FPPC Chief Asks More Political Reforms

The chairman of the state Fair Political Practices Commission called Tuesday for major reforms in the law governing the conduct of state and local elected officials, arguing that the changes are needed “to help restore public confidence in the political and election process.”

Commission Chairman John Larson proposed banning gifts and speaking fees for government officials, tightening limits on the personal use of campaign funds and giving the commission power to penalize elected state officials who violate conflict-of-interest rules.

Larson said he also will back legislation to require that sponsors of campaign advertising be clearly identified. He said he also wants to close a sizable loophole in Proposition 73, the initiative approved by voters last June that limits campaign contributions, and has proposed preventing elected officials who violate election laws from paying their fines with campaign funds.

“The public should be able to feel their elected public officials are not being bought with expensive gifts or free globe-trotting trips,” Larson said in a written statement announcing a staff-prepared package of changes to be considered by the commission next week. If approved by the full commission, the proposals will be introduced in the Legislature.

“The voters spoke in June, saying they wanted the election process cleaned up,” Larson said. “Public skepticism about the integrity of government grew with the highly publicized FBI sting at the state Capitol this year and the recent elections.”

In an interview, the commission chairman complained about campaign abuses and growing voter disenchantment with the conduct of elected officials.

“Things seem to get worse every year,” he said.

Larson said this is an opportune time to toughen the rules of conduct for officials. He acknowledged, however, that winning legislative support for changes could prove to be “swimming upstream.” In August, a bill that for the first time in 14 years would have increased fines for violating the Political Reform Act was killed without debate in the state Senate on a voice vote.

Larson warned that if lawmakers fail to act, legislators may find themselves facing candidates “running on the issue of ethical reform.”

Under Proposition 73, state and local officials will no longer be able to accept speaking fees of more than $1,000. Larson said he does not believe that the initiative went as far as voters wanted, however, adding that he supports a ban on gifts and honorariums.

In recent years, legislators and other public officials increasingly have been supplementing their incomes with payments for speeches, or in some cases for simply meeting with representatives of special-interest groups without giving speeches. Other groups routinely pick up travel expenses for elected officials and their spouses.

Larson would ban all but token gifts. When officials need to travel on public business, government should pick up the costs, he said.

If it is necessary to win legislative approval, Larson said, he would support increasing legislative salaries, now at $40,816 a year plus $88 a day while the Legislature is in session.

The law requires identifying sponsors of political advertising, but Larson said he saw television commercials that named the actual sponsors in a type size smaller “than what you see on a baby Dristan bottle.”

He said he was particularly annoyed with ads opposing Proposition 99, the cigarette tax increase. The ads looked as if they were backed by police organizations but in fact were paid for by tobacco companies.

The 1974 Political Reform Act requires state and local officials to disqualify themselves from making decisions when they have a financial interest in the outcome. The Fair Political Practices Commission was given the power to fine most officials, but not legislators or state constitutional officers. Larson said he wants to end that exemption.

Larson also wants to put a limit on how much any individual can give to political campaigns. Under Proposition 73, individuals can give no more than $1,000 to a candidate during each fiscal year but may be able to exceed the limit by giving to several political action committees that pass the money along.