1 Issue Unites Women Lawmakers : Larger Share of State Contracts for Female Firms Asked

Nearly all of the women legislators in the state Assembly and Senate on Wednesday joined in a last-minute bipartisan appeal to give women-owned businesses more than the 5% share of state contracts they would receive under affirmative action legislation worked out between Gov. George Deukmejian and legislative leaders.

The women lawmakers appeared before a two-house conference committee to appeal for expansion of affirmative action goals contained in a Senate-passed bill.

As drafted, the bill would steer 15% of all state contracts to minority-owned firms and 5% of the contracts to businesses owned by women. The lawmakers, members of the Women’s Caucus, want women to receive the same 15% share as minorities.

Despite the unusual showing of unity by the women lawmakers, conference committee members left the ratio at 15% and 5%, saying that is as far as the governor is willing to go. The committee made relatively minor changes in the affirmative action bill and sent it back to both houses for expected approval.

Bond Package

The affirmative action bill is one of the last remaining pieces of political business standing in the way of approval of a record $5.3-billion package of bonds.

Passage of the bonds has been stalled for weeks, but legislative sources said Wednesday that they expect the whole long-term borrowing package to be approved today.

Both Republican and Democratic legislative sources said the most significant obstacle standing in the way of passage of the bonds, a dispute over fees charged to land developers for new school construction, has been resolved.

Agreement came when both land developers and school district lobbying interests reportedly backed away from earlier positions, agreeing to compromise legislation that would place a semi-permanent cap on fees and make other changes, such as exempting remodeling projects costing less than $20,000 from the fees, the sources said.

Assembly Republican Floor Leader Pat Nolan of Glendale, whose GOP caucus had supported the developers’ position, said: “We plan to continue working on the developer fee problem. But I think everything will go (today).”

Will Give Backing

The women lawmakers, in a similar vein, said that even though the conference committee rejected their proposed affirmative action goals they would vote for the measure because defeat of the bill could jeopardize the delicately balanced bond agreement, which requires agreement on 14 different disputed bills.

Republican Assemblyman Stan Statham of Oak Run, a conference committee member who voted against even the 15% and 5% split contained in the final version of the bill, said the women would be shortsighted if they opposed the bill because they didn’t get a 15% and 15% split. “You are playing a dangerous game with something you’ve wanted for many, many years,” he said.

During the hearing, Assemblywoman Marian W. La Follette (R-Northridge), in a rare public break with Deukmejian, a fellow Republican, said “it is difficult to understand” why a 5% participation goal was set for women-owned firms, since businesses owned by women are growing five times faster than male-owned businesses.

La Follette, who in past reelection campaigns has been opposed by feminists who do not believe she has been strong enough on women’s issues, said, “The door of opportunity should be opened much wider than it has been.”

Recent Decision

In an emotional statement, La Follette said she had decided to take a public position on the issue only Tuesday night. “Frankly, this is something that has been upsetting me for some time,” she said of the manner in which women are being treated.

The author of the bill is Assemblywoman Maxine Waters (D-Los Angeles), who headed the conference committee.