Amid debate among California campaign officials over
whether it would hinder their accountability work, Gov.
Jerry Brown on Saturday signed a measure aimed at providing
voters with more information about deep-pocketed groups
that pay for political advertisements.
The California Clean Money Campaign sponsored Assembly Bill
249, calling it one of the most important disclosure bills
in the nation. The measure, a multiyear effort supported by
government transparency advocates throughout the state,
will require political advertisements to include a list of
the top three financial contributors to the committee
paying for the ad.
“No more fine print,â€
Assemblyman Kevin Mullin, the South San Francisco Democrat
who authored the bill, said in a statement.
“California voters will now be able to
make informed decisions, based on honest information about
who the true funders are of campaign ads. This transparency
is critical to our democracy and I am proud that California
has taken this historic first step to shine the light on
"dark money." Hopefully this will encourage others to
follow suit.â€
The head of the state's political ethics watchdog agency
and its staff members questioned whether the bill lived up
to its “California DISCLOSE
Act†moniker. Staff analysts with the Fair
Political Practices Commission recommended the four-member
panel oppose AB 249 because it reduced the fines they can
dish out to groups that violate advertising laws. The staff
also argued the bill would make it harder for them to prove
some campaign finance cases.
