Assembly committee approves 'astroturf' lobbying reform

Wolk bill requires disclosure by shell organizations used to influence legislation

SACRAMENTO– Assemblywoman Lois Wolk (D-Davis) today won approval of her legislation to require public disclosure of grassroots “astroturf” lobbying campaigns that attempt to influence legislation through mass media, mail, phone calls, newspaper ads and other organized public relations campaigns funded by special interests. The bill, AB 2794, passed out the Elections and Redistricting Committee on a bipartisan unanimous vote.

“Astroturf lobbying, is the increasingly common effort to influence legislative or administrative action through media campaigns and other activities by stimulating or creating fake grassroots movements or front groups to influence specific legislation,” said Assemblywoman Wolk. “These efforts do not currently trigger reporting requirements that apply to more traditional lobbying activities that must be disclosed under current law. This bill will keep the public informed about who is behind the curtain.”

“For example, under this bill, if the Californians for Apple Pie and Goodness run a TV ad asking the public to contact their legislator to support or oppose a piece of legislation, the public, as well as the press, will be able to go to the Secretary of State and find out just who is paying for the Californians for Apple Pie and Goodness. That’s what most of us would think the law already requires, but unfortunately it does not. It’s time to end this secrecy.

“The purpose of this bill is not to restrict grassroots activity, genuine or not, but only to shed more public light on who is behind these paid efforts to influence a legislative vote or administrative action,” concluded Wolk.

Theis Finlev of California Common Cause, the sponsor of the bill, testified in support of the measure. “The ability of the public to find out who is financing efforts to influence public policy is vital for the integrity and transparency of our democratic institutions,” said Finlev. “This bill accomplishes exactly that by requiring disclosure of important lobbying activity that is currently going unreported."

The bill, which applies to lobbying state government, not local government, now goes to the Assembly Appropriations Committee. Similar legislation is now pending in the U.S. Senate that would impose similar reporting requirements for astroturf lobbying of Congress.