SACRAMENTO—California State Senate Republican Minority Leader Scott Wilk (R-Santa Clarita) recently introduced a bill to prohibit state departments from approving so-called no-bid contracts to companies that have made substantial donations to the governor within the previous 12 months, after Facebook, Google, Blue Shield, and other large companies reportedly contributed more than $200 million to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s government efforts in 2021.
Senate Bill (SB) 1367, introduced Feb. 18, seeks to address the perception of “pay-to-play,” according to Wilk, stemming from the governor’s “increasing use of secretive no-bid contracting” and the influx of behested payments, which are donations coordinated by elected officials for legislative or charitable purposes.
