Describing California’s campaign and lobbying database as outdated and unreliable, Sen. Bob Hertzberg and Secretary of State Alex Padilla promoted legislation Monday that calls for a complete rebuild of the online system.
The pair held a joint press conference at the Capitol to formally unveil the bill, SB 1349, which Hertzberg introduced last month.
The target of the bill is an antiquated database known as Cal-Access, an online portal on the Secretary of State’s website intended to show the public who is contributing campaign money, receiving campaign money and how it is being spent. It also lists lobbyists, who hired them and how they are being paid.
But for years the system has been widely viewed as cumbersome and difficult for the public to access information.
“California is long overdue to fix the Cal-Access system and provide the public with user-friendly access to campaign and lobbying information,” Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, said in a statement. “The free flow of information is critical to citizen engagement and maintaining a healthy democracy.”
The bill directs the secretary of state to overhaul the database and create one that is data driven, rather than form based, and adheres to prevailing standards for search and open data. It also calls for a system that could be compatible with local campaign finance data.
Among the features envisioned for the rebuild is a unique ID assigned to all donors so the public can easily find out how much money a single contributor has given in an election cycle — something that is difficult to do today. The bill also recommends incorporating user-friendly features for filers, such as pre-populating data and electronic signature capability.
Such reforms were applauded Monday by Jim Heerwagen, the Los Gatos software engineer who was behind a ballot initiative that called for an overhaul of the Cal-Access database. With the introduction of Hertzberg’s bill, Heerwagen said he would suspend his Voters’ Right to Know Act because the legislation provides the vital infrastructure that “finally gives Californians the tool they need for easy access to critical information on their democracy.”
It is unclear when a new system would be launched. There is no timeline specified in the bill, although a Hertzberg spokesman said the senator is in discussions with Padilla to determine how quickly a new system could be brought online. When Padilla campaigned for secretary of state, he pledged to work with the Legislature to revamp Cal-Access.
“It is important that the public and press have quick, easy and reliable access to campaign finance information,” Padilla said in a statement. “Unfortunately, the current Cal-Access campaign finance database is outdated, unreliable and long overdue for a complete rebuild.”
Along with the bill, Hertzberg has submitted a $13.5 million funding request to Senate Committee on Budget and Fiscal Review to fund the project. The bill is awaiting a hearing in the Senate Elections and Constitutional Amendments Committee.
