Allen Gives GOP Control of Key Panels : Assembly: Speaker says change will solve gridlock. But she also purges several powerful Republican enemies from committee posts.

Assembly Speaker Doris Allen, moving to strengthen her position, gave fellow Republicans a majority on all policy committees Thursday but dumped several of her Republican enemies from powerful positions.

Allen, who survived another floor session marred by venomous attacks from her Republican rivals, proclaimed that her success in giving the GOP a majority on the policy committees for the first time in 25 years would serve to end the “gridlock that has gripped our institution.”

“Republicans will control the entire policy direction of this state including budget and appropriations. You asked for it and I delivered it,” Allen told Republicans in the lower house. “It is time to put our differences of the past aside and turn our attention toward our new leadership role.”

Democrats agreed to the rules changes, saying they hoped that giving the GOP a majority on committees dealing with everything from crime and health to water and insurance would end the attacks on Allen.

With the rules changes, Allen won commitments from at least four additional Republicans to support her speakership. But the fissures remained deep on Thursday. In what is becoming an Assembly custom, the session ended with verbal attacks. This time, Republican Assemblyman Tom Woods of Shasta stood and proposed that all of former Speaker Willie Brown’s appointees to dozens of state boards and commissions be dumped.

Brown, other Democrats, Allen and her most loyal Republican supporter, Assemblyman Brian Setencich (R-Fresno), tried to block the move, but lacked the votes, plunging the house into a lengthy and nasty fight.

“This is nothing but shenanigans,” Setencich said. Turning to the gallery, which was filled with teen-age boys, Setencich apologized for the spectacle on the Assembly floor and said, “We’re going to try to make it better.”

The effort finally ended when Assemblyman Bernie Richter (R-Chico) abstained from a procedural vote on the issue, sending Woods’ proposal to the Rules Committee, where Allen and Democrats are expected to kill it. Later, Richter explained his decision to not vote by saying, “Someone needed to kill that monster.”

Allen said she is uncertain whether she wants to replace Brown’s appointees, even though most are Democrats and sit on influential boards that deal with such issues as hospital construction and governmental operations. Half a dozen appointees have annual salaries from $72,500 to more than $90,000.

“I don’t see here I have that authority or that right” to replace Brown’s appointees before their terms expire, Allen said.

Sandwiched between the Byzantine maneuverings were votes on a dozen proposed amendments to the Assembly’s version of the $56-billion state budget--which must, by law, be approved by the start of the new fiscal year July 1.

Democrats introduced a measure to restore funds for welfare, but it failed. Two budget amendments passed to provide more money to public universities and colleges so that fees and tuition won’t rise. Republicans successfully pressed amendments to cut funds for certain government-funded abortions. The importance of the votes remains uncertain, but they did serve to give lawmakers opportunities to give speeches.

A joint Senate-Assembly conference committee continues to work on reconciling Gov. Pete Wilson’s proposed budget with the Legislature’s budget proposals.

Allen, meanwhile, dumped Assemblyman Curt Pringle (R-Garden Grove), one of her harshest critics, from his chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee. Among the most powerful committees, Appropriations reviews all bills that require expenditures of tax money.

Allen said she dumped Pringle because he and Allen “are not working well together.” Pringle responded by saying that he may now join a recall effort aimed at Allen in her home district in Orange County.

Allen named Assemblyman Charles S. Poochigian (R-Fresno) to replace Pringle as chairman of the Appropriations Committee. By day’s end, however, Poochigian had not decided to take the job.

“I’m reluctant to participate in a process that, as a result of internecine warfare, some of us are advantaged over others,” Poochigian said.

Among her other actions, Allen:

* Dumped Assemblywoman Paula L. Boland (R-Granada Hills) from her position as chairwoman of the Public Safety Committee, which handles all crime and gun bills. Allen named no replacement. “She’s more interested in vendetta than public safety,” Boland said.

* Named Assemblywoman Marilyn C. Brewer (R-Irvine) as chairwoman of the Human Services Committee, which handles welfare issues. Brewer, who continues to tangle with Allen, was surprised by the appointment, and said she has no particular expertise in the area.

* Allen gave the chairmanship of the Utilities and Commerce Committee to the Democrats. But the outgoing chairman, Assemblyman Mickey Conroy (R-Orange), said he was not displeased by the move, noting that he will be vice chairman and that the committee, under the new rules, will have a majority of Republicans.

Allen, a Republican, won the rules change giving the GOP a majority on policy committees only after Democrats agreed to release her from the bargain that she made with them when they elected her Speaker. In that bargain, Allen had agreed to let Democrats retain parity on the committees, even though they have a minority of 39 members in the 80-seat house.

As Thursday’s vote to change the rules was about to be taken, Allen’s chief rival, Assembly Republican Leader Jim Brulte, asked that Republicans be permitted to confer privately in a lounge off the Assembly floor. Setencich, who was presiding over the session, refused to grant Brulte’s request. But Brulte ignored Setencich and led all but a few Republicans off the floor.

After an hour had passed and only Democrats were seated in the Assembly chamber, an angry Setencich demanded that the Republicans return. Democrats, who responded with a standing ovation, proceeded to vote en masse for the rule change.

Republicans remained in the lounge and were on the verge of being absent for the vote that was to give them majorities on all 24 Assembly policy committees for the first time in 25 years. But a single Republican hustled to the floor and asked for a delay in the final vote, giving Republicans time to arrive and add their votes to the total.