CALL: Atkins. Bloom. Mitchell. Water. Lies. Money. August 29th

If you live in these districts we need you to call your Assembly & State Reps:

Assemblyman Richard Bloom's District  Tel: (916) 319-2050
State Senator Holly Mitchell's District Phone: (916) 651-4030
President of the Senate Toni Atkins District Phone: (916) 651-4039
Speaker of Assembly Anthony Rendon District   Tel: (916) 319-2063

Food&Water Watch & Restore the Delta have alerted us all that nonsense is going down in Sacramento.  

We have 1 day to stop a hearing that is scheduled for August 30.   This informational  hearing (at the direction of Holly Mitchell) if it goes forward will allow a contract with water agencies to go until the year 2085.    That is nearly 70 years from now.  What makes it even worse is that they don't have all the financial studies in hand before they are having this hearing.   It is misguided.  

Their goal is simple.  They want the hearing to go forward so that contracts can be AUTOMATICALLY extended without a vote.  Which happens after a hearing.   

That is hideous.    And once that happens it goes to Toni Atkins who can sign off.   

And if that was not bad enough,  Assemblyman Richard Bloom has added an amendment to bill 2649 that removes oversight of this project.    
Removing oversight on a project that uses funds that can go until 2085 is unconscionable.   

Stop it.  Only you can do it.  

Tell Atkins, Mitchell & Rendon: 

"Your upcoming decision on the State Water Contract will impact taxpayers and our water throughout the entire State of California. I urge you to delay the informational hearing until all information regarding financing of the Delta tunnels has been provided to the legislature and public input can be given. It is completely irresponsible to give no notice of a public meeting, and by proxy discourage input from constituents. It is also irresponsible that legislators are expected to make an informed decision without access to contract amendments and no idea what the cost impacts would be for taxpayers and water ratepayers.” 

Tell Bloom:

I urge Assemblyman Bloom  to pull the bad bill he introduced   AB2649  to remove basic oversight on the DELTA TUNNELS  and the state water contract. It's outrageous that CA elected democrats are considering this when the Trump administration is trying to take control of California Delta water! We need more oversight and public transparency on the state water contract and tunnels – not less! Pull AB2649!
   

Do You Want Citizens United in California? ---It's About to Happen and Our Friends Are Doing It To Us

UPDATE:  Call your Reps today Aug 20 & Aug 21.   We hear they are voting on this on 21st or 22nd.

AB 84

What is it?

It is a mini me version of Citizens United and it passed the Senate 3-2 and is now in committee.

If you do not want dark money in campaigns in California you must call your Assemblyperson and your State Senator.    It is right now in a committee but if you put the heat on your representative then when it comes out for a vote your Rep will feel too much pressure to sign off on it.

If you don't know your Cal State Reps  GO HERE. 

This bill was generated by Senate Pro Tem Mullin who is Assembly District CA22 ---  Obviously if you know anyone in South San Francisco encourage them to call Mullin's office and tell them how disappointed they are in this bill.

And for the rest of us........

Here is an article in LA Times
And this is a cheat sheet on what AB 84 is all about---.

Assembly Bill 84 Fact Sheet

Lead Author: Assembly Speaker Pro Tem Kevin Mullin (D-22)

Principal Coauthors: Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-63)/Minority Leader Brian Dahle (R-01)

What AB 84 Does:

●       Allows the Speaker of the Assembly, the Assembly Minority Leader, the Senate President Pro Tempore, and the Senate Minority Leader to each establish “Legislative Caucus Committees” that would operate the same as current political party committees, but without any oversight by the elected Party organization. 

●      Requires party committees to file 12 monthly disclosure reports in election years if they raised or spent $50,000 or more in the previous calendar year, as opposed to the 8 to 10 they currently do.

How Does This Compare To The Status Quo?

●       The campaign fundraising committees permitted to the leadership under current rules are subject to strict caps, limiting them to donations of up to $4,400form a single source.

●       Political party committees, however, can raise up to $36,500from a single source, and are allowed an unlimited amount in independent expenditures for and against candidates. AB 84 would create four new committees with these higher limits. 

                                                                                                                                Current Law        With AB 84

Contribution limits TO committees directed by caucus leaders for state candidates	$4,400	$36,500
Contribution limits TO committees directed by caucus leaders for candidate IEs	$4,400	Unlimited
Contribution limits FROM committees directed by caucus leaders to legislative candidates	$4,400	Unlimited

*source of table: California Clean Money Campaign.

 Why Is This A Problem?

●       Under AB 84, special interests will now have a larger pipelineto donate massive amounts to those who direct the activities of the California legislature. This will dramatically expand the influence of undesirable special interests like fossil fuels, charter school, and the private prison industry. Because of pressure from activists and delegates, the Democratic Party currently does not accept donations from these sources. AB 84 provides Legislative leaders a work-around to accept large cash infusions from polluters and prison profiteers. 

●       Under AB 84, Legislative leaders could flood races with money for their preferred candidates, no matter who is endorsed by the Party. Party committees are overseen and accountable to elected delegates who vote on important questions like candidate endorsements. AB 84 is an undemocratic end-run.

●       Passage will likely result in a siphoning of resources from the State Parties to Legislative leadership, which could have an adverse effect on the efforts of State Parties to build infrastructure and encourage participation. 

Sample Opposition Phone Call Info & Script

"HI my name is ___________ and I'm from _______.  I'm calling to urge ____ to oppose (or abstain on) AB84 in the Senate Elections Committee.  This bill would lead to more corporate money flowing into our election system and consolidates far too much power in the legislative leadership.  I fear this could lead to my representatives being more responsible to leadership or corporat interests than my fellow constituents and me,  along with democratic principal and values.  I ask ____ to oppose or abstain on the bill as it is written. "