Rookie Speaker Takes Full Control of Assembly With Tough Politicking on Global Warming Bill

SACRAMENTO —  Herb Wesson of Culver City was sworn in as Assembly speaker Feb. 6. But the Democrat didn’t really become speaker until July 1, when he sweet-talked and strong-armed a landmark global warming bill through his house.

On that day, the former top aide to L.A. County Supervisor Yvonne Brathwaite Burke “used every tool in the speaker’s toolbox,” says one insider, and showed he can handle the job. The bill passed with no votes to spare.

Then Wesson abruptly fired the chairman of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, which had embarrassed the Davis administration by investigating its signing of a no-bid, $95-million, overpriced software contract with Oracle Corp.

The committee chairman, Assemblyman Dean Florez (D-Shafter), next was planning to investigate the troubled Veterans Affairs Department. Florez contends that intent and the aggressive Oracle probe are why he was canned.

It’s an irresistible story. But the sacking actually was much less about Florez’s running of the investigations than about his running out on the speaker during partisan floor jockeying over the global warming bill.

“He should have been in his chair doing his job,” Wesson insists. “When Republicans are playing games and we’re playing games, that’s when you need to be a team player.... I hate to sound like this is a penal colony, but we were on a lock-down. I was unaware anybody had left.”

Florez sneaked out of the Capitol and caught a charter plane home to watch his 11-year-old son play in a baseball game.

All this is inside baseball--intriguing hardball. In Florez’s case, bean-ball.

It’s the game that used to be played by speakers before term limits transformed them into timid, two-year lame ducks. Speakers these days reward colleagues to keep them happy but don’t punish strays to keep others in line. They dish out carrots, shelve the sticks.

Wesson, 50, was picking up a reputation for being too nice, not only to colleagues but to special interests that shovel out campaign checks.

His Assembly seatmate, Democrat Fran Pavley of Agoura Hills, offered an opportunity to recast the image. She was pushing a bill to place California at the national forefront of fighting global warming. Her measure, after Gov. Gray Davis signs it, will direct the state Air Resources Board to set carbon dioxide standards for motor vehicles.

The battle over greenhouse gasses gave the rookie speaker a chance to do something historic, earn the plaudits of national Democrats and stand up to special interests--namely auto manufacturers.

“It was a high, hanging curveball,” says a Wesson strategist. A home run ball.

Veteran Senate leader John Burton (D-San Francisco), a staunch supporter of the bill, struck a deal that delivered one key Assembly vote.

Burton agreed to allow Senate passage of a measure toughening Bay Area auto smog controls. Drifting Bay Area smog pollutes the Central Valley. The smog bill’s author, Assemblyman Dennis Cardoza (D-Merced), then agreed to vote for the global warming measure.

Environmentalists secured the vote of Assemblyman Tony Cardenas (D-Panorama City) by offering him a “fresh start.” They opposed him in his last L.A. City Council race, but he plans to run again.

Wesson coordinated brokering.

He picked up the vote of Assemblywoman Sally Havice (D-Cerritos). She’s termed out in November, Wesson notes, and “I might be able to assist her in the future.”

The speaker persuaded Assemblyman Juan Vargas (D-San Diego) to cast a “courtesy vote” for Assemblyman Gil Cedillo (D-Los Angeles), who was home because of the recent death of his wife.

In all his cajoling, Wesson says, “I helped provide that little extra they needed to do the right thing.”

It’s not clear how Florez might have voted. Pavley believed he planned to vote for the bill. So did Burton. But Florez denies it, saying he’d have voted for the measure only if the Bay Area smog bill had been taken up with it.

Wesson says he wasn’t counting on Florez’s vote for the bill but was counting on him to help foil Republican procedural jockeying. Like speakers of old, Wesson felt he could not allow insolence to go unpunished, especially from such an unpopular maverick.

“Herb gave me the death penalty for a speeding ticket,” Florez says.

Florez, 39, is headed for the Senate in November and has statewide ambitions. This is the view of his veteran consultant, Richie Ross, who also helped ramrod the bill:

“Herb did Florez a huge favor. I’ve never seen a guy get better publicity. Herb had to prove his speakership and he did. Both are winners. They ought to be grateful to each other.”

The resurgent speaker’s next test will be to break the budget logjam. To do that, he may need to cajole a vote from Florez.