SACRAMENTO - Assemblywoman Patty Berg, D-Eureka, this week co-authored a bill to close a loophole in campaign finance laws that allows some covert groups to wage political advertising campaigns while maintaining a cloak of secrecy over their finances.

Senate Bill 36 by state Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, and Martha Escutia, D-Norwalk, co-authored by Berg, seeks to change the law that enabled a number of shadowy organizations to wage negative-advertising campaigns in a range of state and local races in November.

Existing law allows certain tax-exempt groups to withhold their financial information from state political regulators. That essentially allows deep-pocketed groups to wage negative campaigns without voters ever knowing who is behind it.

“Secrecy and Democracy don’t mix,” said Berg. “When you find a glaring loophole like this, you’ve got to try and close it.”

Florez, the bill’s principal author, was the victim of just such an attack this past campaign season, even though he was not up for reelection at the time. Unlike Assembly members, who must seek reelection every two years, senators serve four-year terms.

“Californians deserve to know who is trying to influence their opinions,” Berg said.

By signing on as a principal co-author, Berg has offered the senators her highest possible endorsement of the bill, and intends to work hard for its passage.