Oh, and some laws were passed

The regular legislative session concluded last weekend, and the only thing “special” about the special session underway is its lack of results so far. Absent a surprise turn of events, there won’t be a deal on healthcare reform or on how to ensure that Californians have a reliable supply of water in the future, the stated purposes of the legislative overtime called by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

So the time seems appropriate to sort through the rubble for the winners and losers in the drama/comedy/tragedy that is state government.

Winner: Schwarzenegger ’07. He addressed the United Nations on global warming, advised British Tories on campaign strategy, appeared on the cover of Time magazine along with New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg as an exemplar of post-partisan politics -- and went 10 months without a single motorcycle mishap. So much for his lame-duck status.

Loser: Schwarzenegger ’04. Whatever happened to the guy who swung the broom in front of the Capitol and promised to clean house in Sacramento? Despite his pledge in the 2004 State of the State address, the boxes of state government have not been blown up, but at least they’ll have “recycled” labels on them.

Winner: Assembly Republican leader Mike Villines. Unlike his counterpart in the Senate, he was able to deliver GOP votes on the budget, which at a minimum should earn him entree to the governor’s smoking tent next year.

Loser: Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez. Embarrassed by reports of a globe-trotting caviar lifestyle paid for by campaign donations, Nunez will be harder-pressed to win passage of a term-limits reform initiative that would allow him to keep living the good life.

Winner: Nanny government. Thanks to two new laws, local law enforcement, come Jan. 1, will be on the lookout for moms who smoke in the car while transporting their kids and drivers under 18 who text message. At least Schwarzenegger drew the line on booster seats for 8-year-olds and rewriting restaurant menus to reveal the calorie, fat and sodium content of food items.

Winner: The Sierra Club. Some 72% of its 25 priority bills became law, proving that green is still the “new black” in Sacramento. Honorable mention: the California Chamber of Commerce, which went a perfect 12 for 12 in defeating so-called job-killer bills.

Loser: The National Rifle Assn. Last year, it was a ban on .50-caliber sniper rifles. This year, it’s requiring “microstamping” technology on every semiautomatic pistol sold in California, beginning in 2010.

Winner: State Sen. Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica). Perhaps a future Senate president pro tem, she effectively goes about her business, such as sponsoring successful legislation to secure more funding for Medi-Cal family planning and to financially help out residents without health insurance who must seek care at other facilities after the closure of Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Hospital.

Loser: Assemblyman Mark Leno. The San Francisco Democrat failed for a fourth time to get a same-sex marriage law enacted. If he wants to give this issue the dignity it deserves, he should take his measure to the ballot rather than hoping that Schwarzenegger will change his mind about signing his bill.

Loser: Assemblyman Lloyd Levine (D-Van Nuys). He once auditioned for “The Bachelor.” Maybe “Jackass” is a better fit. His latest brainstorm was requiring Californians to spay or neuter their pets to ease overcrowding in animal shelters -- an idea so poorly received in the state that Nunez euthanized it. Honorable mention: Assemblywoman Sally Lieber (D-Mountain View), who wanted to ban parents from spanking young children.

Winner: Atty. Gen. Jerry Brown: Assuming he’s running for governor in 2010, the Republican attack during the budget impasse this summer on his lawsuits to add global warming to the mix in environmental impact reports served to elevate his status among primary voters in 2010.

Winner: Gambling. The governor proposes privatizing the state lottery to finance an expansion of health insurance coverage for residents; meanwhile, Indian gaming revenue already props up the state budget.

Loser: Betting on continued economic growth. A shaky housing market and the iffiness of income, sales and capital-gains taxes underscore the unreliability of the revenue stream flowing into Sacramento. Does the reckoning come in 2008, or does the fiscal house of cards survive one more year?