California may become the first state to allow political contributions on the state and local levels to be made by text message on your smartphone. The  California Fair Political Practices Commission is behind a plan that would allow such contributions by the 2012 elections. Approval is expected by October.

The hope is that this will allow for small donations and widen the number of people who are engaged in the political process. Last December, the Federal Election Commission rejected a similar plan for federal campaigns.

Here is a Capital Public Radio recording of Commission Chair Ann Ravel talking about the idea and what regulations would need to accompany it.

Today’s San Francisco Chronicle offers “Calif. poised to OK political donations via text,” by Carla Marinucci.