Assembly Speaker Karen Bass stopped by The Bee's Capitol Bureau on Wednesday morning on her way to a "Big Five" budget meeting.
Among her comments:
On the budget: Republicans are "struggling with coming to grips" with the concept of raising some revenue to balance the state's budget.
On supporting a "half and half" approach to budget balancing: "I want to do 50 percent revenue and 50 percent from the federal government." She said the state already has made program cuts in recent years. "It's not like we've been raising revenue every year the last few years."
On the Republican spending cap that Democrats rejected earlier this year:
"I think it went way beyond a spending cap. I actually think it was a manifesto that called for the permanent shrinkage of government. I think it was an extreme document."
On tensions between the African American community and gay activists over Proposition 8: Bass said she was "just appalled" at how quickly the analysis of election results was "racialized."
While African-American voters supported Proposition 8, she said the divide within the community was over age. "It was a generational issue," she said. "I think there's a lot of healing that needs to take place. But I think the first place it needs to take place is in the LGBT community - white and black."
On booting Nicole Parra from her Capitol office: "I was fully aware that she was trying to martyr herself. ..and i resisted it up until the end. At a certain point in time making a decision like that, though, is really about unifying the overall caucus."
On whether the decision helped the GOP capture the seat: "I think she had some effect, I don't think that it was decisive. I say that because Nicole has huge negatives as well."
On whether Parra might receive an appointment from incoming President Barack Obama.
"No comment. I met the senator when he was running for Senate. I had just won my primary; he had just won his. What we have in common is we're both community organizers. I will say no further."
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