Foes Jab at Davis Over Bill Signings

SACRAMENTO —  A stack of new laws dealing with hot-button topics such as gay rights and illegal immigrants roiled the race for governor of California Monday, as potential challengers to Gov. Gray Davis accused the incumbent of abandoning the political center in favor of liberal interests.

Though many issues got short shrift in a legislative session dominated by the electricity crisis, by the time Davis finished working through 1,000 bills Sunday, he had created law that shores up his support base of labor unions, environmentalists and liberals. In the process, he struck a generally liberal tone that his likely Republican opponents in next year’s election took issue with on Monday.

Secretary of State Bill Jones, investment banker Bill Simon Jr. and former Los Angeles Mayor Richard Riordan are the leading candidates in the race against Davis.

On Monday, Simon called Davis’ end-of-session bill signings “Christmas in October for liberals.”

“All pretense of governing from the center has been dropped as Davis’ poll numbers have fallen,” he said.

For his part, Jones accused the governor of lurching from crisis to crisis without a clear plan for leading the state.

Riordan, however, declined to address Davis’ actions. Just days after accusing Davis of mishandling the state’s budget woes, Riordan said he would not comment on the governor’s moves because Riordan is not an official candidate, according to aides to the former mayor.

Riordan already has been touring the state, has raised more than $2.3 million for the campaign, and has announced that he will declare his candidacy on Nov. 6.

Garry South, Davis’ chief strategist, dismissed the charge that Davis’ actions on bills were part of a pattern.

“Anyone who tries to tell you there is a distinct pattern or tilt on the governor’s signing or vetoing of bills is looking at only what they want to see,” he said. “I don’t know that there’s any tilt here toward the left.

“Look at all those he vetoed,” he said. “There’s a lot of howling on the left because of the bills he vetoed.”

As an example, South pointed to the veto of SB 71, a top priority of Sen. John Burton (D-San Francisco) to increase benefits for injured workers.

Davis signed bills to boost pay for laid-off workers, put a $2.6-billion parks bond before voters, and greatly expanded the legal rights of gay and lesbian couples.

The governor signed into law bills that make it more difficult to buy a gun, and he moved to save illegal immigrants thousands of dollars a year in college tuition.

These acts and others by Davis drew criticism from Jones and Simon. In particular, both accused him of signing bills that they said will worsen the state’s shortage of affordable housing.

Jones, a Fresno farmer and his party’s only statewide office holder, challenged Davis’ decision to sign a bill that forces subdivision builders to prove that they have adequate water supplies before they can get permits to build.

He called the bill, SB 221 by Sen. Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica), an excuse for ignoring California’s long-term water needs. Davis should move quickly to build more reservoirs, Jones said, not stymie construction of homes.

Californians fresh from an electricity crisis triggered in part by a failure to build new power plants understand the need, he said.

Similarly, Jones said, it makes no sense for the state to invest $2.6 billion in a parks bond two years after voters approved a $2.2-billion parks bond. With the state’s economy faltering and its credit rating jeopardized by the energy crisis, Jones said, the governor should have vetoed the bill that puts a parks and open space bond on the March 2002 ballot.

“There’s no vision,” said Jones. “He’s not connecting the dots. He’s leaping from crisis to crisis, from bill to bill, without explaining to the people of California where he’s going. Where is he taking us?”

Simon also criticized Davis for signing AB 975 by Sen. Richard Alarcon (D-Sylmar), which expands the number of government-aided construction projects where contractors must pay union-level wages.

“California already suffers from the third-highest median home price in the nation and an infrastructure crisis that is strangling our state,” said Simon in a written release. “Davis’ actions are only going to make both problems worse.”

But Allan Hoffenblum, a Republican Party strategist who publishes the nonpartisan Target Book that tracks California political races, said Davis did a “masterful” job of cherry-picking bills to his political advantage.

Concerned about a Green Party or independent candidate peeling off liberal votes and a moderate Republican such as Riordan stealing away soft Democratic votes, Hoffenblum said, Davis shored up his base.

“I think he felt he had a need to move a little further to the left,” said Hoffenblum, noting that consumer advocate Harvey Rosenfield has talked about running for governor as an independent candidate.

“If a Green Party or independent candidate is able to get 10%, 11% of the vote,” said Hoffenblum, “then a Republican can get elected with a plurality, not a majority, and a lot of people think that’s achievable.”

Thus far in the early stages of the race, Davis enjoys a tremendous advantage over his possible rivals, at least in terms of the money he has at hand. Davis has banked $30.7 million for the campaign.

But Riordan’s personal fortune, early poll showings and proven ability to raise money make him a significant challenger.

Simon, the son of the late U.S. Treasury Secretary William E. Simon, could also spend his own millions in a campaign if he chose. By the end of September, he had reported $2.1 million in loans and contributions.

Jones, with no such fortune, has counted on hundreds of small donations, especially from supporters in the Central Valley. He has amassed $1.2 million for his campaign.

(BEGIN TEXT OF INFOBOX / INFOGRAPHIC)

948 Bills Signed, 169 Vetoed Gov. Gray Davis signed 948 bills and vetoed 169 by the deadline, at midnight Sunday, to deal with bills sent to him by the Legislature, which ended its regular session Sept. 14. Among the most significant actions:

SIGNED

Unemployment Insurance--SB 40 by Sen. Richard Alarcon (D-Sylmar) gradually raises by $100 per week the unemployment insurance benefits for people who are laid off. It is the first such raise in a decade.

Prevailing Wage--SB 975 by Alarcon requires higher union wages to be paid on more construction projects that receive government assistance, including the building of low-cost housing.

Domestic Partners--AB 25 by Assemblywoman Carole Migden (D-San Francisco) adds a dozen legal benefits for gay and lesbian couples who register with the state, including the right to make medical decisions for a hospitalized partner.

Undocumented Immigrants--AB 540 by Assemblyman Marco Firebaugh (D-Los Angeles) allows some students who lack legal immigration status to pay the same tuition at community colleges and Cal State universities as in-state students. Previously, such students paid out-of-state tuition, which costs several thousand more dollars per year.

Gun Safety--SB 52 by Sen. Jack Scott (D-Altadena) and AB 35 by Assemblyman Kevin Shelley (D-San Francisco) require would-be gun owners to give a thumbprint and proof of residency, to pass a written exam and to demonstrate safe gun handling. Takes effect in 2003.

Parks Bond--AB 1602 by Assemblyman Fred Keeley (D-Boulder Creek) puts on the March 2002 ballot a $2.6-billion bond to pay for building and restoring state parks, protecting wildlife habitat, preventing water pollution and preserving farmland.

Water and Growth--SB 221 by Sen. Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica) bans cities and counties from issuing permits for the construction of projects of 500 homes or more unless the local water agency verifies that it has enough water to serve the new growth over at least the next 20 years.

VETOED

Workers’ Compensation--SB 71 by Sen. John Burton (D-San Francisco) would have gradually boosted benefits for injured workers to a maximum of $651 per week from the current $490. Estimated to cost employers more than $5 billion a year.

DIED IN THE LEGISLATURE

Financial Privacy--SB 773 by Sen. Jackie Speier (D-Hillsborough) would have required banks, lenders and other financial companies to ask customers’ permission before sharing financial data. Davis’ allies in the Assembly rejected the measure.

Secret Settlements--SB 11 by Sen. Martha Escutia (D-Whittier) would have prohibited the sealing of discovery materials in lawsuits over defective products or environmental hazards that allegedly caused great bodily injury or death. Proponents said it would allow evidence of defective products to be made public. Opposed by Republicans and pro-business Democrats in the Assembly.