Help Us Enact Full Public Financing of Campaigns
April 12, 2006
AB 583, the California Clean Money and Fair Elections Act, was approved
by the Assembly on January 30 by a 47-31 vote and referred to the California
Senate. The Senate Elections Committee will hear it on Wednesday, April
19. Once again we are asking for your help to enact full public financing
of campaigns for state office in California !
The League of Women Voters of California supports AB 583, legislation
that would provide competitive public financing to legislative and statewide
candidates who qualify by showing a broad base of support. The bill, authored
by Assembly Member Loni Hancock, allows candidates to compete more equitably
for public office.
AB 583 is based on the highly successful Clean Money systems in Arizona
and Maine, which are allowing voters to take control of politics because
voters, not special interests, pay for election campaigns. For several
years the League has worked closely with the California Clean Money Campaign,
California Common Cause, the Greenlining Institute and other reform organizations
on this approach to campaign finance reform. This session's version of
the bill has incorporated several concepts that were proposed by the League.
Learn more about AB 583 at http://www.caclean.org/progress/legislation.php
ACTION NEEDED: Please call or
fax Senate President pro Tem Don Perata and your own senator. Tell
them how important it is to change the way we finance election campaigns.
(Go to www.leginfo.ca.gov/yourleg.html
for contact information.)
If your senator is on the Senate Elections, Reapportionment
and Constitutional Amendments Committee (Debra Bowen, chair; Jim Battin,
vice chair; Kevin Murray, Charles Poochigian and Gloria Romero),
it is urgent that you phone your representative's district or state Capitol
office and indicate strong support for Clean Money before the hearing
on April 19. If you see this alert at night or on the weekend, please
call and leave a message. Then call again on Monday, April 17 "to make
sure they got the message." Remember, the Elections Committee vote is
on April 19, so time is of the essence!
We also urge you, as an individual, to sign the
online petition for AB 583: http://www.caclean.org/petition/.
It will be used to show Sacramento leaders how many people want
public financing for California.
POINTS TO MAKE:
- Please vote yes on AB 583, the California Clean Money and Fair Elections
Act.
- Clean Money works in Arizona and Maine, and California needs it too.
- Clean money increased both voter turnout and confidence in government
in Arizona and Maine.
- A Clean Money system lets new people with good ideas run for office.
- Elected officials don't have to worry that voters and the press will
second-guess their votes based on who contributed to the election campaign.
- Clean Money is popular with voters -- in Arizona 67 percent of voters
approve of their Clean Money system.
- Clean Money helps candidates spend time talking with voters, rather
than having to concentrate on talking to donors.
- 96 percent of Clean Money candidates in Maine said they were satisfied
with the Clean Money system.
LEAGUE POSITION: The League of Women Voters believes
that the methods of financing political campaigns should ensure the public's
right to know, combat corruption and undue influence, enable candidates
to compete more equitably for public office and allow maximum citizen
participation in the political process.
FOR MORE INFORMATION: Contact Donna Chipps, Campaign
Financing Off-Board Program Director, cf@lwvc.org
KEEP US INFORMED: Send an e-mail to advocacy@lwvc.org
to let us know what action you have taken and any responses you receive.
