FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE from California Clean Money
Campaign
February 6, 2025 Contact: Trent Lange (310) 428-1556
California Fair Elections Act Introduced to Allow Local
Governments and California to Have Public Financing of
Elections
SB 42 would put a measure on the November 2026 ballot to
allow voters to decide the matter.
SACRAMENTO, CA -- At a time when voters are more concerned
than ever about the dominance of Big Money in politics,
Senator Tom Umberg (D-Santa Ana) has introduced SB 42,
jointly authored by Assemblymember Alex Lee (D-San Jose)
and Senator Ben Allen (D-El Segundo), to restore control to
local governments and the State by allowing them to enact
new options for election campaign funding.
SB 42 is sponsored by the California Clean Money Campaign,
California Common Cause, and the League of Women Voters of
California.
Five California charter cities currently empower voters by
providing public financing matching funds or democracy
vouchers to help voters support qualified candidates, but
state law currently bans counties, districts, general law
cities, and the State from offering public funds for
campaigns. SB 42 would put a measure on the November 2026
ballot to remove the ban.
In 2016, the Legislature passed SB 1107 (Allen), signed by
Governor Jerry Brown, which would have removed the
ban but the courts ruled that the question must be put
before the voters. SB 42 would do so by putting a measure
on the November 2026 ballot.
"In historic votes, overwhelming bipartisan majorities
in both Houses of the Legislature voted nine years ago to
give local governments and the State the option to enact
public financing laws, said SB 42 author Senator
Umberg, Chair of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
"It?s long past time for California voters to have their
say in the matter and SB 42 will do exactly that on next
year?s ballot."
h "Public financing of campaigns is the best way to
empower voters, increase diversity of candidates running
for office, and give voters confidence that Big Money can?t
just buy their elections," said Assemblymember Alex
Lee (D-San Jose), joint author of SB 42.
Elected officials and those running for office spend a
significant amount of time soliciting donations. Public
financing of campaigns can reduce the influence of money in
elections and lead to more diverse candidates running for
office that better reflect the communities they seek to
represent.
"Voters across the political spectrum know that the
crushing expense of campaigning can prevent great
candidates from making it through the electoral process.
This bill creates a path by enabling public financing
systems that reduce reliance on special interests and
amplify the voices of grassroots communities," said
Senator Ben Allen (D-El Segundo), the author of
2016's SB 1107 and a joint author of SB 42.
81% of likely California voters said that Big Money
campaign contributors have too much influence over elected
officials in California, and 63% said that ordinary voters
have too little influence, according to a 2024 poll by the
California Clean Money Campaign. That may be why voters in
charter cities have passed public financing measures by
large majorities when given the opportunity. 75% voted for
Los Angeles? Measure H in 2011, 65% voted for Berkeley?s
Measure X1 in 2016, and 74% voted for Oakland?s Measure W
in 2022.
A broad coalition of state, local, and national
organizations supported last session's SB 24 (Umberg-Allen)
and AB 270 (Lee-Cervantes) that also would have put a
measure on the ballot to repeal the ban. They both made it
through their first four key votes but were held in the
Assembly and Senate Appropriations Committees,
respectively, last August. This year an ever bigger
coalition will push to pass SB 42.
"Though it was disappointing that SB 24 and AB 270
didn't get to the Governor's desk last year, a lot of
progress was made building the coalition for Fair
Elections," said Trent Lange, President of the
California Clean Money Campaign, sponsor of SB 42.
"That?s why we?re so grateful that Senator Umberg
is leading with Assemblymember Lee and Senator
Allen on SB 42 to give voters the opportunity to remove
the ban on public financing and thereby give counties,
districts, general law cities, and the State the ability to
explore publicly funded election systems that work for
them."
"Public financing of campaigns empowers candidates from
all walks of life to compete for public office without
having to rely on wealthy donors," said David Shor,
Money in Politics Director of California Common Cause,
a cosponsor of SB 42. "We know that there will be a
large coalition of grassroots organizations representing
all spectrums of Californians who understand the ways big
money in politics has harmed communities across the state,
and will join in helping it pass."
"The escalating role of money in politics poses a
significant threat to the health of our democracy. By
prioritizing special interests and diminishing the voices
of ordinary voters, it undermines the core principle of
representative governance," said >b>Dora Rose,
Deputy Director of the League of Women Voters of
California, a cosponsor of SB 42. "Public financing is a
proven tool that levels the playing field, enabling diverse
candidates to run viable campaigns while restoring the
public?s trust in the fairness of our elections. SB 42
gives Californians the opportunity to reclaim their
elections and ensure they reflect the values and priorities
of the people, not just the wealthiest donors."
SB 42 will be heard in the Senate Elections and
Constitutional Amendments Committee in March or April.
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The California Clean Money Campaign is a non-partisan
organization that has been dedicated to educating the
public about the need to lessen the unfair influence of Big
Money on election campaigns since 2001. For further
information, visit www.YesFairElections.org.
SB 42 would put a measure on the November 2026 ballot to allow voters to decide the matter.
