Judging from the harsh questioning this morning from three of the five committee members, it looks like the movement to pass a bill to establish public financing of political campaigns in California this year could be in a heap of trouble.

Assemblywoman Loni Hancock's bill was the subject of a hearing in the Senate Elections Committee, and it got a hostile response from three of four members present — including two Democrats whose support will eventually be needed to move it along.

When Chairwoman Debra Bowen asked the large crowd of supporters of the bill to stand and remarked on the size of the group and how it represented "the face of California," Sen. Gloria Romero seemed to take offense. "It does reflect the face of California," she huffed, "but it does not reflect the diversity of California."

The next witness to testify after that comment was Paul Turner of the Greenlining Institute. He cited the bill's support by a host of civil rights organizations, including the NAACP and MALDEF. He called the bill "not so much a reform bill as it is a civil rights bill."

Turner called the current system "a wealth primary" that rewards only those candidates with personal wealth or those who are able to leverage the support of monied special interests. The current system, he said, amounts to "a modern-day poll tax" that systematically excludes minorities from participating in the political system.

Turner noted that his group has done polling and focus groups and found that "Latino voters are the most enthusiastic supporters."

OK, so maybe the support does reflect a little of California's diversity.