Wilson Rejects Funding for Study of Valley Secession

A last-minute amendment to the state budget intended to help fund a study of the proposed secession of the San Fernando Valley from Los Angeles was vetoed Friday by Gov. Pete Wilson.

Wilson blue-penciled the amendment, which would have provided $340,000 toward a study of Valley secession by the Local Agency Formation Commission, because it would have provided state money to address a regional concern, he said in a statement accompanying the veto.

The veto was one of dozens of items rejected by the governor, who is crossing out most appropriations that were not part of the bipartisan budget agreement reached this month.

Because the governor has voiced support for a plan to put the question of Valley secession before the city’s voters, supporters said they expected Wilson to approve the measure even though it was not part of the budget package.

“I was really surprised,” said Assemblyman Robert Hertzberg (D-Sherman Oaks), who pushed hard for the bill. “Everyone in California has a stake in Los Angeles and its future.”

It is not clear whether the governor’s action will have much impact on the progress of the secession movement, which remains in its early stages and may not need outside funding for the study.

The study, which is estimated to cost about $1 million, would be conducted by the Local Agency Formation Commission and would examine the financial and social impact on the region of the Valley’s incorporation as a separate city.

Under state law, the report would be required only if secession proponents gather 135,000 signatures from registered voters within a legally prescribed period of time--currently three months, but legislation for another three months has been approved by the state Senate.