The group had raised $20 million by June 30, with the money coming in from some high-profile Republican donors who may have to decide, with their favored candidate out, who else they’ll throw their money behind. Several major donors gave only to Walker’s super PAC this cycle: businesswoman Diane Hendricks, for one, gave Unintimidated $5 million. Richard and Elizabeth Uihlein gave $2.5 million combined.

Politics

How Senate Hopefuls Keep Donors Secret From Voters Until It’s Too Late

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U.S. Senate campaign finance disclosures are still slow-walked on paper through a 40-year-old system. Is getting it fixed worth trading away another lid on political money? For nearly 15 years, voters have been able to click a mouse to view an up-to-date list of who’s contributed to candidates for the presidency and the U.S. House, and how those funds have been spent. But the law still allows Senate candidates to file campaign reports on paper, making it nearly impossible to keep up with the flow of money. Efforts to fix that imbalance have died over and over again in the Senate, regardless of which party controlled the chamber.

Politics

Superfund Cleanup at Conway site: It’s back

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CONWAY — The chemical treatment of the remaining pollution at the former Kearsarge Metallurgical Corp. Superfund site began Monday. The effort is expected to continue for the next few weeks. The site, next to Pequawket Pond, is where KMC made stainless-steel valves from 1964 to 1982. The KMC made stainless-steel castings for the nuclear power industry.

Politics

Gov. Hassan Balks at Criticism of Medical Marijuana Dispensary Selection Process

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In selecting the nonprofit organizations to grow and dispense medical marijuana, the state followed the proper process despite recent criticism, according to an email yesterday from Gov. Maggie Hassan’s spokesman William Hinkle.

Hinkle was responding to a request four days prior for an interview with Gov. Hassan about selection process complaints claiming there were scoring errors and an unclear definition for what constitutes local support. There was also concern that economic development wasn’t considered a factor.

Education

Complaints Plague Medical Marijuana Dispensary Licensing

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If Michael Stirling can prove the evaluation committee that selected the winning bidders for four medical marijuana dispensary licenses made a mathematical error, he expects the state to snatch a license away from the lowest-scoring bidder and award it to him.