To: CVF News
From: Kim Alexander
Date: Thursday, September 11, 1997
Re: SB 49 Heads to Governor's Desk!
Hi Folks:
I am very pleased to report that SB 49/Karnette has been passed by the California
Legislature and is now headed to Governor Pete Wilson's desk!
SB 49, which mandates electronic filing of, and Internet access to campaign finance
and lobbying disclosure data, was taken up by the Senate this morning at 11:30 a.m
and passed on a bi-partisan vote of 31-2. The Senate had previously passed SB 49
back in June on a vote of 31-7; today's Senate vote was on whether to concur with
amendments made to the bill while it was in the Assembly. There was no discussion
or debate, and only two senators voted in opposition -- Dick Mountjoy (R - Monrovia)
and Ray Haynes (R - Murietta).
Contacting Governor Wilson
The focus now shifts to Governor Pete Wilson, who has not yet publicly stated if
he will sign SB 49. Given the uncertainty of Wilson's position on electronic filing
and online disclosure, it is imperative that he hear from lots of people on this
issue. You can contact Governor Wilson via phone, fax, email or U.S. Mail. Here is
his contact
information:
US MAIL: Governor Pete Wilson
State Capitol Building
Sacramento, CA 95814
FAX: (916) 445-4633
EMAIL: PeteWilson@ca.gov
VOICEMAIL: (916) 658-2793
PHONE: (916) 445-2841
If you do contact the Governor, be sure to include the bill number in your letter
or statement; if you send email, it's probably a good idea to put "SB 49"
in the subject header.
U.S. Mail is still the most effective way to convey your position to an elected official.
Fortunately, Governor Wilson also offers a fax number to receive letters; we tested
the number and it was busy on the first try, but rang through on the second. We also
tested Governor Wilson's email address; a few moments after the message was sent,
we received an automatic reply saying thank you for the email, and that due to the
high volume of correspondence, he can't respond to each email message.
Governor Wilson has also established the California Voicemail Message Center, where
you can leave a thirty-second voicemail message registering your position on a bill
24 hours a day; the recording states that Wilson's staff routinely checks these messages.
Governor Wilson: Will he or won't he?
Will Governor Wilson sign SB 49 into law? On the one hand, both his Department of
Finance and Office of Planning and Research are on the record opposing the bill (in
fact, those two entities represent the only remaining opposition to SB 49). On the
other hand, Wilson's administration has clearly shown signs of leadership in the
technology arena, with his Digital High School Initiative and $20 million DMV electronic
filing program. The fact that SB 49 passed both houses by a landslide, and that the
bill is the top priority of Republican Secretary of State Bill Jones is also likely
to have a positive impact on the Governor's position.
Today's Los Angeles Times features an interesting column by George Skelton, which
includes quotes from Michael Sweet, the Wilson legislative liaison who has been monitoring
the bill and will be making a recommendation on it to the Governor. "Clearly
this is the way of the future," Sweet told Skelton. "But the issue for
the governor is, is this the way to go now and is it worth the money? I myself have
not formed an opinion."
The governor has thirty days to take action on the bill once it gets to his desk,
which will likely be in the next day or two. I have heard that Wilson is likely to
wait a few weeks before taking any action on SB 49.
CONGRATULATIONS!!!
I'd like to take a moment to acknowledge and congratulate all the people who have
worked to hard to improve public access to disclosure records. Regardless of what
happens to the bill next, it is nonetheless a huge victory that both houses of the
California Legislature have said a resounding "Yes" to electronic filing
and online disclosure. Many skeptics and cynics thought this day would never come.
It has arrived only because so many people have put so much effort into this issue.
Senator Betty Karnette (D - Long Beach) is to be commended for carrying SB 49 and
successfully navigating this bill through the process. She did an excellent job of
being responsive to concerns that members raised, while ensuring that her bill remained
strong and meaningful. Karnette and her staff worked hard behind the scenes to keep
SB 49 moving along and work with the numerous parties who had concerns with the measure.
Secretary of State Bill Jones has demonstrated extraordinary leadership on this issue,
championing the cause of electronic filing since he took office in 1995. He and his
staff have also worked very hard behind the scenes to build support for SB 49, and
Jones' unwavering support for electronic filing is likely to have much influence
with Governor Wilson.
Several other politicians have also proven instrumental in moving this bill. Assemblyman
Jim Cunneen presented SB 49 on the Assembly floor, and worked hard inside his caucus
to get his fellow members to come around to support this bill. SB 49's numerous co-authors
also took a high-profile stand in favor of public access, and several Assembly members
spoke in favor of SB 49 on Monday, including Peter Frusetta (R - Tres Pinos), Kevin
Shelley (D - San Francisco), Steve Kuykendall (R - Long Beach) and Roderick Wright
(D - South Central Los Angeles).
Many interest groups and their members have also lobbied hard all year long -- Common
Cause, Consumers Union, AARP, the League of Women Voters, the California Newspaper
Publishers Association, CalPIRG, and the League of Conservation Voters deserve kudos
and credit for applying the support and pressure needed to keep SB 49 moving and
in good shape.
Congrats to everyone, and I will be sure to keep CVF-NEWS subscribers informed of
any news from the Governor's office. In the meantime, please stop by and visit the
Digital Sunlight web site at www.digitalsunlight.org, where we have recently added
several news
articles and updates.
-- Kim Alexander, Executive Director, California Voter Foundation
kimalex@netcom.com
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