Court okays unlimited contributions, rejects elimination of fund raising during legislative session

A Cole County Circuit Court judge's ruling was a mixed bag for those who opposed the so-called reforms of campaign contributions laws in Missouri.
The court okayed unlimited campaign contributions, but said a provision of the new law that makes fund raising during the legislative session illegal was unconstitutional:

Trout (Unsuccessful candidate James Trout who brought the suit) and other legislators - such as former state Sen. Pat Dougherty, D-St. Louis - were concerned that incumbent legislators who worked around the Capitol would have more access to fundraising opportunities, putting challengers back home at a huge money disadvantage.

They also argued that the ban would give challengers a very limited amount of time to raise money for a primary - especially in legislative districts where winning the primary is tantamount to election.