Jodi Remke, chairwoman of the FPPC- Non-Members

In an effort to shine more light on the money that influences California politics, Fair Political Practices Commission chairwoman Jodi Remke recently announced a proposal to expand the definition of lobbying to include so-called “payments to influence” - like the millions of dollars poured into a campaign last year against proposed legislation that would have cut oil use in the state. Remke says payments to influence have exploded in recent years, growing to $24.5 million in 2014.

Remke, a member of the bar since 1992, was appointed to the head the campaign finance watchdog agency by Gov. Jerry Brown in 2014 and reappointed to a full term last year. She is responsible for overseeing California’s campaign finance, governmental ethics and lobbying rules, which is no small feat in an election year.

She previously served as presiding judge of the State Bar Court, the first in the nation dedicated to ruling on attorney discipline cases. She also previously served as counsel to the California Senate Judiciary Committee and practiced real estate law. Please join the Sacramento Press Club on Monday, February 29th for lunch to hear about Remke’s plans to oversee campaign spending and enforcement in this election year.