New Lawmaker Revives Secession Debate
One day after taking office, a Northridge assemblyman revived the hotly debated issue of Los Angeles city secession Tuesday by introducing a carbon copy of a bill defeated last year that would ease the way for the San Fernando Valley and other areas to secede.
“It’s Boland II in its original and pristine form,” said Assemblyman Tom McClintock, referring to the author of last year’s controversial measure, former Assemblywoman Paula L. Boland.
Boland’s bill, which would have prevented the Los Angeles City Council from blocking secession attempts, was killed in a state Senate committee on the last night of the legislative session in August. The bill drew strong support from Republicans in the Assembly and was opposed by most Democrats in the Senate.
Its demise after months of intense election-year combat disappointed many Valley business and homeowner leaders who lobbied heavily for a change in the law. The bill was vigorously opposed by the Los Angeles City Council.
Boland was defeated last month in a bid for the state Senate.
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