By The Times-Standard
Monday, August 01, 2005 -
EUREKA -- A bill that sought to close the loophole that allowed the Eureka Coalition for Jobs to anonymously run attack ads against City Councilman Chris Kerrigan in the last election failed to gather enough support to get out of the state Senate.
Senate Bill 36, introduced by state Sens. Dean Florez and Martha Escutia, would have required anyone who gives $50,000 or more "for a communication that clearly identifies a candidate for elective state office, but does not expressly advocate the election or defeat of the candidate, and that is disseminated, broadcast, or otherwise published to more than 10,000 voters in the jurisdiction in which the candidate is seeking office," must declare who they are.
It also states that anyone who receives at least $2,500 for making that sort of communication must also declare.
Will Shuck, spokesman for Eureka Democrat Assemblywoman Patty Berg, said the bill failed to gather the support necessary to move on to the Assembly. Since the bill was scheduled to take effect immediately and because it modifies a previous initiative it needed a two-thirds vote to pass. Berg was the bill's principal co-author.
"Patty has said from the very start she thinks we should have transparency and better accountability and openness in the process," Shuck said.
Berg has said allowing groups like the Eureka Coalition for Jobs to operate in the shadows is bad for voters and bad for democracy.
The Times-Standard filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission seeking the names of those behind the ads. The effort failed.
"We are deeply disappointed that the political will is lacking to close the obvious loophole in the law that allows political action groups to operate anonymously in the public arena," Times-Standard Managing Editor Charles Winkler said. "The lack of votes here underscores the role the public has in providing the political will to legislators to make this kind of needed law a reality."
Shuck said the bill failed by one vote mostly along party lines, with Democrats voting for it and Republicans against. The bill will have its next chance in January, he said.
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