Should Donors be Disclosed by Name in Political Ads?

Public interest groups are urging citizens to back a bill up for a vote Tuesday in the California Assembly that would require the disclosure of large donors in political ads seen by voters across the state.

Under AB 1148, also known as the California Disclose Act, the three largest donors to political advertising on TV, radio, mailings, or the Internet would need to be named in the ad, rather than just in disclosure reports. In the case of a Political Action Committee (PAC) that would mean the names of the top individual or corporate donors to the PAC would be named in the ad.

"This would be a huge win for democracy in California, allowing citizens to give proper weight to the different messages they hear and make informed decisions at the ballot box," said MapLight, a nonprofit that tracks the influence of money in politics, in an email message to supporters.

Monrovia's representative, Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, D-La Canada Flintridge, is a co-sponsor of the bill.

The California Chamber of Commerce has announced its opposition to the bill, according to the San Jose Mercury-News. The measure has passed a committee hearing and has been scheduled for a full vote in the assembly.