The California Chamber of Commerce is part of a diverse coalition that has endorsed a proposed ballot initiative to rein in special interests and give voters more access to the legislative process.
8/11/16 update: The initiative will appear as Proposition 54 on the November 2016 ballot.
The coalition includes representatives of good government and employer groups, as well as current and former elected officials.
Bipartisan Support
Besides the CalChamber, others lining up behind the California Legislature Transparency Act as it makes its way toward the November ballot include California Common Cause, Californians Aware, Los Angeles Area Chamber of Commerce, former Democratic Assembly Speaker Pro-Tempore Fred Keeley, and Assemblywoman Kristin Olsen (R-Modesto).
“When legislation that affects jobs and the economy is decided upon by only a select few and passed in the dead of night, it can create significant obstacles for business growth which impacts real people,” said CalChamber President and CEO Allan Zaremberg. “CalChamber supports the California Legislature Transparency Act, which will create transparency in the legislative process.”
California Common Cause Executive Director Kathay Feng said the act “helps further the mission of Common Cause by creating a more open, honest, and accountable government and working to empower the public to participate in, and have their voices heard, in our political process.”
The measure filed by former Senate Republican Leader Sam Blakeslee and government reform advocate Charles Munger Jr. aims to reduce the power and influence of special interests and empower the average California voter in the legislative process.
Process Transparency
The initiative increases transparency in the legislative process by requiring that all proposed new laws be published online in final form, viewable to the voters, for at least 72 hours before the Legislature votes. The measure further requires that all legislative meetings be recorded and made freely available online for the public within 24 hours.
Supporters announced earlier include California Forward, the California National Federation of Independent Business, the California Black Chamber of Commerce, and the First Amendment Coalition. The California Legislature Transparency Act is rapidly gaining support and is well on its way to qualifying for the November ballot.
To learn more about the California Legislature Transparency Act or to join the coalition, visit the newly launched website at www.holdpoliticiansaccountable.org.
