Bowen Bill Requiring Disclosure of Backers When Signatures Are Sought for Ballot Initiatives is Close to Going to Governor

A Hot Potato: Republicans Have Lined Up With Big Money and Against Reform

By Frank D. Russo

In a few days the Governor is likely see on his desk a bill by Senator Debra Bowen, the Chair of the Senate Elections Committee, that would require those gathering signatures to qualify a proposition for the ballot who is bankrolling the effort and whether the person asking them to sign is a volunteer or a paid signature gatherer. SB 1598 passed the California Assembly this week on a strict party line vote of 43 to 28 with all Democrats in favor and all Republicans opposed. It has previously passed the Senate on a similar partisan vote and that body will vote on concurring in minor amendments made in the Assembly before it goes to the Governor.

This will set up a very interesting test of the Governor. He vetoed a similar bill last year. But that was before the “Special Election” last year where measures placed on the ballot by paid signature gatherers, were all defeated by the people after $300 million dollars (a national record amount) was spent on ads and $60 million of public money was wasted on the election. Arnold says he learned his lesson from his defeats last year. This is an election year—we will see if he signs the Bowen bill or sides with money and against disclosure for voters to make an intelligent decision on what gets on the ballot.

The San Francisco Chronicle on Wednesday editorialized in favor of SB 1598 and criticized the Governor in a piece “Following the money.” It’s short and readable, and I recommend taking a look at it. They make the point quite clear.

The initiative—the right of the people to vote directly on ballot propositions--was a great progressive reform brought to us by Hiram Johnson almost a century ago. It required a certain amount of signatures to be gathered on petitions so that it would be reserved to situations where there was a popular uprising for a measure to be on the ballot.

This is not the process we have now. Instead of average citizens bringing their ironing boards out to public places because they want to see a measure on the ballot, voters who are going about their daily business are confronted by paid bounty hunters soliciting their signatures. In almost all cases they have no idea of what they are signing—and no information of who is behind the proposal, who is financing it, and whether the person asking them to sign is a volunteer or paid.

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