AUGUSTA, Maine (AP) — Maine lawmakers would no longer be able to use their political action committee funds to lend their businesses money under a bill that won initial Senate approval.

Maine's Senate gave the bill initial approval Tuesday. The bill faces future votes.

Lawmakers can raise unlimited sums of money for their leadership PACs, but bill sponsor Democratic Sen. Justin Chenette said they face few rules for how they use such funds.

Chenette's bill follows a $9,000 state ethics fine levied in 2017 against former Republican state Sen. Andre Cushing, who resigned his leadership post and didn't seek re-election.

Cushing was accused of failing to report short-term loans from his PAC to a family business. But the commission staff found that his actions did not give Cushing or others an unfair political advantage.