Published: July 11, 2001
ALQUIST
CAMPAIGN REFORM
BILL ADVANCES
Sacramento. A bill by Assemblywoman Elaine Alquist (D-Santa Clara) to curb anonymous last-minute campaign communications has advanced in the state Senate after approval on Wednesday 8-0 by the Senate Elections Committee.
AB 2 requires that independent expenditure committees formed in the last 16 days before an election must identify themselves within 24 hours of being created. Independent committees may be formed by two or more individuals to spend money for campaign communications that go directly to the voters. These campaign committees are "independent" because they may not be controlled by candidates, officeholders, or political parties.
"Passage of this bill will help ensure that voters are able to learn the identity of the people behind the campaign messages that flood their mail boxes and fill the airwaves in the last days before an election," said Assemblywoman Alquist.
"The goat of my bill is to provide the information that citizens need to judge for themselves the credibility of the messenger and to make informed decisions. By providing accurate information within 24 hours about who is sending political messages, candidates will have time to respond to the mailers, newspaper, radio or TV advertisements, and the citizens will benefit from the vigorous debate," concluded the Assemblywoman from Santa Clara.
AB 2 will next be considered by the Senate Appropriations Committee and then by the full Senate.
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