NASHVILLE (AP) – Tennessee lawmakers running for governor could raise campaign money during the legislative session under a bill advanced by a Senate committee on Tuesday.

The bill sponsored by Republican Sen. Randy McNally of Oak Ridge would also increase maximum campaign contributions by retroactively adjusting for inflation the amounts allowed in a law passed in 1995.

That means the maximum individuals could give to legislative candidates in a two-year cycle would rise from $2,000 to $2,800, while the most they could give to gubernatorial candidates would increase from $5,000 to $7,000.

Currently all lawmakers are barred from fundraising for any state race while the General Assembly is meeting. McNally said the law is unfair to lawmakers seeking other offices.

“Right now there are only 132 people who can’t raise money while the Legislature is in session, and that’s us,” McNally told the Senate State and Local Government Committee, which advanced the measure on a 7-0 vote.

Only individuals could give to lawmakers who qualify for the proposed exemption to the fundraising ban. Political action committees would have to wait until after the session to give.

The primary is in August 2010. Democratic Gov. Phil Bredesen can’t run for re-election because of term limits.

If the measure becomes law, it would benefit as many as three state lawmakers considering gubernatorial bids, including Republican Senate Speaker Ron Ramsey of Blountville.

“I think they realized that the playing field is not level, and this is something they didn’t think about when this law was passed,” Ramsey said.

Ramsey has said he will make a formal announcement about his gubernatorial bid after the legislative session ends.

Other elected officials running for the GOP nomination don’t have the same fundraising restrictions. They include U.S. Rep. Zach Wamp of Chattanooga, Knoxville Mayor Bill Haslam and Memphis prosecutor Bill Gibbons.

Among legislative Democrats, state Sen. Roy Herron of Dresden has announced he will run for governor next year, while state Senate Minority Leader Jim Kyle of Memphis has said he plans to wait until the end of the session to make up his mind.

The campaign of Democratic candidate Ward Cammack, a Nashville businessman, criticized the fundraising vote.

“We have numerous members of the General Assembly either running for governor or thinking about running, and they’re removing a fundraising restriction that has stood for almost 15 years,” said spokesman Mark Brown. “This is the sort of activity that has made many Tennesseans question the motives of our state legislators.”

McNally said his bill would keep the in-session fundraising ban for lawmakers running for General Assembly seats. But lawmakers running for local offices could raise money. That would include lawmakers like Republican Sen. Tim Burchett, who is running for Knox County mayor next year.

The House would have to reopen a closed subcommittee to take up the companion bill.

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Read SB1116 at: http://www.capitol.tn.gov

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