Policy Division Outlines Priorities: Streamlining, AB 1170 Consequences and Stakeholder Outreach

Michael Canning, the Ethics Commission’s policy and legislative affairs manager, briefed commissioners on the work and priorities of the policy division at the April 11 meeting, outlining recent hires, completed work after Proposition D, and projects now underway.

Canning said the division, created in 2017, had generally operated with one staffer until January 2025, when two additional policy researchers were hired. He described the policymaking cycle (issue identification, development, adoption, implementation and evaluation) and explained how staff organizes longer-term work as policy projects. Canning summarized completed work including Prop D implementation and regulation changes and previewed ongoing projects: a streamlining review of programs such as the major developer program and campaign consultant rules; work to address the local consequences of state AB 1170 that has created duplicate Form 700 filings for some filers; potential collaboration with the mayor’s office on lobbyist and campaign finance legislation; and internal improvements to stakeholder outreach and regulation tracking.

Commissioners welcomed the overview and expressed interest in feedback from recent interested-persons meetings; Canning said staff plans further stakeholder engagement. Public commenters urged greater outreach to nontraditional stakeholders, better candidate support outside peak election cycles, and low-cost technology fixes so members of the public can submit concerns more easily.

Canning said the division will continue to coordinate with other city offices and departments for any legislative or implementation steps and will return to the commission with draft proposals as work progresses.