Posted on 02/16/2005 8:47:39 AM PST by NormsRevenge
SACRAMENTO -- State Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, already linked to a corruption probe, and Senate Minority Leader Dick Ackerman, R-Tustin, refused on Tuesday to drop a bill that could weaken campaign-finance probes against lawmakers.
One probe that could be affected is apparently one involving Sen. Jim Battin, R-Palm Desert, who lashed out Tuesday at a state agency he accused of improperly revealing its inquiry.
"It is disturbing the Fair Political Practices Commission has apparently chosen to violate their own rules prohibiting them from discussing an ongoing investigation and make comments to the press," Battin wrote in a prepared statement that said he adhered to campaign laws.
A representative of the FPPC, which has been critical of the bill, was not immediately available to respond.
The San Francisco Chronicle reported Tuesday that Perata and Ackerman have been quietly and urgently pushing Senate Bill 25. Perata's spokeswoman, Alicia Dlugosh, said he was only a co-author and referred calls to a Senate Elections Committee consultant who was not available for comment.
An aide to Ackerman cited his recent statements that the bill addresses what legislators consider "a problem in interpretation of the law."
Representatives of the FPPC, charged with ensuring that officeholders follow political reform laws, have said SB25 would "severely undermine" their efforts.
A representative of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office said he was unaware of the measure and has no position on it.
The bill was triggered by both parties' frustration with what they view as contradictory declarations by the commission and continuing clashes over legitimate uses of campaign accounts created before voters placed new limits on fund raising with Proposition 34 in 2000.
Such issues figure in the commission's investigation of Battin and also did in instances when it levied fines against other politicians.
Perata is under investigation by federal authorities about his personal financial dealings with associates -- including friends and family members -- who paid him income at the same time they received work from him on campaign and consulting projects.
What will the Gubinator do?
Oh yes..the high crime artists are covering their butts. The level of crime and corruption that was set up and practiced during the Scumbag Davis years, is still entrained in the state legislature, and all the lackies that were involved in Davis' network of back-alley dealings and accomplices.
They do not want to be exposed. Pretty simple.
The FBI was here a few years ago and left without opting to further investigate the incestuous nature of the legislature and influence peddling, etc.
RICO should have been invoked then and a good chunk of the leadership, mostly dems of course, as well as many members of the state legislature should be in Tehachapi or Lompoc.
And this was before the Oracle fiasco that tainted Lockyer and Davis, amongst others.
The FBI was here a few years ago and left without opting to further investigate the incestuous nature of the legislature and influence peddling, etc.
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It is a tragic byproduct of the lack of accountability in government. They have 007 license to kill, yet we must go to jail for our crimes. As you well know, we are over $30 billion in debt from these criminals, for a complex host of reasons, and Davis, et al, walk the streets as free men, absolved of any wrong doing.
A perverted double standard which encourages our government to break the law, at will, without fear of serious consequences.
Updated article..
http://www.insidebayarea.com/oaklandtribune/ci_2570059
Perata steps into more controversy
By Steve Geissinger, SACRAMENTO BUREAU
SACRAMENTO — Senate leader Don Perata, already linked to a corruption probe, and Senate minority leader Dick Ackerman refused to drop a bill Tuesday that could hinder campaign-finance probes — including one against Sen. Jim Battin, who lashed out late in the day.
In a written statement, Battin, a Palm Desert Republican, said he has adhered to campaign finance laws and attacked state regulators.
"It is disturbing the Fair Political Practices Commission has apparently chosen to violate their own rules prohibiting them from discussing an ongoing investigation and make comments to the press," Battin said.
A representative of the FPPC, which has been critical of the bill, was not immediately available.
Perata, an Oakland Democrat who serves as Senate president pro tem, through spokeswoman Alicia Dlugosh, said he was only a co-author on the bill and referred calls to a Senate elections committee consultant, who was not immediately available.
An aide to Ackerman referred to recent statements by the Irvine Republican that the bill addresses what legislators consider "a problem in interpretation of the law."
Aides said no legislator was willing to slow the fast-track measure, despite growing opposition.
Representatives of the Fair Political Practices Commission, charged with ensuring that officeholders follow the state's political reform laws, are protesting that SB-25 would "severely undermine" the commission's efforts.
A representative of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office said the governor was unaware of the measure and had no position.
The bill was triggered by both parties' frustration with what they view as contradictory declarations by the commission and continuing clashes over legitimate uses of campaign accounts created before voters placed new limits on fund-raising with Proposition 34 in 2000.
The legislation would make it more difficult for the commission to prove that a lawmaker manipulated contributions to avoid the new limits. In essence, the bill would lessen regulators' ability to use letters that political donors send with their checks.
Such a letter figures in a commission investigation of Battin and was key in previous cases where the commission levied fines against other politicians.
The authors used a parliamentary tactic known as "gut and amend" to insert the language into an existing bill, rather than introducing it as an original measure.
The authors therefore avoided having to wait a month before a hearing. Rules were waived so it could go to the full Senate after going through only one policy committee — the Senate elections committee — which passed it on a 4-1 vote. The dissenting vote came from Sen. Debra Bowen, D-Marina Del Rey.
The bill also contains an urgency clause, which requires two-thirds votes for it to pass the legislative houses, but would allow it to go into effect immediately upon the governor's signature.
Perata is scheduled to deliver a luncheon address today to the Sacramento Press Club, but analysts said he's likely to continue sidestepping questions about the federal corruption probe swirling around him and now about SB-25.
He is under investigation by federal authorities about his personal financial dealings with associates — including friends and family members.
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