SACRAMENTO, CA (MPG) - Assemblyman James Gallagher (R-Yuba City) successfully moved the State towards more transparent local elections by passing Assembly Bill 2151. Assembly Bill 2151 will improve campaign finance transparency by requiring local election officials to post campaign finance documents on the Internet within 72 hours of reporting these documents to the State’s campaign watchdog, the Fair Political Practices Commission. Assembly Bill 2151 passed out of both houses with strong bi-partisan support and was signed by the Governor on September 28, 2020.

Current law requires candidates running for local office to submit campaign finance documents outlining information about who is contributing to their political campaigns. These documents are required to be available for public review.  However, many local agencies only make these documents available for in-person review, at the local elections office building, during normal business hours Mon-Fri. In more rural areas, individuals seeking to review this information are required to travel great distances. In more urban areas, lack of parking or parking costs may also be an issue. These restraints discourage the public from accessing important information regarding who is funding local candidates. Simply put, the current system does not allow for the greatest public access and transparency.

Upon receiving confirmation of the Governor’s signature, Gallagher stated, “Transparency in political campaigns at all levels of government is vital to the success of our democracy. I am proud that Assembly Bill 2151 will allow greater access of local campaign finance information to the public.”

Already, the public can access campaign finance documents online for candidates running for State or Federal office. Under Assembly Bill 2151, local campaign finance documents will also be easily accessible on local government websites.

For more information on Assemblyman Gallagher, and to track legislation visit www.assembly.ca.gov/Gallagher

Assemblyman James Gallagher represents the 3rd Assembly District, which encompasses all of Glenn, Sutter, Tehama and Yuba counties as well as portions of Butte and Colusa counties.