The California Clean Money and Fair Elections Act, AB 583, by Assemblymember Loni Hancock (D-Berkeley) has passed out of the Assembly Appropriations Committee and will eventually head to the full Assembly floor for a vote.
This legislation would be a huge step forward in our efforts to rid the current system of excessive corporate money, which has turned off so many to the system and given us politicians who are beholded to special interests rather than the public interest. Even George Skelton gets on board today.
Thanks to the hundreds of Speak Out California members who let their voices be heard by sending in e-mails and flooding legislators’ offices with calls. Assemblymember Hancock said the outpouring of support from ordinary Californians made a difference in emphasizing the importance of this reform. We also want to thank the legislators on the Appropriations Committee who voted for the bill (all of them Democrats): Jusy Chu, Karen Bass, Patty Berg, Ronald Calderon, Hector De La Torre, Betty Karnette, Johan Klehs, Mark Leno, Joe Nation, Jenny Oropeza, Dave Jones, Lori Saldana and Leland Yee.