Watchdogs shed more light on ALEC as it prepares for DC meeting
With hundreds of state legislators arriving in Washington for this week’s annual policy summit of the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC), Common Cause and the Center for Media and Democracy...
View ArticleReconsider, Mr. President — Don’t Take the Money
President Obama’s first inaugural committee threw one heck of a party WITHOUT accepting a penny of corporate money and with a $50,000 limit on individual donations. His second inaugural committee plans...
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ALEC explores covering its lobbying tracks with new affiliate
The folks who call the shots at the American Legislative Exchange Council (ALEC) apparently are preparing a damage control defense on Common Cause’s complaint that ALEC is a lobby masquerading as a...
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Loophole in California Revolving Door Law
(Click here to listen to the audio version of this post) As highlighted on the KPBS article and Capitol Public Radio piece (audio), California’s revolving door laws continue to suffer from...
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An open letter to President Obama: Let’s do something about money in politics
(Crossposted from the Huffington Post) January 22, 2013 Dear Mr. President: Your inaugural address was an inspiring call to action by “we the people” to address the great challenges posed by economic...
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Getting Around Contribution Limits in California
Just when you think you have heard it all. The Sacramento Bee is reporting on the depressing, yet openly honest admission from a state Assembly Member who opened a new candidate campaign committee...
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Watch out! Supreme Court weighing new challenge to campaign contribution limits
If you’ve got plenty of money – and I mean PLENTY – and you want to spend gobs and gobs of it electing political candidates and helping political parties, you may be pleased about today’s news from...
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California Voters vs. Citizens United
This morning, California took a historic step towards putting voters first over big money special interests. California Assembly Member Bob Wieckowski (D-Fremont), chair of the Assembly Judiciary...
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HAWAII: ‘Transparency for SuperPACs’ bill (HB1147) to be heard in the House...
IN HAWAII: the House Finance Committee has scheduled HB1147 HD1 — which encourages transparency for PACs and SuperPACs — for a Wednesday, February 27 hearing. This important measure would...
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Time to pull the plug on Obama’s Organizing for Action
Shut it down, Mr. President. Organizing for Action, the Obama administration’s new “independent,” non-profit advocacy group, should be put out of business and its plan to schedule quarterly meetings...
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Evading the “hard truths” at the FEC
Having pretty much abandoned enforcement of our campaign finance laws, the three Republican members of the Federal Election Commission have plenty of time on their hands these days. So it’s no...
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CA Campaign Finance Data Set Free
Today, California Secretary of State Debra Bowen announced her plans to make the raw data behind California’s lobbyists and campaign finance database available, online, on one spreadsheet available...
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Should Public Service in California Come with Perks?
California Legislators are paid a base salary of $95,291 a year and a per diem rate equivalent to $30,000 a year. Although more than double the salary of an average Californian, many of these...
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Under investigation? Say hello to legal defense funds
In June, State Senator Ron Calderon (D-Montebello), opened a legal defense fund to start gathering money to pay for potential legal and administrative expenses following the FBI raid of his office....
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HAWAII: ‘Transparency for SuperPACs’ bill (HB1147) to be heard in the House...
IN HAWAII: the House Finance Committee has scheduled HB1147 HD1 — which encourages transparency for PACs and SuperPACs — for a Wednesday, February 27 hearing. This important measure would...
View ArticleClik here to view.
Time to pull the plug on Obama’s Organizing for Action
Shut it down, Mr. President. Organizing for Action, the Obama administration’s new “independent,” non-profit advocacy group, should be put out of business and its plan to schedule quarterly meetings...
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Linked in history — Watergate and Common Cause
This essay was prepared for Common Cause’s “Lessons of Watergate” conference, March 13 -14, 2013 at the National Press Club, Washington, D.C. Common Cause was less than one month old when it first...
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“Stuffy old men” and campaign finance
Even as they acknowledge and lament the public’s perception that theirs is the party of “stuffy old men,” Republican leaders looked this week to give stuffy old men – or at least those with a lot of...
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Election Reform Forum in California
Last Thursday, California Common Cause policy advocate Phillip Ung and state board member LeeAnn Pelham joined a panel of speakers to discuss electoral reform for the nation and the Golden State....
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Let’s fix campaign finance law enforcement
News from Capitol Hill. A Senate subcommittee is hearing testimony this morning on the woeful state for enforcement of our campaign finance laws. The Federal Election Commission is one of the most...
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