Davis Clarifies Self-Imposed Gag Rule on Bills

Gov. Gray Davis’ office Wednesday clarified his newly announced policy against publicly expressing opinions on bills introduced in the Legislature.

For decades, California governors and their staff representatives have routinely spoken out on legislation, often as a way of influencing its outcome.

But on Tuesday, Michael Bustamante, Davis’ press secretary, said in response to a reporter’s inquiry on a package of transportation bills that it was the new governor’s policy “not to comment on legislation, period.”

Bustamante said Wednesday that applies chiefly to new bills that may be heavily amended before reaching Davis for signature.

Davis, a former assemblyman, believes it is prudent to avoid publicly commenting on bills so his remarks cannot be misconstrued when a proposal is later amended, Bustamante said.

“A bill that begins as something that makes complete sense could eventually be gutted and moved 180 degrees from where it started,” Bustamante said. “There are bills you would love to be able to comment on. They appear to be good bills, but . . . at the end of the day, months from now, you never know what those bills will look like,” the press secretary said.

The governor’s disinclination to comment does not apply to the education reform bills he requested, and may not be cast in concrete, Bustamante added.