01:00 AM EDT on Wednesday, June 28, 2006

PROVIDENCE -- Governor Carcieri vetoed legislation that would have changed campaign-finance laws -- limiting each political party to donating $25,000 to a "group" of candidates during a calendar year.

Current law allows parties to give up to $25,000 to each candidate. This bill would have capped party contributions to candidates at $1,000.

The state's Republican Party opposes the bill, saying it helps Democratic incumbents.

Monday night, the Republican governor vetoed the bill by Senate Majority Whip Dominick J. Ruggerio, D-Providence.

"Campaign-finance reform is a laudable objective. . . . Certainly, disclosure laws and regulations are critical to informing the public as to where support emanates for candidates to public office," Carcieri wrote. "However, laws and regulations that restrict expenditures, as compared to disclosing them, must be narrowly and carefully drawn in order to avoid creating restraints on constitutionally protected political free speech."

smayerow@projo.com / (401) 277-7513