Gov. Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill (SB) 45— an election-fairness measure— by Sen. Tony Mendoza (D-Artesia) on Oct. 15, after the Legislature had unanimously approved it on Sept. 5.
SB 45 will amend the Political Reform Act of 1974 (PRA) to clarify that a city, county, special district,or state elected official whose name appears on a ballot is prohibited from using taxpayer money to send a mass mailing for 90 days preceding an election. This is necessary, as in recent years, incumbents in local governments have used taxpayer funds to contact constituents while running for re-election, according to Mendoza’s office. Responses to requests for information or assistance from a constituent will still be permitted under this bill.
“Fairness in an election is the cornerstone of our democracy,” Mendoza said. “Using the tools of your office to gain an unfair advantage over an opponent is detrimental to our electoral system and undermines public trust in our government.
“Making sure that every candidate has a chance to win based on their abilities and skill is key to a fair election. By having this bill become law, we move closer to preventing abuse of a public service. It is important to ensure a level playing field when it comes to equal access to constituents.”
Nicolas Heidorn, California Common Cause’s legislative advocate, agreed.
“Senate Bill 45 closes a loophole in California law that local elected officials had exploited to boost their name ID ahead of an election,” Heidorn said. “We applaud Sen. Mendoza for introducing this important bill and Gov. Brown for signing it into law.”
Source: Mendoza’s office
