Wilson Lauds Key Legislative Achievements

Gov. Pete Wilson, sounding like a candidate while boosting California, Monday cited several key bills he has signed in the past month to help business and suggested that such efforts will help revitalize his dismal poll standings.

“We’re getting the job done,” the governor said at a Capitol news conference called to recap bills passed by the Legislature and signed into law in recent weeks.

The governor’s ratings in public opinion polls remain in the teens. But Wilson pointed to the overhaul of the workers’ compensation system he signed Friday and the $51.2-billion state budget he approved June 30 as evidence he can turn things around.

He also cited legislation intended to make it easier for first-time home-buyers to enter the market, as well as a new state health insurance program for small businesses.

“Taken together, the reforms enacted this month will mark July not only as a good month, but one in which we began to send a signal that we are turning the corner in our campaign to revitalize California’s economy,” Wilson said.

The governor lauded the Legislature’s newfound “can-do” style, and said he expects that upon their return to the Capitol in August lawmakers will pass bills aimed at reducing the amount of environmental regulations imposed on developers.

“They are sending a message: The message is ‘California is coming back,’ ” Wilson said.

The governor called it “too simplistic” to blame his poor poll ratings solely on California’s faltering economy, but did say a “considerable amount” of voters’ dissatisfaction with him is because of the hard economic times.

Reiterating a theme he has used before, Wilson said he has had trouble getting his message out to the public, in part because of the lack of television coverage of the Capitol and other events competing for the public’s attention.

In recent months, the governor has made a practice of traveling around the state, particularly to voter-rich Southern California, in an effort to attract more television coverage.

Voters, he said, are unaware of much of what he has done and the problems he has encountered.

“When, in fact, they are made aware of it,” Wilson said, “they are at first surprised and, second, their attitude changes. I think a great deal of that is going to happen over the next year.”

The governor faces no serious challenger for the Republican nomination for governor next year. His most likely Democratic challenger will be Treasurer Kathleen Brown or Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi.

Referring to Republicans who have called on him to not seek reelection, Wilson said: “It’s a free country and you can make goofy statements.”

The governor sidestepped several questions, including when he plans to announce his new choice for superintendent of public instruction and whether he will sign legislation to deregulate rates charged employers by workers’ compensation insurance companies.

He also declined to say if he will support the school voucher initiative on the November ballot, or what role he plans to take in the campaign for the November ballot measure to extend the half-cent sales tax.