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Signal Hill to revisecampaign fund ruleCritics sa\disclosurerequirementsneed moreclarification.SIGNAL MILL • The CityCouncil voted Tuesdaynight to revise an ordinance t hat would reveal campaignfinance disclosures after it was disputed byproponentsof a controversial tax-BRITTAN YWOOLSEYSTArrWRITtRoversightmeasure. The ordinance, which wasintroduced March 4. wouldamend city code by rt»quir-ing disclosure of the political action committees andfinancialvolvedsupporters in-in elections andcampaigns.Night to Know and Vote proponent and lawyer Car ol Churchill attempted to sue the city over the ordinance Monday, but that lawsuit was rejected by theSuperior Court. The Right to Know and Vote, whichwill be on the June 3 ballot.would require the city to get two-thirds voter approval for some taxes and fees. City officials say thatcould lead to lost revenue#§*■This litigation resultsfrom a misunderstanding,said city attorney DavidAleshin* on Tuesday “It ap-penrs that Carol Churchillthinks the ordinance isgeared against the Taxpayers’ Right to Know andVote, so I’m hoping thatproviding some further ex planation can clarify that.” Churchill didn't actuallyequate the ordinance with the ladlot measure 'luesuguedtwo provisions in the ordinance.First, she questioned how services can la* valued♦to door or stuffs envelopes,if they're just average, ordinary people, are they goingto bo required to fill out that form? she asked, urging for clarification in a revision.Churchill also said the ordinance allows campaignvolunteers to be sued fornot reporting their time The ordinance states thatthe city attorney or a resident of Signal Hill can sue anyone who violates any of the reporting requirementsor contribution limit*.That impacts the FirstAmendment and can makepeople afraid to become involved in campaigns because they might face litigation, Churchill said.“The ordinance shouldbe worded more specifically as to what you valuethose services as, who's in-cluded, and w-ho has to report that, she said.The council voted unanimously Tuesday to have staff rewrite I he ordinanceto make the definition ofvolunteer roles clearer.*The ordinance follow's mass mailers in a 2013 election opposing incumbent candidates by the Coalitionfor Clean Affordable Waterand the lxs AngelesLeague of ConservationVoters. • •According to the ordinance, full disclosure of who is distributing political mailers will allow voters tomake bet ter-infor modHqri-sions before they cast thanballots. *%Any person, orgauiza lion, not-for-profit or political action committee, thatmakes an independent ex penditure of more than$500 for or against a turasure or candidate wOMtJhave to notify the Signal Hill City Clerk’s Officewithin 24 hours of makingthe expenditure, the ordinam*«* Ha vs.*The council will revisit the ordinance at its April V*meeting for a second rejpl?A «* ft
Newspaper Details
Long Beach Register
Long Beach, California, US
Thu, Apr 03, 2014
Page 3
Full Page
Clipped by
Jene B.
USA 20 Jul 2019
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