AB 785 would have required elected officials to abstain from voting on a contract that would financially benefit a family member

SACRAMENTO–Assemblymember Tony Mendoza’s AB 785, a bill limiting the mingling of family, contracts, elected officials and governmental affairs and improving governmental transparency statewide, failed to pass the Assembly Committee on Local Government with a vote of 0-6.

“I am extremely disappointed that my colleagues in the Assembly don’t seem to value transparency in government,” Assemblymember Mendoza said. “With today’s unanimous dismissal of this beneficial piece of legislation, they have voted to maintain the status quo and continue to turn a blind eye to shady dealings that financially benefit family members of elected officials rather than protecting fairness in government.”

AB 785 would expand the list of family members that the law would recognize as constituting a conflict of interest, when those immediate family members stand to gain financially from a contract under review by an office holder in their official capacity.

The bill stated that elected members of any state or local body, board or commission would abstain from voting on any contract that could financially benefit their spouse or child, parent, or sibling, or the spouse of the child, parent or sibling.

Assemblymember Tony Mendoza, a former public school teacher and current Chair of the California Latino Legislative Caucus, has served in the State Assembly since 2006.