State law prohibits corporations from contributing more than $5,000 a year, and it limits individuals to $40,500 in donations to Mr. Pataki over the four-year election cycle.

Section 5 of Article IX prohibits such foreign corporations from doing anything in Virginia that a Virginia corporation could not do.

It conversely prohibits corporations outside of the banking or finance industry from entering retail and/or commercial banking.

The groups began playing a prominent role last year after new campaign finance laws prohibited major donors, unions and corporations from giving unlimited amounts of money to parties.

Prohibit corporations from closing a profitable factory or business and moving it overseas.

In 1908 the U.S. Supreme Court affirmed the legitimacy of Commonwealth's right to prohibit individuals and corporations from operating integrated schools.

Turin Grove illustrates the point: though the law prohibits corporations taking charge, there is nothing to stop governors inviting them to operate state schools.

Such a payment would be a violation of Federal election law, which prohibits corporations from contributing to Federal political campaigns.

For example, in September 2007, the TPA was changed to prohibit corporations with substantial market share from engaging in predatory pricing.

It also prohibits corporations and labor unions from making direct campaign contributions, a prohibition that now exists under Federal law.