Oakland Public Ethics Commission Special Meeting on Campaign Finance Reform Report - July 21, 2020

Note: The agenda and minutes list the meeting date as July 16, 2020, but the provided instructions specify July 21, 2020. This summary uses the instructed date.

The Oakland Public Ethics Commission (PEC) held a special teleconference meeting on July 21, 2020, at 6:30 p.m. to review and potentially approve the Campaign Public Financing Project Report, a multi-year effort to redesign Oakland's campaign finance system to expand participation and equity. The meeting included presentation of the report, suggested amendments, public comment, and a unanimous vote to accept the report with amendments.

Public Comments & Testimony

• Scott Law (public commenter): Raised concerns that the report overstates the influence of money on policy outcomes, arguing there is no evidence of a direct causal link. He urged that the nuance of "potentially" in the amended language would be lost in public marketing. He also noted the absence of discussion on term limits.
• Jonathan Stein (former PEC Chair, now Executive Director of California Common Cause): Expressed strong support for the report and its findings. He highlighted that 93% of campaign dollars from Oakland residents come from less than 1% of the population, emphasizing the value of building a local democracy that hears all voices. He noted that 2020 is not the right year for legislative action but hoped for progress in 2021–2022.

Discussion Items

• Campaign Public Financing Project Report – Presented by Executive Director Whitney Barazoto and Vice-Chair Nayeli Maxson Velázquez. The report evaluates Oakland's existing Limited Public Financing (LPF) program, revealing that less than 1% of residents donate to campaigns, contributions are concentrated in wealthier, whiter neighborhoods, and over half of contributions come from outside Oakland. It recommends a new approach modeled on Seattle's Democracy Voucher Program, which provides every voter with $100 in vouchers to give to candidates, along with broader civic engagement infrastructure. Barazoto proposed several amendments to soften language about policy outcomes (e.g., changing "shapes policy outcomes" to "may influence policy outcomes") and to remove a graph that included non-Oakland elected officials. Commissioners discussed the report's findings, with Commissioner MacDonald noting the cost challenges of a voucher system and Commissioner Ramachandran asking about next steps. Vice-Chair Maxson Velázquez shared personal experience as a candidate and highlighted quotes from the report illustrating how the current system disincentivizes candidate engagement with low-income communities and communities of color.

Key Outcomes

• Motion and Vote: Commissioner Ramachandran moved to accept the report with the amendments suggested by Executive Director Barazoto. Commissioner Maxson Velázquez seconded. The motion passed 6-0 (Ayes: Jackson, Maxson Velázquez, Butler, MacDonald, Ramachandran, Yan; Absent: Tuman).
• Next Steps: The report will be published and used as a tool for community dialogue and education. The PEC and partner organizations (e.g., California Common Cause, Bay Area Political Equality Collaborative) will focus on outreach and information gathering in 2020–2021, with potential legislative action as early as late 2021 or 2022.
• Acknowledgment: Vice-Chair Maxson Velázquez announced this was her last meeting; commissioners thanked her for her contributions.