Recall elections: contribution limits.

The Political Reform Act of 1974, with certain exceptions, prohibits a person from making to a candidate for elective office, and prohibits the candidate from accepting from that person, a contribution totaling more than a specified amount per election. The act authorizes an elected officer to create a committee to oppose the qualification of a recall measure and the recall election, without regard to the campaign contribution limits. A violation of the act's provisions is punishable as a misdemeanor. This bill would require an elected state officer to comply with the contribution limits for campaign contributions to oppose a recall. Because violation of these contribution limits would be a crime, the bill would impose a state-mandated local program by expanding the scope of a crime. The California Constitution requires the state to reimburse local agencies and school districts for certain costs mandated by the state. Statutory provisions establish procedures for making that reimbursement. This bill would provide that no reimbursement is required by this act for a specified reason. The Political Reform Act of 1974, an initiative measure, provides that the Legislature may amend the act to further the act's purposes upon a 23 vote of each house of the Legislature and compliance with specified procedural requirements. This bill would declare that it furthers the purposes of the act.