Subd. 4.

Approved expenditure.

"Approved expenditure" means an expenditure made
on behalf of a candidate new text beginor a local candidate new text endby an entity other than the new text begincandidate's new text endprincipal
campaign committee deleted text beginof the candidatedeleted text endnew text begin or the local candidatenew text end, if the expenditure is made with
the authorization or expressed or implied consent of, or in cooperation or in concert with,
or at the request or suggestion of the candidatenew text begin or local candidatenew text end, the candidate's principal
campaign committee, or the candidate's new text beginor local candidate's new text endagent. An approved expenditure
is a contribution to that candidatenew text begin or local candidatenew text end.

Subd. 7.

Ballot question.

"Ballot question" means a question or proposition that is placed
on the ballot and that may be voted on bynew text begin:
new text end

new text begin (1)new text end all voters of the statedeleted text begin.deleted text endnew text begin;
new text end

new text begin (2) all voters of Hennepin County;
new text end

new text begin (3) all voters of any home rule charter city or statutory city located wholly within
Hennepin County and having a population of 75,000 or more; or
new text end

new text begin (4) all voters of Special School District No. 1.
new text end

"Promoting or defeating a ballot question" includes activities, other than lobbying
activities, related to qualifying the question for placement on the ballot.

Subd. 9.

Campaign expenditure.

"Campaign expenditure" or "expenditure" means a
purchase or payment of money or anything of value, or an advance of credit, made or
incurred for the purpose of influencing the nomination or election of a candidate new text beginor a local
candidate new text endor for the purpose of promoting or defeating a ballot question.

An expenditure is considered to be made in the year in which the candidate made the
purchase of goods or services or incurred an obligation to pay for goods or services.

An expenditure made for the purpose of defeating a candidate new text beginor a local candidate new text endis
considered made for the purpose of influencing the nomination or election of that candidate
new text begin or local candidate new text endor any opponent of that candidatenew text begin or local candidatenew text end.

Except as provided in clause (1), "expenditure" includes the dollar value of a donation
in kind.

"Expenditure" does not include:

(1) noncampaign disbursements as defined in subdivision 26;

(2) services provided without compensation by an individual volunteering personal time
on behalf of a candidatenew text begin or a local candidatenew text end, ballot question, political committee, political
fund, principal campaign committee, or party unit;

(3) the publishing or broadcasting of news items or editorial comments by the news
media; or

(4) an individual's unreimbursed personal use of an automobile owned by the individual
and used by the individual while volunteering personal time.

Subd. 11.

Contribution.

(a) "Contribution" means money, a negotiable instrument, or
a donation in kind that is given to a political committee, political fund, principal campaign
committee, new text beginlocal candidate, new text endor party unit. An allocation by an association of general treasury
money to be used for activities that must be or are reported through the association's political
fund is considered to be a contribution for the purposes of disclosure required by this chapter.

(b) "Contribution" includes a loan or advance of credit to a political committee, political
fund, principal campaign committee,new text begin local candidate,new text end or party unit, if the loan or advance
of credit is: (1) forgiven; or (2) repaid by an individual or an association other than the
political committee, political fund, principal campaign committee, new text beginlocal candidate, new text endor party
unit to which the loan or advance of credit was made. If an advance of credit or a loan is
forgiven or repaid as provided in this paragraph, it is a contribution in the year in which the
loan or advance of credit was made.

(c) "Contribution" does not include services provided without compensation by an
individual volunteering personal time on behalf of a candidate, new text beginlocal candidate, new text endballot
question, political committee, political fund, principal campaign committee, or party unit;
the publishing or broadcasting of news items or editorial comments by the news media; or
an individual's unreimbursed personal use of an automobile owned by the individual while
volunteering personal time.

Subd. 16a.

Expressly advocating.

"Expressly advocating" means that a communication
clearly identifies a candidate new text beginor a local candidate new text endand uses words or phrases of express
advocacy.

Subd. 17c.

General treasury money.

"General treasury money" means money that an
association other than a principal campaign committee, party unit, or political committee
accumulates through membership dues and fees, donations to the association for its general
purposes, and income from the operation of a business. General treasury money does not
include money collected to influence the nomination or election of candidatesnew text begin or local
candidatesnew text end or to promote or defeat a ballot question.

Subd. 18.

Independent expenditure.

"Independent expenditure" means an expenditure
expressly advocating the election or defeat of a clearly identified candidatenew text begin or local candidatenew text end,
if the expenditure is made without the express or implied consent, authorization, or
cooperation of, and not in concert with or at the request or suggestion of, any candidate or
any candidate's principal campaign committee or agentnew text begin or any local candidate or local
candidate's agentnew text end. An independent expenditure is not a contribution to that candidatenew text begin or
local candidatenew text end. An independent expenditure does not include the act of announcing a formal
public endorsement of a candidatenew text begin or local candidatenew text end for public office, unless the act is
simultaneously accompanied by an expenditure that would otherwise qualify as an
independent expenditure under this subdivision.

Subd. 20.

Loan.

"Loan" means an advance of money or anything of value made to a
political committee, political fund, principal campaign committee, new text beginlocal candidate, new text endor party
unit.

Subd. 27.

Political committee.

"Political committee" means an association whose major
purpose is to influence the nomination or election of one or more candidatesnew text begin or local
candidatesnew text end or to promote or defeat a ballot question, other than a principal campaign
committeenew text begin, local candidate,new text end or a political party unit.