Panel OKs Brown’s Campaign Finance Reform Bill

A key Assembly committee Wednesday approved Speaker Willie Brown’s watered-down bill that would overhaul the way legislative campaigns are paid for in California by curbing contributions and expenditures and providing limited taxpayer financing.

A 13-9 vote sent the measure by the San Francisco Democrat from the Ways and Means Committee to the floor, where a full-scale fight is expected. There was no debate.

Meanwhile, election officials are checking an estimated 630,000 signatures on petitions seeking to place a tougher campaign finance reform initiative on the Nov. 4 ballot.

The proponents, a group called Californians to Limit Campaign Spending, expressed confidence that it will qualify. The proposal needs at least 393,835 valid signatures to make the ballot.

Reform Group

“The reality is that it is very unlikely the Legislature will pass a campaign finance reform bill by a two-thirds vote that the governor will sign into law,” said Walter Zelman, spokesman for Common Cause, a political reform group. “We do not put a lot of hope in the legislative process. That’s why we are pushing the initiative.”

The proposed ballot measure calls for limiting campaign contributions and expenditures, prohibiting contributions during non-election years, banning the transfer of political funds from one legislator to another and partial public financing of legislative campaigns.

The Democratic-controlled Assembly and Senate approved campaign financing legislation in 1984, but Gov. George Deukmejian vetoed it because he objected to including partial public financing.

During the same year, voters also rejected a ballot initiative that would have revised campaign financing laws, with only a minor use of taxpayers’ funds.

Early last month, Brown had to hastily appoint three new members to the Assembly Elections Committee and water down his own measure with amendments in order to get it approved by the committee.

Proposed Limits

Among other things, the Assembly leader was forced to take out proposed spending and contribution limits for primary campaigns--a move that favors incumbents who generally can raise more and spend more money than challengers.