Covering the End of the California Legislative Session Has Many Challenges and Yet is So Important

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

Trying to cover the final days of this year's California legislature with around 700 bills in play, and now some smaller number, is like driving down a busy street with side traffic, pedestrians, and the distraction of a circus going on that threatens to distract one's attention from a clear picture of the road.

One can try to take in the big picture and write in short brush strokes about individual bills that have passed, noting a few that have not, and perhaps a larger picture emerges for the reader as these different snapshots are published on the internet. The sheer variety of legislation boggles the imagination and challenges even veteran reporters. Political and policy debates range from the environment, healthy foods for school children, health care, insurance, safety for workers on the job, criminal laws and sentencing, prisons, discrimination, campaign finance laws, to the initiative process--and the list goes on, including seemingly esoteric laws about the use of kangaroo products in shoes and other products.

There is little time to group the bills by subject area and give a detailed analysis--although we have tried--such as on the flood package that has passed and the remaining bills that are under consideration. So we try to give as much information as we can, with a lick and a promise to come back to these issues in greater detail--perhaps later when the Governor is about to sign or veto legislation "piling up on his desk."

This is the season where there are last minute amendments to legislation that sometimes have a major or unintended effect. Sometimes these are in fact intended. Many times they are not noticed by legislators, staff, and the thousands of legislative representatives (lobbyists) and organizations that abound in the Capitol in the blur of the last few days.

There are inaccurate statements made in floor debates, in coverage by the main stream media and the blogosphere, and comments made on or off the record about what is in the legislation and facts surrounding the dozens of policy issues at hand for the state of California. There are wild rumors. There are rumors that turn out to be true, even though they initially sounded far fetched or distorted.

You have two houses usually meeting at the same time. It's a bit like listening to two different radio programs in stereo at the same time. And you have actions taking place off the floor, including the many breaks for hour long or longer closed door caucuses by Assembly or Senate members from both parties. There are conversations taking place on the floor between different legislators. In particular, I wish I was the fly on the wall when Senators appear on the Assembly Floor and Assemblymembers appear on the Senate Floor, to wrangle out the wrinkles and fates of legislation in conversations, often with one hand on the other's shoulder and whispers in the other's ear or a bit of laughter and bravado and a slap on the back.