Senate OKs Bill to Limit Influence on Bids : Government: Measure would bar aides of city and county officeholders from voting on awarding contracts to their bosses’ campaign contributors.

A bill that would prevent aides of Los Angeles city and county officeholders from influencing the awarding of non-competitively bid transportation contracts to campaign contributors has moved a key step toward becoming California law.

The bill, introduced in response to a Times article last December reporting the votes of senior aides to Los Angeles County Supervisor Deane Dana, cleared the state Senate this week by a vote of 32 to 0.

“This bill closes the loophole which allows campaign contributors to get favorable treatment by transportation commissioners who should be acting as watchdogs of the public trust, not lap dogs for special interests,” said state Sen. Tom Hayden (D-Santa Monica), the measure’s author.

California conflict-of-interest law prohibits commissioners from voting on permits, licenses and no-bid contracts affecting any campaign contributors who have given more than $250 in the preceding year. The law does not, however, make clear if the prohibition applies to alternates who may be appointed by the elected official.

California Common Cause, a public-interest lobbying group, urged Hayden to introduce the bill. The measure would extend the prohibition to alternates appointed to serve on the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority. The 13-member MTA is composed of county supervisors, Los Angeles City Council members and representatives from outlying cities.

The Times reported in December that two aides to Dana who served as his alternates voted 29 times in 1991-1992 to approve contract hikes worth $45.8 million to Tutor-Saliba Corp. The company has won more subway construction contracts than any other in Los Angeles--and has been the top contributor to Dana’s campaigns.

During the period that Dana’s aides cast their votes, Tutor-Saliba contributed $28,000 to the supervisor’s reelection fund. The company loaned an additional $25,000 to Dana’s campaign in November, the day before the supervisor won reelection.

All but a few of the 29 votes were cast by Dana’s chief of staff, Donald R. Knabe, who also was the paid manager of the supervisor’s campaign. Knabe and Dana said there was no intent to circumvent the law. But upon learning that the county district attorney’s office would review the matter to determine if a more detailed investigation was warranted, Knabe said he would no longer cast votes that the law would otherwise prohibit Dana from making.

Six months after opening that review, officials at the district attorney’s office said Wednesday that the investigation’s status is unchanged.

Hayden said Wednesday that he hoped that his bill would soon be scheduled for a vote by the Assembly Transportation Committee and clear the Legislature this summer. No opposition has surfaced, Hayden said, and he is optimistic it that the bill will be sent to Gov. Pete Wilson for his signature.