Panel Accepts Women’s Unit in Legislature

In an acknowledgement of the growing influence of women in the Legislature, the Joint Rules Committee on Monday formally recognized the new bipartisan Caucus of Women Legislators.

With their ranks at an all-time high of 15, women lawmakers have met informally as a “caucus” for several years, but they now want to organize in a united front to win passage of legislation of interest to women, such as more money for child care.

The drive to win official legislative recognition as caucus was launched several weeks ago, fueled in part by what women lawmakers regard as abusive behavior by some male colleagues.

It was underscored last week when Sen. William Lockyer (D-Hayward) verbally assailed Sen. Diane Watson (D-Los Angeles) during a meeting of the Senate Judiciary Committee, which he chairs.

The women thus joined several other organized special-interest caucuses in the Legislature. Others include Republicans, Democrats, Blacks, Latinos, Jews and rural legislators. Except for the Republicans and Democrats, the other groups operate without paid staff members.

The women’s group selected Assemblywoman Teresa Hughes (D-Los Angeles) to chair the caucus. Hughes is the senior woman in the Legislature. Sen. Rose Ann Vuich (D-Dinuba), the first women elected to the Senate, was selected as vice chairwoman.

Not ‘Women’s Lib’

“We’re not organizing against males,” Hughes told the Joint Rules Committee, adding that it is not “a women’s lib caucus.”

Assemblywoman Marian LaFollette (R-Northridge) stressed that the caucus is a bipartisan effort. Nine of the members are Democrats and six are Republicans.

“We have noticed that on particular issues when we have all come together . . . we have been able to be quite persuasive,” LaFollette said.

LaFollette recalled that the women began to organize three years ago after a bill dealing with penalties for pimping was watered down but later, at the insistence of women legislators, toughened.

LaFollette said that she and other women had to put up with “back room jokes” by men about the bill but united and eventually prevailed.

Jeering Reported

LaFollette also pointed out that some male legislators jeered and hooted when the subject of the women’s caucus was mentioned last week on the Assembly floor. She said the caucus wants to lessen these asides as well as deal with issues of substance.

So far, the caucus, which has met three times in the past week, has not commented publicly about the Lockyer incident, which began at a committee hearing last week when Watson objected to a discussion of a bill to toughen the death penalty.

Lockyer responded that he resented Watson’s “mindless blather,” and added, “I hope I am offensive enough to make you leave.”

Watson walked out of the hearing and did not return. With Watson absent, Lockyer later apologized publicly for using “my kind of street kid language.”

Watson, however, has not accepted the apology and termed Lockyer “rude and arrogant” because, she said, he has made similar comments to her in private.

Tension on the Rise

Watson said that her relations with Lockyer began souring earlier this year when he introduced a bill to short-circuit a drive to incorporate Marina del Rey, which is in her district.

For Watson, the tension reached the breaking point last week. In the wake of the committee encounter she has asked Senate President Pro Tem David A. Roberti (D-Los Angeles) to remove Lockyer as the committee chairman at the end of the legislative session next month.

Roberti said he does not plan to remove any lawmakers from committee chairmanships. But he described Lockyer’s remarks as “uncalled for.”

Lockyer, a former assemblyman, was elected to the Senate in 1982 and this year became the first nonlawyer to head the Judiciary Committee.