The issue focused on the fund-raising law, which was designed to help state and local governments get out of the red.

A political group, the political action committee of the state's Republican Party, said the law "is not being used to help our state's political party to stand for the public's best interest. The law is now being used to support the political political party of the state of California and to keep the state in the political political business of the state of California."

The law