Beyond Mere Words

Pity poor Carl Washington. He’s so darn confused he doesn’t know what to do.

Last month, the freshman Democratic assemblyman from Paramount opposed a bill extending the temporary exemption from California’s workplace smoking ban granted to bars, including those in restaurants. But Wednesday, to the immense pleasure of the gaggle of tobacco and gambling lobbyists present, Washington voted for the bill when the Labor Committee reconsidered it. Mind you, he says he’s still “philosophically” opposed to the measure but that he granted sponsor Edward Vincent (D-Inglewood) a “courtesy vote,” hoping Vincent would return the favor on a bill that Washington has pending.

Oops. Vote trading is a penal code violation. So after a hasty conference, Washington clarified his position: “Mr. Vincent worked very hard on this bill. That’s why I’m supporting this.” (Anyone checking the official audiotape record of the hearing will find it blank, as Assembly officials did Thursday.)

Naivete doesn’t explain why Martin Gallegos (D-Baldwin Park) supported this bill. Chairman of the Assembly Health Committee, Gallegos professes to care deeply about the health of Californians. Surely he doesn’t think this measure, which the California Labor Federation opposes, protects the health of bar and restaurant employees or their customers. Something else, something even more important to him, must have caught his attention.

The Gallegos and Washington votes helped win 7-3 committee approval for Vincent’s sorry bill. But Vincent now needs a special waiver to move it to the Assembly floor. We can hardly wait to see what else this crowd has in store.