'Clean Money' Pilot Program Passes Full Assembly

Written by: Patrick Briggs on Jun 8, 2007 2:33 PM EDT

45 Votes Stand For True Reform in California

By Susan Lerner
Executive Director
California Clean Money Campaign

After a federal election in which corruption was identified as the most important national issue and a Californian election in which nearly $170 million was spent on the governor's race alone, the California State Assembly just passed a key measure designed to demonstrate the effectiveness of public financing to reform the campaign finance system in California. The pilot program will provide California and the nation with a model for reform.

By a vote of 45 to 34, the Assembly passed AB 583, the California Clean Money and Fair Elections Act. Authored by Assemblywoman Loni Hancock, the amended version AB 583 that passed would establish a voluntary, full public financing system for the Governor's race, one open Assembly seat, and one open Senate seat in 2010.

Modeled after successful systems in Arizona and Maine, AB 583 will allow Californians the opportunity to vote for a gubernatorial candidate in 2010 who hasn't accepted any money from special interests, as well as serving as a pilot program that will allow California voters and candidates to see how a Clean Money system would actually work in California.

The Assembly showed true leadership today by passing AB 583. The Clean Money and Fair Elections Act is an important step in ending the corrosive effects of money in our elections system. Assemblymember Hancock, Speaker Fabian Nunez, Appropriations Chairman Mark Leno, Elections Chairman Curren Price, and all the Assemblymembers who voted for the bill have done the right thing for California.

Clean Money systems have been adopted across the country; Arizona and Maine started public-financing state elections 7 years ago, Connecticut's legislature passed a Clean Money bill last year, North Carolina provides public financing for judicial races, and New Mexico just instituted a similar system for its judicial elections. New Mexico also established a pilot Clean Money program for elections for its Public Regulations Commission, while New Jersey has a pilot program for public financing of three legislative districts.

Speaking after the Assembly vote, Assemblymember Hancock said, "It has been a long and hard road, but I am deeply pleased that AB 583 passed out of the Assembly. This is an important reform and I trust that my colleagues in the Senate will recognize its necessity."

"If the voters of California want clean water and clean air, we've got to get clean money in the system," said Bill Magavern, senior legislative representative for the California Sierra Club.

All but two Democrats in the State Assembly voted yes on the measure. The measure received no aye votes from Republicans. The sole Democrats to vote against the measure were Assemblymembers Nicole Parra (D-Bakersfield) and Cathleen Galgiani (D-Merced).

Susan Lerner is the Executive Director of the California Clean Money Campaign.

 ***This post brought to you by this site - http://www.californiaprogressreport.com/ 

Tags:
Location: Pasadena, ca 91104