Roos Fails to Pull Back Bill Extending Life of Conservancy

In an unusual maneuver, Assemblyman Mike Roos (D-Los Angeles) on Monday unsuccessfully sought to retrieve a bill from Gov. George Deukmejian’s desk that would extend the life of the Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy.

Conservancy supporters said they were caught off guard by the action and voiced fears that it could signal that the legislation faces trouble with the governor.

Last week, the Assembly voted 59 to 14 to give final legislative approval to the measure, which extends operation of the agency to 1995. The conservancy buys parkland in the mountains surrounding the San Fernando Valley.

On Monday, Roos, who had voted for the bill, won Assembly approval to withdraw it from the governor’s desk. Roos said he was concerned that, among other things, the conservancy was acquiring land encumbered by bonded indebtedness which the state could be obligated to repay. “I feel strongly about trying to control these things,” Roos said.

Action Void

But later in the day, Brian Kidney, the Assembly’s chief clerk, said the withdrawal action was void because the legislation originated in the Senate and the bill must go back to the house of origin before it could come back to the Assembly. The bill was sponsored by Sen. Herschel Rosenthal (D-Los Angeles).

Rosenthal said he was surprised by Roos’ parliamentary maneuver, especially since the assemblyman had not told him about it in advance.

Joseph T. Edmiston, the conservancy’s executive director, said the agency has not acquired property with debts. He said he wants to talk about the issue with Roos, who is a member of the Assembly Democratic leadership.

Edmiston said he was optimistic that Deukmejian, who has signed previous legislation to extend the conservancy’s life, would approve the Rosenthal proposal. “We don’t have any assurance the governor will sign the bill,” he said, but he suggested that the Roos maneuver “may indicate we have a problem that hasn’t surfaced yet.”

Tom Beermann, a spokesman for Deukmejian, acknowledged that the governor has not taken a position on the bill.

However, the state’s other top Republican officeholder, U.S. Sen. Pete Wilson, has written a letter to the governor supporting Rosenthal’s measure, according to a Wilson aide.