• Personal Financial Affairs: Anyone holding or seeking a state elected office, or holding a high-level state appointed position, is required to file a statement of financial affairs that discloses sources of income and gifts, real estate holdings, investments, creditors, businesses owned and the major customers of those businesses.
  • Campaign Finance Disclosure:  Candidates, political parties, political committees, and others who raise and spend money to influence candidate elections and ballot propositions must file regular reports that show who has given campaign contributions and how the money is spent.  There is also a public inspection component that gives the public the opportunity to view campaign books during the week before each election and access to commercial advertisers’ political advertising orders invoices at any time.
  • Contribution Limits:  The state’s first contribution limits enacted by I-134 were applied to state office candidates, political parties, and the caucus campaign committees.  The Legislature has since extended limits to most local office candidates.  The Commission is charged with making inflationary adjustments to contribution limits in even-numbered years.
  • Lobbying Disclosure:  Paid lobbyists file detailed monthly reports showing the names of their employers, the amount of compensation, the identities of those entertained, provided gifts and contributed to and the amounts involved. Lobbyist employers file a similar report annually.
  • Political Advertising: Anyone, including individuals, corporations, unions and other organizations, paying for ads that solicit votes, funds or other support for state or local candidates, ballot measures, or political committees usually must, as part of the ad, clearly identify themselves as the sponsor. Additional information is necessary if these ads are undertaken independently of a campaign.