It's not often that you see political power disappear right before your very eyes.
But watching the California Legislature in action last week felt like watching the end of an era -- and bearing witness to the creation of a power vacuum. In a political ballet that played out over several days, the prospects for two seemingly unrelated but intimately connected political issues -- a healthcare reform bill and a change in the state's term-limits law -- withered simultaneously. And as their fortunes sank, so did the power of the current legislative leadership.
The immediate stage was a state Senate Health Committee hearing on the $14.5-billion healthcare plan that would require nearly all Californians to obtain insurance. The bill had a tough time getting through the Assembly in December despite the fact it was written by Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles). Indeed, without pressure from some of the state's strongest unions, the measure might not have passed. Now the legislation had to clear a Senate panel whose leader supports a different healthcare plan.
Meanwhile, rumors were swirling around the Capitol that polling numbers showed that Proposition 93 was in big trouble among voters. The initiative on the Feb. 5 ballot would allow legislators to serve 12 years in either the Assembly or the Senate. Currently, lawmakers may serve three two-year terms in the Assembly and two four-year terms in the Senate.
The fate of Proposition 93 is crucial to the legislative careers of Nunez and Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland). If it passes, Nunez could serve until 2014, and Perata could remain in office until 2012. If the measure is defeated, both leaders would be termed out in November.
The term-limits reform initiative and the healthcare plan cast a shadow over the entire legislative year. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made healthcare reform his top priority, and Nunez was the principal force behind Proposition 93. Their apparent demise made last week feel as if it was the old guard's last stand.
The committee hearing began Wednesday. The panel has 11 members, five of whom are Republicans and opposed to the healthcare bill. All six Democratic members would have to vote for the bill to send it to the Senate, where approval is almost certain.
