CA Fwd Calls on Legislators to Take Immediate Action on Implementing Reforms to Restore Public Trust in Government
Sacramento, CA (PRWEB) April 08, 2014 -- California Forward (CA Fwd), in the wake of two State Senators being indicted and another being convicted*, has released a proposal for actions that can be taken immediately by the state Legislature to restore trust in government. The proposal, titled, “The Path Toward Trust,” is designed to accelerate and focus the State’s response to the scandals.
CA Fwd, a nonpartisan effort dedicated to improving accountability and trust in government, believes every violation of the law by a public official is also a violation of the public trust.
“The recent events in Sacramento provide an opportunity for our elected officials to meet this crisis of confidence head-on and enact real and immediate reform to restore confidence in elected officials,” said Lenny Mendonca, co-chair of the CA Fwd Leadership Council. “Many of our elected officials are responsible, hard-working public servants, and they can demonstrate that to Californians by enacting the elements of the proposal before breaking for the summer recess.”
The Path Toward Trust includes the following steps:
- Modernize California's outdated campaign and lobbying disclosure system, also known as Cal-Access;
- Create online filing of economic interest statements (Form 700);
- Extend whistleblower protection for legislative staff;
- Create an independent legislative ethics officer;
- Enact a 72-hour Read the Bill provision; and,
- Increase the frequency of campaign finance reporting as in Senate Bill 1442.
“Until now, lawmakers have not felt compelled to reform the rules that affect them. Meanwhile, Californians have been willing to support reforms – from Citizen’s Redistricting and the Top Two Primary to 12-year Term Limits – because they want to reclaim their government,” added James Mayer, President and CEO of CA Fwd. “This is only the beginning of a prescription. But this is a good start and CA Fwd will continue to work with allies to identify other ways to fix our democracy.”
To access the complete copy of CA Fwd’s “Path Toward Trust,” which provides detailed information on the call-to-action for these recommendations, visit http://www.cafwd.org/pages/path-toward-trust.
About California Forward
California Forward is a nonpartisan and nonprofit organization, devoted to improving the performance of government in California. It believes that increased emphasis on accountability and transparency will create government that Californians deserve and expect. California Forward strongly advocates for confidence and trust in elected officials as being an essential ingredient to good government.
*as reported by the Sacramento Bee on March 28th and extensively on numerous other occasions
Ed Coghlan, California Forward, http://www.cafwd.org, +1 (818) 489-4774, [email protected]
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