Analysis: Session ends with a thud

While hundreds of bills were flying through the Legislature in the mad scramble that ended this year's session, Assembly members found time to play a floor game that called for oddball words like "Bullwinkle," "Woody Woodpecker" and "Pimp Daddy" to be slipped into legislative debate.

The lighthearted wordplay, known as legislative bingo, might be a fitting metaphor for lawmakers' performance: mostly talk.

Though more than 2,800 bills were proposed and about 960 were approved during the nine-month session, political analysts say the scorecard is dismal.

"If your expectations are low enough, it was a great success," John J. Pitney, government professor at Claremont-McKenna College, said of the Legislature's regular session that ended with a gavel's thud about 3:30 a.m. Wednesday.

"They took care of the ordinary business of government, but when it came to the large issues, it was a session of deferral rather than accomplishment," Pitney said.

Lawmakers were unable to solve two of California's thorniest priorities -- an overhaul of its health care system and a solution to water woes -- prompting Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to call special sessions to focus exclusively on those two issues.

Months of promises and closed-door debate also failed to produce agreement on giving an independent commission, rather than the Legislature, authority to set boundaries for political districts.

Sherry Bebitch Jeffe, a political analyst from the University of Southern California, cautioned against judging the Legislature until the special sessions are over.

But Jeffe conceded that lawmakers aren't hearing much applause, adding, "I would say the perception is that the Legislature didn't accomplish very much."

Dan Schnur, a GOP strategist, likened the legislative session to professional sports.

"(It's like) a basketball game that ends regulation in a tie," Schnur said. "They're going to overtime."

Schnur disagrees with analysts who claim the state's 52-day budget impasse made it impossible to devote enough time to health care, water and other key issues.

"The budget is a convenient excuse," he said. "As soon as they realized there was the prospect of a special session, it lifted the threat of an absolute deadline. It gave them some breathing space."

Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez said claims of legislative ineffectiveness are "bogus." Lawmakers accomplished much in consumer protection, public safety, environmental protection and other areas, he said.

"I'm content," he said. "I'm not ecstatic about the legislative session, but I'm content."

"If, in the next two weeks, we turn the corner on health care and water, whatever postmortem people write today, I hope they would re-evaluate."

Senate Republican leader Dick Ackerman of Irvine said effectiveness cannot necessarily be judged by the quantity of bills passed.

"We need less laws, not more," he said.

Prominent bills passed by lawmakers and sent to Schwarzenegger include measures to legalize gay marriage, allow thousands of undocumented immigrants to qualify for college financial aid, restrict long-term development on Central Valley floodplains that are not adequately protected, and increase vehicle fees to generate more than $130 million for clean-air projects.

Californians also face the prospect of a ban on smoking in cars when minors are present; a mandate that restaurant chains display calorie counts and nutritional information about menu items; additional labeling to ensure that consumers know the source of bottled water they buy; and a requirement that child booster seats be used for two additional years, until age 8, unless a child is 4-foot-9 or taller.

One key legislative accomplishment, though it occurred last spring, was bipartisan agreement on a $7.9 billion prisons package to build 53,000 more beds and increase rehabilitation opportunities for inmates.

Legislation that was proposed, but ultimately shelved, included bills to create a California sentencing commission; grant marital rights to heterosexual live-in couples who register with the state; place before voters proposed restrictions on government's eminent domain powers; allow illegal immigrants to qualify for driver's licenses; and to ban use of the food-flavoring agent diacetyl and various furniture flame retardants.

Though Republicans and Democrats locked horns on scores of policy issues, legislative bingo brought both sides together in the Assembly for several days of sporadic frivolity.

Dozens of lawmakers played the game, evoking laughs and occasional groans. Participants adjusted their floor speeches to insert an off-the-wall name or phrase that was dispensed by Assemblyman Greg Aghazarian from a pool created by lobbyists or staffers.

Bragging rights were at stake among lawmakers, perhaps, but no money.

"Farrah Fawcett" made it into Assembly floor debate, as did "Fairy Princess," "Darth Vader," "Woody Woodpecker," "Pimp Daddy," "Xanadu," "Freddy Mercury," "tubular," "Bullwinkle," "sunshiney day," "Rumpelstilskin" and "Festivus," a pop culture holiday from a "Seinfeld" episode.

Aghazarian, R-Stockton, characterized the wordplay as harmless, bipartisan fun.

"Well, at least it gets people to listen to the speeches -- and that's something," Pitney said. "While listening for a mention of 'Festivus,' you actually might hear a legitimate policy argument."

But Ted Costa, leader of People's Advocate, a political watchdog group, said such games diminish the Legislature's stature.

"It makes a mockery of the whole thing. ... Why don't they save that for the 20-30 Club or the Toastmasters?" he said. "That would be fine. But not in the halls of the Capitol."

About the writer:

• The Bee's Jim Sanders can be reached at (916) 326-5538 or jsanders@sacbee.com.