Bowen, a Marina del Rey Democrat who is running against Republican incumbent Bruce McPherson, outlined her concerns Wednesday in a breakfast meeting with The Bee's Capitol Bureau.

California's current process is a far cry from Hiram Johnson's vision when he created the initiative as a check on the power of railroads to control the Legislature, Bowen said.

"Certainly, he did not have in mind that anybody who had a million dollars could qualify just about anything they wanted," Bowen said.

"It's that migration of big money into the initiative process that has me most concerned."

Bowen crafted legislation this year, awaiting action by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, that would require recall and referendum petitons to state whether their circulators are paid.

"I think people will have a different reaction to whether they want to sign something if they know that the person who's carrying it is doing so because they're being paid, as opposed to they're there because they truly believe in whatever," Bowen said.

Bowen's bill, Senate Bill 1598, also would require that initiative, recall and referendum petitions disclose the names of their five largest contributors.

The termed-out senator also supported legislation by Assemblyman Mark Leno, Assembly Bill 2946, that would prohibit circulators of initiative, referendum or recall petitions from having their pay based on the number of signatures collected.

AB 2946 also sits on Schwarzenegger's desk, awaiting approval or veto.

On other issues, Bowen said:

• She is not sure why fewer women are winning legislative seats or why she is the only major-party woman on the Nov. 7 ballot for one of California's statewide constitutional offices.

"(One) of the theories is that men are more likely to assume that they're qualified for anything and women are more likely to be critical, and really evaluate, and try to do things for which they feel they're truly qualified."

• She supported Senate Constitutional Amendment 3, to strip the Legislature's authority to draw political boundaries and give that responsibility to an 11-member citizens commission.

Bowen said she was not surprised, however, when the measure was shelved without reaching the Assembly floor for a final vote.

"I don't think any legislative leadership anywhere in the country is really interested in relinquishing their ability to draw their own districts."

• She supports Proposition 89, which would provide public funding for political campaigns.

"One of the reasons that people don't vote is they think the big-moneyed interests run everything anyway, so what's the point?"