SACRAMENTO — After 5 p.m. this Tuesday, a political donor here may enjoy "cool drinks and smooth jazz," sample Hawaiian hors d'oeuvres, taste Central Coast pinot noir wines or, perhaps, he or she would prefer a Sacramento Rivercats baseball game.
In just four days next week, at least 40 politicians and candidates are scheduled to hold fundraisers, soliciting donations over cappuccino, carnitas and cocktails, at cafes, art galleries and restaurants. Most events are within a few blocks of the Capitol and require a minimum donation of $1,000 to attend.
Lobbyists -- whose clients' interests are on the line in the Legislature -- face so many opportunities to give to legislators' campaigns that some are plotting a schedule and mapping a route.
"You run from one to the other," said Craig Brown, a lobbyist who represents several law enforcement unions.
August is traditionally a busy Capitol fundraising month. But this year, the upcoming national political conventions have compressed the schedule. Assembly leaders say that they want to leave town by Aug. 22, rather than the scheduled Aug. 31. The earlier deadline gives them time to make it to the start of the Democrats' convention in Denver on Aug. 25 and the Republicans' convention in Minneapolis on Sept. 1.
The fundraising push in the next two weeks comes as legislators will be casting final votes on hundreds of bills affecting a broad range of issues such as how insurance companies operate and whether Californians must buy carbon monoxide detectors for their homes. Also under negotiation is the state's annual spending plan of more than $100 billion, which will dictate the funding of public schools and an array of state services, while potentially imposing taxes on the wealthy, corporations or consumers.
As the votes and fundraisers converge, the state's 120 legislators, roughly 1,200 registered lobbyists and myriad representatives of groups with a stake in state law will probably be keenly attuned to one another's interests.
Christina Lokke, policy advocate for California Common Cause, a group that advocates for taxpayer financing of political campaigns, said a political fundraising spree coinciding with so many important votes could help explain why polls show the public's lack of faith in the Legislature.
"Right now is such a key time in the Capitol, with hundreds of bills passing through," she said. "The public should be able to trust that lawmakers place an emphasis on deciding public policy and finalizing a budget."
