Ellington

JACKSON, Miss. (AP) — A Mississippi Senate committee is proposing to ban elected officials and candidates from converting campaign money to personal use, after Associated Press and Clarion-Ledger reports highlighted such practices.

The Senate Elections Committee amended House Bill 797 to say campaign money can't be used for rent, gasoline purchases, car payments or loans to candidates. The bill also says candidates can't cash out campaign accounts at career's end. The AP reported Sunday that at least five Mississippi officials in recent years cashed out more than $50,000.

The bill moves to the Senate. House and Senate negotiators would have to agree before it could pass.

The Senate committee is discarding a bill to allow no-excuses early voting and amending another to say voters could only register online when updating addresses, not when registering initially.