Floyd’s Years of Frustration Finally End

For Assemblyman Richard E. Floyd, a rough-hewn Democrat whose 10 years in the Legislature have earned him an image as a bellicose champion of blue-collar causes, being in the spotlight with a Republican governor was quite a switch.

But there he was Monday, beaming and raising his fist under the glare of television lights as he congratulated Gov. Pete Wilson on signing a mandatory motorcycle helmet bill.

Floyd’s persistence had finally paid off, after what he described as “a frustrating 10 years” as the chief sponsor of the helmet legislation.

Just three years ago, Floyd urged then-Gov. George Deukmejian “to go see a psychiatrist” after he vetoed an earlier version of the helmet bill. Even though Deukmejian twice rejected the measure, Floyd refused to give up.

Floyd’s interest in the issue goes back more than 30 years when he and his friends were “hanging out” around motorcycle racetracks in his South Bay district and elsewhere. Floyd, 60, of Carson said he remembers seeing friends who were not wearing helmets wind up with serious injuries in accidents.

Floyd, who still occasionally takes a spin on a motorcycle, said he began wearing a helmet in the 1950s and was determined to push for helmet legislation once he arrived in the Assembly. His maiden effort in 1981 stalled in committee.

Five years later, Mary Price, a Sacramento woman whose helmetless son died in a motorcycle accident, persuaded Floyd to revive his proposal. Floyd said Price’s lobbying campaign provided him the necessary spark.

Assemblyman Richard Katz (D-Sylmar), chairman of the Assembly Transportation Committee, said personal horror stories such as Price’s, coupled with expert medical testimony, helped Floyd attract enough support to move the bill through the Legislature.

Katz said that many other lawmakers, faced with opposition from bikers, “would have backed away.” He added that Floyd is one of the few who “no matter how vocal or how mobilized the opposition gets, can take the heat.”

On Sunday, with 500 angry bikers demonstrating outside the Capitol against his bill, Floyd took a stroll out the door, declaring it to be a nice day for a walk as protesters ran at him cursing and threatening his political career.

Floyd flicked an ash off his cigar, spoke calmly to his detractors and walked away, safely.

Floyd, a veteran of the Korean War, maintained that he would not be intimidated by opponents, including some who have called his office threatening his life.

“If I back off because a guy threatens my life, then I’m not much of an individual,” he said, adding that previous efforts by cyclists to oust him from office have fizzled.

Proving he can also make light of his victories, Floyd was in character Monday after his long fight for the helmet law had been won. “This is a moment to cherish for five minutes and then get the hell out,” he said.

Along with the helmet bill, Floyd ranks among his top achievements legislation to establish a foundation to collect money for a California monument to Vietnam veterans. He also has carried numerous bills on behalf of organized labor and, as chairman of the Assembly Governmental Organization Committee, is a key player in legislation affecting horse racing, gambling and alcoholic beverages.