Sharlene Hamilton

California voters will have a chance to conduct an experiment that could help reduce or even eliminate the corrosive effects of money and fundraising on the political process. Proposition 15 would increase fees on registered lobbyists to provide funding that would be used in the Secretary of State campaigns in 2014 and 2018. In this pilot project, candidates who agree to participate would be provided funds if they agree to spending limitations and if they are able to raise $5 contributions from at least 7,500 registered voters.

Story continues after the jump. See video of the presentation HERE.

Sharlene Hamilton spoke to EDC members at the April meeting in support of the measure. She began by documenting the growing importance of fundraising for elected officials, then asked “So how are we going to get money out of politics?” She explained the experiment that Prop. 15 proposes would “not use taxpayer money.” Instead it increases lobbyist fees from the current $12.50 per year to $350.

If candidates agree to participate, they agree to observe spending limits. Three debates are required during the campaign; one before the primary, two before the general election. Prop. 15 “makes it more possible for third-party candidates to run and it gets more minorities in there, too,” she said. She pointed out that participating candidates immediately get $1 million for their primary campaign and, if they continue to the general, another $1.3 million for that campaign. Should they be opposed by candidates who are not participating, and who are outspending them, the law allows them to receive up to $4 million for a primary campaign and $5.2 million for the general election campaign, she reported.

“Where this has worked in other states, you have more women, more minorities, and more third-party candidates,” she said. She mentioned Connecticut, Arizona and Maine as examples of states that have passed legislation similar to Prop. 15. She said a number of other states have passed parts of the measure, and North Carolina uses its provisions for the election of judges. “That’s one area where we should get candidates who are not beholden to special interests,” she added. She also mentioned bills pending in both houses of Congress to bring some of Prop. 15’s reforms to the federal level. H.R. 1826 has 141 co-sponsors, she noted, including local Representatives Davis and Filner. The Senate bill, S.B. 752, has 10 co-sponsors, including Senator Boxer. Hamilton said staff of Senator Feinstein have assured her the Senator is open to support, but she has not signed on. She also noted that Prop. 15 has been endorsed by John Burton, chair of the California Democratic Party.

In conclusion, Hamilton asked EDC members to call their elected officials. “Tell them we want fair elections – elections that don’t require all of this special interest money,” she urged.

Watch a video about removing money from politics, hosted by Bill Moyers, on YouTube:

Clean Elections Part One

Clean Elections Part Two

Clean Elections Part Three

For more information on Prop. 15 and all of the propositions on the June 2010 ballot, visit the EDC 2010 June Ballot Propositions background page.