California lawmakers push for public financing of political campaigns

[Thom Little]

After the most expensive election in California history and a national influence-peddling scandal that threatens congressional leaders, proponents of publicly financed campaigns say voters want fundamental change.

At a town hall meeting Saturday in Oakland and in a Sacramento legislative hearing next week, advocates will tout the benefits of Assembly Bill 583, the so-called "Clean Money Campaign" system.

Modeled after similar systems in Arizona and Maine, it awards willing candidates a predetermined amount of public dollars per campaign if they refuse to collect outside contributions or tap into personal wealth.

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Proponents have lobbied unsuccessfully for years for public campaign financing and this is the second attempt by bill author Assemblywoman Loni Hancock, D-Berkeley, to move this bill out of committee.

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"We see increasingly escalating sums of money raised in a campaign arms race," Hancock said. "A recent study said that over 90 percent of contributions to the average legislator come from PACS and corporations. Under publicly financed campaigns, the people get a government that behaves as though the people, not just the big contributors, matter."


http://www.contracostatimes.com/mld/cctimes/news/13566741.htm

[RedEarth]

1. Great idea.... let's hope it passes