Legislators Fear Public on ‘3 Strikes,’ Brown Says : Crime: Lawmakers, including himself, are bowing to intense pressure, Speaker says. ‘Horror stories wipe away rationality,’ he adds.

Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco) said Tuesday there is so much public pressure that proposed “three strikes and you’re out” anti-crime legislation will be passed and enacted without rational dialogue.

Citing the recent shooting of rookie Los Angeles Police Officer Christy Lynne Hamilton, Brown said: “The people are frightened, really frightened. Those kind of horror stories wipe away rationality.”

The Speaker said the “three strikes” measures, with their enormous estimated costs, are not the answer to stopping crime, but that state legislators have “zero courage” on the subject because “they like their jobs and want to be reelected.” He said the judgment applied to all state and local officeholders, himself included. “We have all bailed out on this one,” he said.

Asked if this amounted to a failure of the legislative process, Brown said: “No. This is a representative body. And (legislators) believe they are representing the will of their constituency.”

“If (Gov.) Pete Wilson really wants to become a profile in courage he will lead the charge to get a rational dialogue going on this issue,” Brown told reporters.

Asked if his own persuasive powers could help get a dialogue going, he said: “I got out of the way of this train because I am a realist.”

Queried about a state Department of Corrections report showing that California would have to build 20 prisons and spend $2 billion a year to operate them by the turn of the century if a “three strikes” measure becomes law, Brown replied: “It didn’t surprise me at all. My guess is that they may even be low.”

How is the state to pay the price tag? “I have absolutely no idea,” the Speaker said. “I don’t think the public believes we will need a tax increase. The public believes that somewhere the funds can be found within the existing revenue stream.”

Brown said the Senate probably will approve all five “three strikes” measures this week that cleared the Assembly, and leave it up to Wilson to decide which one he should sign into law.

The Speaker indicated that although he dislikes aspects of all the measures, the best appears to be a bill authored by Assemblyman Richard K. Rainey (R-Walnut Creek), a former Contra Costa County sheriff.

That measure would impose life imprisonment without parole for people who are convicted of a third violent crime.