The LA Times offers this report, which begins: “California lawmakers are proposing a trio of bills they say would update the state’s campaign finance laws and better recognize free speech rights, but several open-government groups are fighting the measures, fearing they would allow special interests to overwhelm elections. Opponents say the bills would decrease public reporting of charitable contributions given at the behest of politicians and create a loophole in the regulation of funds spent by political parties, unions and other groups communicating with their members in support of candidates.”