‘96 Just Over the Hill for These Legislators

Early Campaign--The winners in November’s election have just begun their new terms. But, for some politicians, it’s never too early to think about the next election, or even the one after that.

Assemblyman Paul Horcher (R-Diamond Bar) is already sparring with Assemblyman Richard Mountjoy (R-Arcadia) over an election that might occur in 1996 after both win reelection in 1994.

Horcher said efforts to discredit and ostracize him in the Assembly are part of a campaign to help Mountjoy when they both run for the state Senate seat held by Frank Hill. That would be in 1996 when Hill’s term ends, or maybe a little earlier if Hill is elected to statewide office or goes to jail. Hill has talked about running for state office in 1994, and he is a target of an FBI corruption investigation that has been under way since 1988.

Horcher said efforts to discredit him, including a recent resolution by the conservative California Republican Assembly accusing him of disloyalty to the party, are pure politics. “The real issue is who succeeds Frank Hill,” Horcher said. “They’re trying to clear the runway for Dick Mountjoy.”

Mountjoy said Horcher’s statement “is so wacko, I can’t even believe it.” Mountjoy said he hasn’t given a thought to 1996. He plans to run for reelection to the Assembly in 1994, but after that he might run for Congress, the state Senate or nothing at all, he said.

The term-limit initiative will preclude Horcher and Mountjoy from running for the Assembly again in 1996.

Hill will also be barred from running for reelection in 1996. His Senate district covers territory in Horcher and Mountjoy’s Assembly districts.

Extra Chair--Meanwhile, Horcher is holding onto his appointment as vice chairman of the Assembly Ways and Means Committee, a post that is usually a key one for the minority party. But fellow Republicans are doing their best to make Horcher’s position irrelevant.

Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) appointed Horcher to the post instead of another Republican proposed by Assembly Minority Leader Jim Brulte (R-Rancho Cucamonga).

All Republicans except Horcher had agreed to reject the vice chairmanship if it was offered independently of the GOP leadership.

The board of the California Republican Assembly, whose membership includes nearly 6,000 party volunteers, adopted its resolution Jan. 16 urging that Horcher be excluded from party caucus meetings and any leadership role because of his “traitorous and self-serving complicity” with Brown.

Michael Schroeder, president of the volunteer group, said Horcher’s suggestion that there is a conspiracy to soften him up for Mountjoy in a future election is completely absurd.

But, Schroeder said, Horcher does have election worries. Schroeder said Horcher almost certainly will face opposition in the Republican primary if he runs for reelection to the Assembly in 1994.

Brulte said Horcher won’t be excluded from the Assembly Republican caucus, but neither will he represent other Republicans on the Ways and Means Committee.

Normally, the vice chairman represents the minority party in budget matters, but Brulte has designated Assemblyman Dean Andal (R-Stockton) for that job and Assemblyman Pat Nolan (R-Glendale) as the committee’s lead Republican on policy issues.

Workers’ Comp--If they weren’t already at odds, Mountjoy and Horcher would probably be clashing soon over the issue of workers’ compensation.

Horcher said he is readying a measure he will sponsor as an initiative to be placed on the 1994 election ballot.

Mountjoy, who has long advocated workers’ compensation reform and has a bill pending in the Legislature, said Horcher should join other Republicans in giving the Legislature a chance to enact a bill in the current session before starting an initiative campaign.

But Horcher said he cannot wait for legislative action when workers’ compensation is costing the state business and jobs. “I’ve got 10,000 people out of work in my district,” he said.