Missed Votes Create Puzzle About Campbell

Republican Sen. William Campbell of Hacienda Heights missed so many votes of interest to women’s groups in the last legislative session that it was difficult to gauge whether he was their friend or foe, representatives of several such groups said Monday.

In votes on the Senate floor, Campbell voted with women’s groups on four bills and against them on four others. Campbell was either absent or did not vote on 19 other bills of interest to the four groups contacted by The Times.

The groups were the National Organization for Women, the Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, the Federation of Business and Professional Women and On the Capitol Doorstep, a newsletter that focuses on child care issues.

Consistently Voted No

Three issues on which Campbell has consistently voted against the women’s groups are abortion, comparable pay for comparable work and welfare. On other issues, particularly child care, Campbell can sometimes be an ally, said those contacted by The Times.

Campbell could not be reached for comment Monday.

David Alois, a spokesman for the Planned Parenthood Affiliates of California, said Campbell “scored a zero” on bills his group followed during the 1985-86 session.

Campbell supported an effort to strip state funds from private agencies that perform, promote or advertise abortions and supported a proposed ballot initiative to ban public funding of abortions. He voted in favor of a bill prohibiting abortions for minors who do not have the consent of their parents or a juvenile court, and he also voted for a bill that would have required doctors to show the pregnant woman a sonogram of her fetus before performing an abortion.

“He is definitely a foe of reproductive choice as far as we’re concerned,” Alois said. “If you gave him a percentage, he’d rank zero.”

But Planned Parenthood was the only one of the groups rating Campbell that saw him as hostile. The others said he could go for or against them depending on the issue.

“He’s probably about 60% to 70% supportive,” said Barbara McCallum, a lobbyist with the Federation of Business and Professional Women. “He’s better than some and worse than others.”

Absent for 5 Votes

In 1986, Campbell voted for one bill supported by McCallum’s organization and was absent for five other votes of interest to the group. In 1985, McCallum said, Campbell voted with the group on four, against it on two and was absent for two votes.

“He is one who, if you work on him, you can get his vote,” she said. “There are some people who you know it doesn’t matter what you do, they’re always going to be a bad vote. He’s not always going to be a bad vote.”

The National Organization for Women’s California office tracked nine votes of general interest to women in 1986. Campbell voted with NOW on one, against the group on one, and did not vote on seven of the issues. On six other bills involving birth control or abortion, Campbell did not vote on five and voted against NOW on one.

“In terms of the ones we followed, his record is not very favorable,” said NOW lobbyist Kate Sproul. “It’s not terrible. Not voting can be helpful. Given his district, maybe that was the best he could do.”

Pat Dorman, publisher of On the Capitol Doorstep, said Campbell voted with professional child-care advocates on two bills, one giving local government more power to obtain sites for child-care programs and the other to provide more care to children with special needs. Campbell voted against a guaranteed cost-of-living increase for child-care providers. He was absent for six other votes, Dorman said.