A Brief History of the California Legislature

1. A Brief History of the California Legislature

2. California Past, Present, & Future • Past: Transformations of the Legislature • Lobbyist Artie Samish’s era • Jesse Unruh’s professionals • Term limits • Present: Evaluating California Government Today • Future: Constitutional Reform Options • Calling a convention • Convening a revision commission • Piecemeal reform

3. Past: Artie Samish and His Amateurs • "And how are you today, Mr. Legislature?" – Colliers Magazine, August, 1949.

4. Artie Samish and His Amateurs • Until his 1953 income tax evasion conviction, Artie Samish claimed to be the “Secret Boss of California.” • He represented the liquor industry, horse racing, banks, chemical manufacturers, and transportation. • Samish took payments from companies and turned them into votes.

5. Artie Samish and His Amateurs • How Did the System Work? • Select and Elect. Samish says that he mostly selected likeminded candidates and helped them win. • Or campaign contributions in exchange for influence. • “Shrimp Hour” • What was the Legislature like circa 1950? • Influenced by “the third house,” which dangled answers and treats. • Possessed of less information and patience than the full time executive branch.

6. Jesse Unruh and Professionalism • Elected to the Assembly from Los Angeles in 1954, Unruh shifted power in the Legislature by: • Moving the 3rd House to the Speaker’s office • “Professionalizing” the Legislature through Proposition 1A in 1966

7. Jesse Unruh and ProfessionalismMoving the Third House • How Did the New System Work? • Howard Ahmanson’s Home Savings and Loan Money went to Unruh. • “Big Daddy” dispensed campaign funds, legislative perks, and other goodies to those in need. • Legislators supported him for Speaker and his interests • As Speaker from 1961-68, Unruh “professionalized” the Legislature: • Staff – More and more expert • Salaries – Enough to make it a career • Session Length – Full time.

8. Jesse Unruh and Professionalization

9. Evaluating the Reforms • The Benefits of Professionalism • Capacity to transform the governor’s proposals • Expert staff made lobbyists less powerful • Full-time members not tied to the whims or special interest of a day job • The Problems with Professionalism • Power of incumbency grows with increased resources, makes government less responsive • Special interests still wield power through campaign contributions • “Career politicians” drawn from ranks of staff and local office

10. The Voter Revolt of Term Limits (1990) • Turnover in California dropped from approximately 30-50% at mid century to 25% in the 1970s to 13.5% in the 1980s. • Unruh’s reforms provided the will. • Willie Brown’s fundraising provided the way for incumbents to stay in office. • As a reaction, in 1990, Proposition 140 passed 52%-48%. It limited members to three 2-year terms in the Assembly, and two 4-year terms in the Senate.

11. Measuring the Impact of Limits:Who Goes to Sacramento? Racial and Ethnic Composition of the California Assembly, 1990-2002

12. Measuring the Impact of Limits:Who Goes to Sacramento? • “For the first two years you are figuring out what you want to do, in your middle two years you have some leverage, and in your last two you are termed out.”

13. Measuring the Impact of Limits: What Goes on In Sacramento “There has been an essential evisceration of the hearing process … Nothing dies anymore, and there are no rules.”

14. Term Limits and the Changing Process • “Nearly 400 bills have been amended in the past week, including dozens that have been ‘gutted and amended,’ meaning the entire contents of one measure have been deleted and replaced with a new proposal” – Sacramento Bee reporter Jim Sanders, September 11, 2003. • “The California Legislature has an unfortunate habit of writing legislation with multibillion-dollar consequences in the final hours of its annual session, unfortunate because these sweeping decrees often backfire…Dozens of ‘gut and amend’ measures are surfacing this week.” – Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Walters, September 10, 2003.

15. Term Limits: Some Legislators are More Limited Than Others • Put in place by voters through Proposition 140 in 1990, term limits originally removed legislators after: • Three terms (six years) in the Assembly, and • Two terms (eight years) in the Senate • Proposition 28, passed on the June 2012 ballot amended the constitution to: • Reduce total limit from 14 to 12 years • Let future legislators serve all 12 years in one house

16. Term Limits: Some Legislators are More Limited Than Others Anyone Serving Now or in the Past Newly Elected in November 2012 • The old limits apply, giving them up to six years in Assembly, then it is up to the Senate, Congress, or out • These members will begin next year with more experience and clout, but shorter time horizons • New class of Assemblymembers will be looking to keep their seat for 12 years • They will not have to focus on their next office for much longer, but will they be patient in the house?