The House gave final approval early Saturday morning to a bill meant to conform the state's election laws in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court case.
The bill is a response to the Citizens United case, in which the court struck down prohibitions on corporations and unions spending money on behalf of or against candidates. The bill passed 57-47.
The bill strikes down the state's own prohibitions on those expenditures and requires disclosure of how corporations and unions spend money on campaigns.
Rep. Deborah Ross, a Raleigh Democrat, said she had reservations about some of the changes made by the Senate, but that the bill was laregly what she and House Republican Leader Rep. Paul Stam had agreed to.
"This is a first step in response to the Citizens United case," Ross said. "We have not gone as far as a lot of other states that have imposed a lot of restrictions."
Stam said he opposed the bill in its current version because it put too many restrictions on those who choose to engage in political speech.
Rep. Bill Current, a Gaston County Republican, said the House didn't have a chance to debate the bill until 1 a.m. on the last day of the session.
"I think it's disgusting that we'd be voting on something that hasn't been vetted i this House," Current said.
The bill now goes to Gov. Bev Perdue for her signature.
