Hayden Supports Campaign Reform Initiative for 1996 : Politics: Common Cause refrains from backing the drive, saying the senator may use it as a vehicle in his gubernatorial race. The plan would limit donations and impose other restrictions.

Saying it echoes a theme of his gubernatorial campaign, state Sen. Tom Hayden is throwing his support behind an effort to qualify a political reform initiative for the statewide ballot.

But his backing of the fledgling movement may prevent the state’s premier reform advocacy group, California Common Cause, from supporting the drive for the time being.

Like two propositions voters approved five years ago--but which were struck down by the courts--the proposed 1996 ballot measure would place dollar limits on campaign contributions. It would also cap campaign expenditures, ban the transfer of funds from one politician to another, outlaw non-election year fund raising and provide public financing for campaigns.

Ruth Holton, executive director of California Common Cause, said the initiative drive presents a quandary for her organization, which has decided to refrain from backing it for now.

“It has many elements we like, but we are waiting to see if Hayden is going to be using it as a campaign vehicle,” Holton said, noting that Common Cause steers away from endorsing candidates. “If so, we’re going to remain silent.”

The initiative’s chief proponent, Karl Ory of Chico, says it is the product of a coalition. He and Hayden (D-Santa Monica) said the initiative sprouted from a series of meetings last year with government reform advocates trying to draw up such a ballot measure.

“It’s a supplementary effort to my campaign for reform,” said Hayden, who confirmed that he has pledged “thousands and thousands” to help the initiative drive. “I suggested the idea. I support it.”

Hayden has made campaign financing reform a pillar of his quest for the Democratic nomination for governor, but he does not want to emerge as the main backer of the petition-gathering movement, he said. “I don’t want it to be a Hayden initiative,” he said. “I want it to be a reform initiative, with people standing shoulder to shoulder.”

Four years ago, Proposition 128, the “Big Green” environmental initiative, failed at the polls after business-backed opponents attacked it as “the Hayden initiative,” capitalizing on the public’s reservations about the liberal Democrat. Then an assemblyman, Hayden was a sponsor of Big Green, and was thought by some to be politically damaged by its defeat.

Ory, formerly a mayor of Chico and also a co-author of Big Green, said he will also solicit backing from other gubernatorial candidates. To get the proposition on the ballot, Ory needs to gather about 500,000 signatures.

“The polls have shown that the large majority of the state supports some kind of campaign finance reform,” Ory said, adding that voters passed Proposition 68 and the less stringent Proposition 73 in 1989 only to see them both get caught in a web of court decisions.

Darry Sragow, spokesman for Democratic candidate John Garamendi, the state’s insurance commissioner, said Garamendi has been “a strong proponent of campaign finance reform” and probably would be open to examining the proposed measure.

A spokesman for state Treasurer Kathleen Brown’s campaign had no comment Wednesday.

Gov. Pete Wilson has not seen the proposed measure but is a longtime supporter of setting some sort of limits on political contributions, said Dan Schnur, his campaign spokesman.

Hayden said he hopes the drive will force discussion of campaign reform proposals before the June primary. And to the new governor and Legislature being seated next January, “it tells them if they don’t act in 1995, they face this in 1996,” he said.

Historically, however, the Legislature has had a difficult time passing substantial laws to reduce the role of money in the political process. In fact, in last year’s political corruption trial of former state Sen. Paul B. Carpenter, testimony emerged that Carpenter garnered support for a campaign finance reform measure by offering lawmakers tips on how to get around it.

Just this week, an Assembly committee killed a measure by Assemblywoman Debra Bowen (D-Marina del Rey) that would have placed limits on political contributions and otherwise overhauled California’s campaign financing system.