Free speech?  First Amendment?  Any of those ringing a bell with West Virginia Democrats?  Nah – they’re more interested in holding on to power instead.  From the Charleston Gazette:

The measure split the House and Senate along party lines, and extended the special session from two to five days as Republicans refused to suspend rules to speed up passage votes on the bill (HB219).

Supporters of the bill contend that it does not restrict various interest groups from conducting election advocacy campaigns, but merely requires that they disclose their funding sources.

Opponents argued it would have a chilling affect on the campaigns by organizations for or against particular candidates, saying the disclosure requirement will drive away many would-be contributors.

One of the bill’s leading advocates, House Judiciary Chairwoman Carrie Webster, D-Kanawha, said Monday she was starting to become concerned about Manchin’s delay in signing the bill.

“I just assumed if he put it on the agenda, and we had gotten it passed with a pretty large consensus, then they did not have any concerns with it,” she said. “Some people starting asking questions about why it hadn’t been signed yet. I only started to get concerned over the weekend.”

However, Manchin spokeswoman Lara Ramsburg noted that, while the bill passed the Legislature on June 28, it was not enrolled and presented to the governor until July 8.

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