Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg wants to limit the amount of legislation members can introduce in 2009 in an effort to keep lawmakers focused on the state's budget.
Steinberg, in an interview with The Bee Capitol Bureau, said Wednesday that the plan is not final, though he has discussed the idea with members of his caucus.
"The only small hesitation is that I want to talk to the speaker about it to make sure that there's some parity as the bills crossover," the Sacramento Democrat said. "But it's our intention to lower the limit."
Bass hasn't signed on just yet.
"Speaker Karen Bass has been very clear that solving California's fiscal crisis is her top priority," said Bass spokeswoman Shannon Murphy in an e-mailed statement. "We have the same bill limits that we have had for the last (two to three legislative) sessions. Our members understand the scope of the fiscal crisis and we don't feel it is necessary to change the Assembly rules."
Steinberg said he hopes to cap the number of bills members can introduce at 15 in 2009. Currently there is no limit in either house on the number of bills a lawmaker can introduce in a single year. The Senate limits members to 50 bills over the two-year session, while the two-year limit in the Assembly stands at 40.
That limit has proved flexible, though, as legislatively ambitious solons have gut-and-amended themselves to more than 50 bills in past sessions. Former Democratic Assemblywoman Sally Lieber, for instance, authored 58 measures in 2007-08, plus four nonbinding resolutions.
Like just about everything else in the Capitol this year, Steinberg's proposed change is an outgrowth of the budget woes. Steinberg compared his bill limit to his move to reconstitute the Senate Budget Committee with all 40 senators.
"The emphasis this year needs to be less on bills and a whole lot more on fixing California's fiscal situation," he said.
The new limit, if approved, could send lobbyists scrambling to snag authors for their pet projects.
Photo: Senate leader Darrell Steinberg speaks to The Bee Capitol Bureau on 1/7/09. Credit: Brian Baer/Sacramento Bee
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