Local Campaign Finance Reform Derailed
by Beverly G. Bean, Government Director
The governor recently signed AB 1430, a bill which will gut local campaign finance reform (CFR) ordinances by prohibiting local jurisdictions from regulating the source and amount of money that political parties can use to campaign for candidates. AB 1430 was authored by Martin Garrick, (R-Carlsbad). It passed the Assembly on a 77-0 vote and the Senate by 27 to 9. Both Republicans and Democrats have joined forces to undo successful local CFR laws.AB 1430 takes away local control of local elections and substitutes the view of the state legislature for that of voters and local officials as to what campaign finance laws best meet the needs of local jurisdictions.
AB 1430 prevents cities and counties from enacting any laws that restrict the funneling of large contributions through political parties to benefit candidates - even when the candidate, party, and donor coordinate the payment. This creates an enormous loophole in local campaign finance laws, allowing special interest groups to use large campaign contributions to dominate local elections and exert undue influence over local officials. AB 1430's prohibitions cover not only contribution limits, but disclosure as well, requiring all cities and counties to use the same disclosure laws as the state. Immediate disclosure laws will be blocked.
The LWV of California opposed this bill along with California Common Cause, CALPIRG, California Clean Money Campaign, California Nurses Association and the Ethics Commissions of Los Angeles, San Diego and San Francisco. The San Francisco Chronicle called it "the Legislature's Dirty Money Bill," and the Los Angeles Times said "Virtually anonymous and unlimited campaign bankrolling will again be the order of the day...The bill will block the city from requiring immediate disclosure of the funding source... Voters often won't know who is buying the candidate until after he or she is elected."
