Brown Wins 5th Term as Speaker, but Just Barely

Democrat Willie Brown barely won an unprecedented fifth term as Assembly Speaker on Monday after an angry debate in front of legislators’ families who had gathered to see their loved ones sworn into office.

Brown, whose success in capturing three seats from the Republicans in the Nov. 8 election virtually assured he would retain his powerful post, told members after the vote that he previously had erred in placing political considerations above policy decisions and vowed to rectify that by taking firm control of the Assembly’s lawmaking agenda.

“Let me tell you, ladies and gentlemen, look out--I’m back,” the San Francisco Democrat confidently declared after taking the oath of office from Associate Supreme Court Justice Allen E. Broussard. At his side was Brown’s 79-year-old mother, Minnie, who, the Speaker joked, had “lost the bet” over Monday’s vote.

Brown, who has held the post since 1980, garnered 40 votes in the 80-member Assembly, relying solely on a solid core of Democratic loyalists. He had expected to get 41 votes--a majority generally needed to make decisions--but fell one short when Democratic Assemblyman Lloyd Connelly of Sacramento failed to return from a honeymoon trip to Nepal.

However, because of the death last October of Inglewood Democrat Curtis Tucker, only 79 of the 80 seats were occupied. A provision of the state Constitution allows election of a Speaker with a majority of those actually holding office, meaning that 40 votes was all Brown needed.

Brown beat back a challenge from Democrat Charles M. Calderon of Alhambra, one of the dissident “Gang of Five” Democrats who have been trying to topple him for nearly a year. Calderon got 34 votes, including those of four fellow “gang” members and 29 from Assembly Republicans.

In winning the battle, Brown overcame a heavy lobbying campaign by GOP leader Ross Johnson of La Habra and dissident Democrats. The campaign, featuring mailers that asked voters to urge their lawmakers to “pull the plug” on Brown, focused on several Democrats in conservative districts and on three Republicans who were believed sympathetic to the Speaker.

That strategy clearly failed. In the case of the Democrats, all of those targeted by the campaign ended up casting their votes for Brown. Three Republicans who also were subjects of the campaign--Stan Statham of Oak Run, Gerald Felando of San Pedro and Sunny Mojonnier of Encinitas--cast protest votes for Johnson in a plan calculated to embarrass those Republicans who ultimately supported a Democrat--Calderon.

One Doesn’t Vote

Only one member who was present at the showdown failed to vote--Assemblywoman Cathie Wright (R-Simi Valley).

The speakership fight climaxed a day of ceremony in which new members were sworn in against a holiday-like backdrop of celebration. The gaiety was cut short, however, when Statham rose to castigate Johnson for trying to “blackmail” him and the two other Republicans into opposing Brown.

After apologizing to family members for disrupting the mood, Statham, his face strained with anger, recounted how he had been “lied to” by Johnson’s predecessor, Assemblyman Pat Nolan of Glendale, who, he said, promised to remain neutral in GOP primary races in 1986 but instead backed a number of candidates.

Statham then turned his wrath on Johnson, charging that, since winning his GOP leadership post four weeks ago, “he has hurt the Republican Party more than Pat Nolan did in four years.” As for the dissident Democrats, Statham said, “If the Gang of Five really wants reform, rather than publicity-grabbing headlines,” they should support a Republican for Speaker.

It also became clear that many Democrats still harbor deep resentment toward their five rebel colleagues as Assemblyman Richard E. Floyd (D-Hawthorne) maneuvered to prevent Assemblyman Rusty Areias (D-Los Banos), one of the dissidents, from speaking on Calderon’s behalf.

Floyd, however, finally relented, telling his colleagues, “You might as well let him speak--he’ll only make a fool out of himself anyway.”

Jovial Greetings

In sharp contrast to the contentiousness of the Assembly proceedings, members of the traditionally clubby state Senate greeted each other on their first day in session with handshakes, backslaps and hugs.

Senate President Pro Tem David A. Roberti (D-Los Angeles) was unanimously reelected to a fifth term as Senate leader. California Chief Justice Malcolm Lucas administered the oath of office to the 20 senators who won election on Nov. 8.

Although the speakership vote in the Assembly was a clear triumph for Brown, it was evident from his slim margin of victory and from the tenor of the debate that he will preside over a badly divided house with growing pressure to enact legislative reforms that could further erode his power. In the past, Brown had been elected by acclamation of both Democrats and Republicans.

“It was a long way from an overwhelming mandate,” said GOP leader Johnson. “He was elected by what undoubtedly is the smallest vote of any Speaker in history. . . . It just demonstrates that there is a very substantial amount of unhappiness with the leadership of Willie Brown.”

Johnson plans to push a legislative reform initiative similar to Proposition 24, which was approved by voters in 1984 but later struck down by the courts. The new initiative would be aimed at giving Republicans, despite their minority status and losses in the election, more authority in determining Assembly policy.

Internal Problems

However, Johnson faces troubles within his own caucus, having antagonized the three Republicans during the speakership fight, two of whom had supported his election as minority leader.

Assemblyman Gary Condit (D-Ceres), a member of the Gang of Five, said, “We’re not going to give up on anything. . . . We will continue to hold the Speaker’s feet to the fire in terms of holding him accountable for legislative reforms and changing the way we conduct the people’s business. If that means the Gang of Five still exists, we still exist. If it means something else, it means something else.”

In a sometimes angry acceptance speech, Brown said his election makes it clear that using his name as a campaign tool to batter Democrats and some dissident Republicans simply does not work. And he urged lawmakers to set aside the bickering that has plagued the Assembly since last January and get on with business.

“I hope the vote cast today will settle all of the things on the electioneering front that should be settled,” Brown said. “The problems (facing the state) are so big, we ought to be about addressing them.”

Brown added that it was a personal affront for the Republicans and dissident Democrats to continue to wage a campaign against his speakership after the Nov. 8 election was over and his forces had won three additional seats. Brown, like his predecessors, has used his powers as Speaker to reward friends and punish enemies. But he has come under strong criticism from Republicans and dissident Democrats for being too politically liberal, for allegedly acting as a despot and for living a flamboyant life style characterized by fast cars and flashy clothes.

Electorate’s Impression

That image apparently has struck a chord with many voters. A survey by the Times Poll conducted in late October found that 43% of California voters had an unfavorable impression of Brown to 30% favorable and 27% unsure.

Referring indirectly to the FBI’s investigation of Capitol political corruption, Brown declared in his victory speech that he wants to reform the legislative process and resurrect what he said was his former image as a policy maker rather than a political wheeler-dealer.

“Maybe I have . . . (not engaged) in the kinds of activities that represent so-called positive leadership,” Brown acknowledged, adding that during his earlier years he was identified as a top policy maker. “I accept the challenge to come back to be the symbol of policy.”

Brown said that would include pushing legislation to provide comprehensive health care coverage for Californians without insurance, a solution to the state’s transportation problems, ways of cutting red tape in toxics regulations and establishment of an Assembly Ethics Committee to investigate legislative wrongdoing and conduct training seminars for legislators and their staffs.

The Speaker also said he will sponsor legislation to ban paid signature gatherers in initiative campaigns and impose perjury penalties on voters who sign initiative petitions without first reading their contents.

Beyond that, Brown indicated he would be skeptical about a “massive” overhaul of the rules under which he runs the Assembly. “I’m not sure what people are talking about when they suggest that,” Brown said.

Staff writer Carl Ingram contributed to this story.