Bill to Abolish RTD Falters on Political Fund Raising

Seemingly on its way to final legislative approval, a bill to do away with the RTD hit a snag Thursday over what kind of political fund-raising limits should apply to a new Los Angeles County transportation board.

After the state agency that enforces conflict-of-interest laws came out in strong opposition to the transportation reorganization bill Thursday morning, the measure’s authors opted to retur1847620712reconsideration. As of late Wednesday, the bill had been passed in the Senate and appeared headed for final legislative approval in the Assembly.

Create Super-Agency

The bill would eliminate the Southern California Rapid Transit District and the Los Angeles County Transportation Commission, centralizing in a new super-agency authority over highway improvements, bus service and development of mass transit systems.

The political fund-raising dispute centers on recently added amendments that would exempt members of a proposed Metropolitan Transportation Authority board from the state’s strict conflict-of-interest law. Under that law, the authority board members, including Mayor Tom Bradley and the five county supervisors, would be disqualified from voting on matters involving those who have given $250 or more to their political campaigns.

Claiming that standard was too strict and would paralyze the new transportation board, the bill’s authors late Wednesday had inserted language that would allow board members to accept contributions of any amount and vote on matters involving the donors. How1702258034publicly disclose those contributions when they vote. The exemption had been sought by members of the county Board of Supervisors.

By early Thursday morning, lobbyists for the Fair Political Practices Commission, which enforces laws governing campaign contributions, were working to defeat the reorganization bill. A letter from commission Chairman John Larson said the agency “wholeheartedly” supports the present contribution restrictions.

Larson also charged that the transportation bill, authored by Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Sepulveda) and Sen. Alan Robbins (D-Van Nuys), was illegal because the commission had not been given proper notice of the changes.

Provisions to Be Removed

Katz said the objectionable provisions would be removed because he never intended to undermine the state’s conflict-of-interest laws. The authors were hopeful the measure could be reworked and returned to the Assembly for final consideration today, the last day of business on bills to be passed this year.

Assembly Republicans are expected to strongly oppose the bill because they object to requirements that 20% of professional and construction contracts awarded by the new agency go to minority firms.