Californians overwhelmingly feel that their Capitol is run by special interests. However, given the tenor of last week's committee hearing on the California Clean Money Bill, modeled on the Arizona and Maine public-finance laws, it seems that Californians will have to get used to it.

Opponents of the Clean Money (AB 583) bill found various details to attach their criticism to at the April 19 Senate Elections Committee hearing. Several senators spent a great deal of time predicting how the system would be gamed by politicians, in spite of contrary testimony that such hypothetical situations simply had not occurred in states where Clean Money has already been adopted. While acknowledging the valid problem of privately-funded independent expenditures in a publicly-financed campaign, it is difficult to escape the conclusion that these senators simply don't support reforming the current system that emphasizes wealthy contributors at the expense of the vast majority of Californians who feel that their voices are not heard in the Capitol.

The bill still needs to be voted on by that committee. But, after the hearing, it seems only great pressure from leadership will force these reluctant senators to see the light. Senate President Don Perata has been telling the hundreds of California Common Cause members who have been calling his and other senators' offices that he supports the bill. If he truly does, hopefully he can help these two termed-out Democrats on the committee get out of the way.