What will be the impact of the California Political Reform Initiative on political party organizations?
The CPR initiative will restructure the financing and organization of political parties in California, substantially reducing their reliance on candidate-centered committees for funding and the formulation of policy agendas. All individuals, candidates and committees will be limited to annual contributions of no more than $5,000 to state and county party central committees combined, and candidate transfers of funds to party committees will be prohibited. Political parties will be reorganized into independent and clearly identifiable entities responsible for their own fundraising, platform development, and distribution of party funds to candidates and causes. Political parties will be given a special status in the financing of candidate campaigns, in part to encourage candidate discipline to party programs and in part to off-set independent expenditures by special interest groups. Party committees may contribute to any candidate up to 25% of the candidate’s spending limit per election,
