You could call it a different kind of campaign finance reform: force the leaders of some of the state's most powerful interest groups to get permission before making political contributions.

That's the goal of two proposed ballot initiatives: the "Public Employees Right To Approve Use of Union Dues for Political Campaign Purposes Act" and the "Shareholder Protection Act". One goes after the deep pockets of labor unions, while the other attacks the political spending habits of big business.

We're taking a look at both proposals on the Monday morning edition of The California Report (air times/online later in the day). But in addition to my broadcast report, there's an interesting backstory of political gamesmanship.

While the official proponent of the union dues initiative is anti-tax crusader Lew Uhler, the financial backers are a little less clear. Campaign finance records show the only donations for Uhler's committee (some $300,000) have come from the Small Business Action Committee, an organization run by Schwarzenegger ally Joel Fox. The committee is organized as a general purpose committee, which means it doesn't have to disclose its financial backers until mid-summer.

But Democrats have filed a formal complaint that indicates they think the campaign is really being funded by the more prominent organization co-chaired by Fox: the pro-Schwarzenegger Citizens To Save California (CSC). The CSC has not endorsed Uhler's initiative, but does mention it on its website. And they argue that the public has a right to know who's behind initiatives now, not after they've qualified for the ballot.

During my taped interview with Uhler in late March, he indeed said that CSC is "helping with the financial side." Again, there are no records that show CSC money being used. In a subsequent conversation, however, Uhler told me that he had misspoken, and that he had meant to say Fox's other group, the Small Business Action Committee.

So what's the big deal? Opponents of the initiative, like Democratic campaign consultant Gale Kaufman, say it's a shell game being played to distance the hot-button issue from Governor Schwarzenegger.

And UC-Berkeley political scientist Bruce Cain thinks that's exactly what Democrats hope to change-- by connecting the dots between Schwarzenegger and some long-time conservative causes.

"I think the name of the game is to push him so far to the right that he loses support from Democrats and independents," says Cain.

Meantime, Republicans are helping stir the fire with a website that criticizes a proposed dues increase for members of the California Teachers Association. The CTA has told its members it needs extra cash to do political battle with the governor this year, and Republicans say there are some teachers who don't want to pay.