A Chance for Clean Money In California

This is an enormous development. Today was the day that all of the bills in the California Assembly that involve funding get whittled down from the Appropriations Committee's "suspense file." Those that pass move on to a full vote on the floor. The extremely important Clean Money bill, AB 583 pushed by Asm. Loni Hancock, passed that process in an amended form. I really like what they've set up here as a pilot project. They would pick three races to run as publicly financed elections in 2010; one Assembly seat, one Senate seat, and the Governor. If the bill passes both State Houses, it would go on the ballot in June 2008 to be approved by voters (this will be a low-turnout election, which actually may be a good thing, considering how Clean Money was slapped down in 2006). The Governor would need to sign the bill to get it on the ballot.

The funding mechanism for this bill is similar to the public financing measures in Arizona and Maine, which improves upon what was on the 2006 ballot. Doing this as a pilot program that can test the system and get both legislators and voters comfortable with it really improves its chances of passage as well.

But this is a beginning and not an end. This is from California Clean Money Campaign Chair Susan Lerner:

We're grateful to Speaker Nunez and Appropriations Chair Mark Leno, as well as bill author Loni Hancock, for their creativity and steadfast support for Clean Money. We've come so far, but we need the help of your blog readers in passing the amended bill through the Assembly.

Blog readers can fax their Assemblymembers by using our on-line letter-writing tool, caclean.org/letters.

If you believe that money has corroded American politics, if you would like to see a system where anyone can choose to run without having millions to self-fund, if you would like to reduce the power of corporations and lobbyists, if you would like to see government return to its ideals of being of the people, by the people, and for the people, you will click on the link and fax your letter to your Assemblyperson. We know that California is a national bellweather, so a successful clean money program here could spread nationwide. It's too important not to put everything we can into it.