Campaign contributions: investor-owned utilities.

The Political Reform Act of 1974 provides for the comprehensive regulation of campaign financing and related matters. This bill would prohibit an investor-owned utility from making a contribution to a candidate for elective state office and would prohibit a candidate for elective state office from accepting a contribution from an investor-owned utility. A violation of the Political Reform Act of 1974 is punishable as a misdemeanor. By creating a new crime under the act, this bill would impose a state-mandated local program. 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.