Karnette Will Head New Assembly Panel on Ports

Freshman Assemblywoman Betty Karnette, whose district includes the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach, announced last week that she has been named to head a new Assembly committee established to woo more ships to California’s ports.

“My district has the busiest ports on the West Coast . . . but Seattle’s right on our tail,” the Long Beach Democrat said. “Without a long-term plan to shore up the ports, we will watch all that business go north.”

Karnette said she asked Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) to set up the select committee, in part, to look at legislation that could help make the ports more competitive.

Among her other top goals, Karnette said, is to pressure federal authorities to ensure that the Long Beach Naval Shipyard and the 4,100 people it employs are spared from congressional budget cutters.

Even though most ports are located on state tidelands, the Legislature has typically kept an arm’s-length distance from their operations. Last year, however, the ports drew more attention from lawmakers.

The Legislature approved a bill, signed into law by Gov. Pete Wilson, that allows Los Angeles, Long Beach, San Diego, Oakland and San Francisco to use reserve funds from their ports for such vital services as police and fire protection.

Also last year, Wilson signed a measure that reinstated a tax break for commercial shipowners who refuel in California ports. Supporters said it was designed to save up to 1,100 jobs in the ports of Los Angeles and Long Beach.