Looks Like a Season for Special Sessions : Sacramento’s rolling, but is Wilson playing fair?

Like the House Republicans who took Congress by storm, California’s Assembly Republicans are quickly and decisively making their mark in Sacramento, furiously passing dozens of bills that advance their vision. The next stop for this wave of legislation is the state Senate, still controlled by the Democrats and President Bill Lockyer of Hayward. This partisan split could portend trouble, though probably not on the magnitude of Washington’s gridlock. Working collegially is not beyond hope in Sacramento.

For instance, the Assembly Tuesday unanimously passed a bill providing a last-minute reprieve for county juvenile probation camps, which house less serious offenders and boast a respectably low 25% recidivism rate. The camps were to close Monday, but that has been averted by a $32.7-million appropriation. Los Angeles County can expect the lion’s share, about $19 million. Orange County also will benefit.

Gov. Pete Wilson has indicated that he will quickly sign this bill, and with good reason. He got something he wanted out of this deal, namely greater flexibility in the counties’ general relief program, which provides small checks to poor adults who are not raising children. This is a typical political exchange.

Another deal may be possible on restoration of automatic cost-of-living increases for families that receive Aid to Families with Dependent Children and for the aged, blind and disabled Californians who receive supplemental Social Security checks. Existing law requires a resumption of cost-of-living adjustments and restoration of some recent cuts by July 1. Wilson has called a special session of the Legislature, beginning today, to present his case for permanently abolishing the welfare cost-of-living adjustments. That will run into opposition with Senate Democrats, who are likely to offer some trade-offs.

But why another special session? Wilson has called three others in recent months. The state Constitution allows a governor to call such a gathering “on extraordinary occasions.” It’s completely appropriate to call a special session to deal with emergencies like a county fiscal crisis. But a special session on the use of a controversial pesticide? On welfare cost-of-living adjustments? Wilson is getting pretty loose with his definition of “extraordinary occasions.” In special sessions, it so happens, only a majority vote is required for passage, instead of the two-thirds requirement for budget issues during regular sessions.

In the session on welfare, the governor will no doubt say he’s working against a federally imposed deadline that requires advance notice on welfare cuts. Still, it’s beginning to look suspiciously as if special sessions are being used to ease and speed approval on particularly tough and controversial issues that should instead be given a fuller legislative airing.