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School Services of California, Inc.
Community College Update
November 6, 1996
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Democrats Win Big in November 5 General Election

California Democrats swept back into control of the State Assembly and strengthened their lock in the Senate on Nov. 5 with a series of stunning campaign victories up and down the state. With a few races still too close to count as of Wednesday morning, the Democrats appeared to have gained at least five seats in the Assembly to give them a 43-37 margin over Republicans. This ends the two-year exodus from power that followed decades of majority rule.

"We've retaken the mainland," said one high ranking Democratic staffer who moved to the Senate following the Democrat's unexpected loss of the Assembly in the 1994 General Election.

Over in the Senate, the Democrats added two members to their majority, making the constitution of the upper house 24 Democrats, 15 Republicans and one Independent -- who can usually be counted on to vote with the Democrats.

While observers expected the Senate to remain in Democratic hands, most rated the fight for the Assembly a toss-up. But virtually all the tightly contested races in both houses went the Democrats' way. This Republican electoral Waterloo causes a series of repercussions that will resound for at least the next two years.

From Legislative Deadlock to the Democratic Agenda

The past two years have seen little accomplished legislatively in most major policy areas, with each house killing the legislation born by the other party in the other house. With solid Democratic majorities in each house, that will now change.

A Setback for the "Republican Agenda"

Although the Republicans ostensibly took control of the Assembly in November, 1994, their victory was postponed by Willie Brown's machinations for more than a year. As a result, the Republican Caucus' education agenda never picked up a full head of steam. That was to have been different this session, as high-level staffers had been developing policy positions ready to roll from Day One. Among these issues were the abolishment or scaling back of programs pertaining to diversity (now strengthened by the passage of Proposition 209); expansion of contracting out provisions; and establishing voucher programs. With Democratic control of the Assembly, bills on those subjects are now unlikely to survive even the first committee hearing.

The Budget Process

With Senate Democratic leader Bill Lockyer (D-Hayward) only two votes away from the two-thirds supermajority he needs to pass a budget out of his house, and with several decidedly moderate Senate Republicans sitting across the aisle, expect the next budget from the Senate to reflect solidly Democratic ideals. Additionally, the Governor will no longer have the luxury of an Assembly budget committee process controlled by Republicans (Assembly Member Bernie Richter (R-Chico) will be out as chair of the Assembly Budget Subcommittee #2), so he will have a much harder time seeing his budget priorities reflected in the Conference Committee's final report.

Legislative Staff and Committee Makeup

Once again, change in control of the Assembly is likely to lead to a bloodbath of staffers from the ranks of the party turned out of power. In 1994, it was the Democrats who paid the price for electoral failure, as longtime staffers either fled to the Senate, crossed the street to private sector jobs, or holed out in the Capitol in smaller offices on smaller payrolls with lower salaries. This time, it is the Republicans' turn, as Committee Chairs pass over to the Demos, and with those chairs, fat payrolls, large offices, and the keys to the legislative process.

Assembly Member Brooks Firestone (R-Los Olivos) will likely be out as chair of the Assembly Higher Education Committee. Possible replacement could be either Joe Baca (D-Rialto) or Wally Knox (D-Los Angeles). Both were former community college trustees.

-- Bob Blattner and Arnold Bray
[Posted 11/5/96]