What’s in a Name? A Lot

The Committee for California’s Future, Taxpayers for Fair Responsibility, and Californians Against Unfair Tax Increases. Don’t they sound like grass-roots citizens’ committees? Guess again. Behind those committees were well-financed lobbying groups representing developers, the insurance industry and tobacco companies.

While these groups play a legitimate role in the political process, most voters are unaware of how large a part they play in funding initiatives. To help clear up the confusion, California voters passed Proposition 105 in 1988. Included in Proposition 105 was the Truth in Initiative Advertising Act, which required major contributors to initiative committees to disclose their involvement in funding campaign ads.

The California Supreme Court Thursday let stand a lower court ruling that struck down Proposition 105, including the truth-in-advertising portion of the measure. The lower court held the proposition unconstitutional because it violated the “single subject” rule, which prohibits combining unrelated subjects into a single initiative.

Now, the Senate Committee on Elections and Reapportionment is considering a new bill, SB 116, introduced by state Sen. Quentin Kopp, (I-San Francisco). The bill resurrects and strengthens the Truth in Initiative Advertising Act.

The tougher disclosure rules target corporations, unions and out-of-state contributors who pay $100,000 or more and make up at least 50% of total contributions. An industry must disclose if it is the largest contributor and its contributions are $500,000 or more or are at least $50,000 and constitute a minimum of 25% of all contributions. An individual, if he is the largest contributor and gives more than $100,000, must also be identified.

Californians faced a staggering array of complex initiatives in 1990. Unless SB 116 is enacted, voters will be without critical information when they go to the polls.

Who actually pays to support or oppose an initiative gives people a context in which they can better evaluate a measure and the various claims being made about it. SB 116 deserves speedy passage by the Legislature and approval from the governor.