Secession Bill May Become Hostage in Political Battle

The Assembly bill that would ease the way for the San Fernando Valley to secede from Los Angeles has become a bargaining chip in a political poker game, and questions were raised Friday about the bill’s survival.

State Senate Democrats, led by President Pro Tem Bill Lockyer, are threatening to kill the bill, authored by Assemblywoman Paula Boland (R-Granada Hills), in retaliation for actions taken by Republicans in the Assembly.

While Lockyer insists that he has not made up his mind on the measure’s fate, state Sen. Hilda Solis (D-El Monte) said the Senate leader told a private caucus meeting Thursday that he planned to kill the bill by referring it to the Senate Elections Committee.

Lockyer said Friday that the Republicans who control the Assembly are “acting like kindergartners” by holding various pieces of Senate legislation “hostage.”

“It turns out with bullies the only way is to fight back,” said Lockyer, a Democrat from Hayward. “It may be their pet projects might have to be treated in an aggressive way.”

The Elections Committee’s chairman, Sen. Richard Polanco (D-Los Angeles), has vowed to block the legislation because he views it as unfair to non-Valley residents of Los Angeles.

Polanco insists that the bill, as amended this week, should be referred to his committee in accordance with Senate precedent.

Lockyer, however, said Friday: “It’s a close call. . . . I would hope to have a steady hand on the tiller that respects consistency and precedents.”

Boland, meanwhile, insists that there is no basis for such a referral.

“This bill has nothing, nothing to do with elections,” said the Valley Republican. “You would have to have the wildest imagination to send this to Elections.”

At issue is Boland’s controversial legislation that would remove the veto power of the Los Angeles City Council over a request by an area to split off and form a new city.

If the Elections Committee does not get to review the bill, it will go straight to the Senate floor.

In a letter to Lockyer on Friday, Boland urged him not to hijack her bill by sending it to the Elections Committee.