Brown Says He May Back Initiative on Strict Election Reform Proposal

SAN FRANCISCO —  Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) said Friday that if his yet-to-be introduced political reform legislation fails to win passage this year, he will sponsor a ballot initiative to do the job.

Brown wants to provide public financing for campaigns. At the same time, he said, his proposal would ban outside income for legislators while increasing their pay from the current $37,105 a year to as much as $90,000 and giving them ample expense accounts.

“If that package is unacceptable in the halls of the Legislature, we’re going to the streets and we are budgeted to do it by way of the initiative process,” Brown said in his first public statement that he would sponsor a political reform initiative.

Would Bypass a Veto

And as if to emphasize his seriousness, Brown said such an initiative would allow him to bypass a veto by Gov. George Deukmejian, who opposes elements such as publicly financed campaigns.

“I now have the money to collect the signatures to put it on the ballot,” Brown said. “. . . I have not determined what will be included in mine. Mine will be reflective of what we fail to get in both houses of the Legislature.”

Brown has proposed reforms before, but he predicted that chances of passage are better this year. He and legislators generally face a difficult image problem with the recent conviction of former Assemblyman Bruce Young (D-Norwalk) in the continuing bribery scandal involving W. Patrick Moriarity.

Brown made the comments at an informal gathering with Bay Area reporters. It was the first time in years that he had held such a get-together and appeared to be part of an effort by him to renew his ties to San Francisco, which first elected him in 1964.

His Influence Waning?

Although Brown easily wins reelection in his safely Democratic district, several of the local candidates he supported in last November’s election lost, spawning speculation that his influence here is waning.

Brown acknowledged that he would be perhaps the biggest loser if his political reform package passes. He received $56,425 in fees for speeches, free travel and gifts from companies that lobby in Sacramento, and at least $124,000 in income and gifts from companies and special interests that commonly do business in Sacramento and are clients of his law practice.

“I think that I provide more credibility than probably anybody else up there for the need for reform,” Brown said, contending that he reports his outside interests and income “far more accurately, apparently, than anyone else alive.”

The Speaker said he is unconcerned about appearances regarding his hefty outside income.

‘I’d Be in Trouble’

“If I frankly worried more about perceptions than reality, I think I’d be in trouble,” he said. “I’d be handicapped. I would not be able to do the things that I can do in the political arena.”

Brown has yet to introduce a bill advancing his reforms. But he said he envisions a total ban on outside income for legislators--”whether from rentals, whether from medical practice, whether from law practice.

“No income. Period. A blind trust is b.s. . . . If the salary is adequate, the compensation will be adequate to eliminate the need to give any of your time and energy to any other endeavor.”

He added, however, that there may have to be “modifications” and said, for example, that a legislator should not be forced to sell off rental property.

Certain to Raise Eyebrows

Aspects of Brown’s proposal are certain to raise eyebrows. He said, for instance, that his call for public campaign financing may include attempts to get newspapers and television to provide free advertising for political campaigns.

Brown predicted that initiative or not, the Legislature will close a loophole in the 1974 Political Reform Act that prohibits legislators from participating in matters in which they have financial interests, but carries with it no penalty for violations.

“It will be almost impossible for people to get away with exercising just their own personal interests. It won’t be routinely defeated this time,” Brown said.