SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has scored a major legal victory as he gets ready for a possible special election later this year.

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KCRA 3's David Bienick Reports

Sacramento Judge Shelleyanne Chang has struck down a state rule that had limited how much money the governor could raise in campaign contributions. For now, the ruling is still tentative. But the judge is expected to issue her final ruling any time.

Basically, what the ruling does is take the brakes off and allows the governor to shift his fund-raising into high gear.

For weeks, protestors have been dogging the governor at political fund-raisers. The protestors accused the governor of trying to get around new campaign finance limits by hiding behind a supposedly independent committee called Citizens To Save California.

"We can get advice from the governor just as we can get input from you and from everybody in California," committee spokesman Allan Zaremberg said in a February interview with KCRA 3.

Records show that the group has raised more than $4 million so far to spend on signature gatherers and televisions ads that support some of the same initiatives the governor is also pushing.

Last summer, the state agency that is charged with overseeing campaign finance rules said if these kinds of ballot committees are controlled by political candidates, they should be able to collect no more than $2,300 from each contributor in order to avoid certain dangers to the Democratic process.

"The appearance of corruption, the appearance of gaining access through large, large contributions," said Fair Political Practices Commission spokeswoman Liane Randolph.

But in court Thursday, the judge struck down those contribution limits, saying they violated the governor's and the committee's free speech rights.

"What you have is clear evidence of the governor trying to pursue a political reform agenda. And he ought not to have one hand tied behind his back," said Chuck Bell, the governor's lawyer.

"I think it's unfortunate that the governor is trying to undo a law passed by the voters of this state to try to curtail this kind of crazy, unlimited fund raising," said Assemblyman Dario Frommer, D-Glendale.

If the ruling stands, the governor will be able to campaign more directly for his ballot initiatives.

Critics now say Schwarzenegger should have no problem reaching his goal of raising $50 million.

"The problem is (that) when they raise it in million-dollar chunks, the regular people of California get left out of the process," said TheRestOfUS.org spokesman Ned Wigglesworth.

Democrats say they will appeal the ruling and will try to get the Legislature involved. But while they do, the governor is free to step up his fund-raising efforts.

Schwarzenegger is not the only politician working with one of the committees. State Treasurer Phil Angelides, who announced last week that he is running for governor, has been working with a group called Standing Up For California. That group raised $1.5 million in contributions last year. But Angelides' campaign sadi that since the limits took effect in January, the committee has complied with them.