Stagecoach Has Left

When last seen leaving California, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger was aboard a sleek jet, not a stagecoach. But under an anachronistic provision of the state Constitution, ratified in 1879, the governor is stripped of his powers the second he leaves California. The lieutenant governor assumes full authority until the chief executive returns to the state, even though the No. 2 is often a member of the opposition party, as is the case today.

We’ve argued for years that the Constitution should be changed to let the governor retain power when he or she is out of the state. That’s the way it is in 29 states, and there is no special argument for California to be different.

The issue arose again this week with the disclosure that Schwarzenegger has spent nearly three months out of the state since he became governor in November 2003. Democrats have chided him for being absent so much when, they argue, he should have been in Sacramento negotiating his ambitious governmental-reform program, a reasonable point. Less so is the argument by a spokesman for Democratic Lt. Gov. Cruz Bustamante that a chief executive needs to remain at home in case of disaster. That’s silly in the cellphone/Internet era.

Much has changed since 1965, when then-Gov. Pat Brown was in Greece as the Watts riots erupted, or 1989, when the Loma Prieta earthquake occurred as then-Gov. George Deukmejian was visiting Europe. Thanks to technological advances, the governor can instantly consult with expert advisors and direct the appropriate response, whether he is in Sacramento or Baghdad. A governor communicating from a remote site is still likely to be far more effective than a Bustamante, who is out of the governing loop most of the time.

State Sen. Dave Cox (R-Fair Oaks) is sponsoring a proposed constitutional amendment to give the governor his full powers whether in California, at the Cannes Film Festival or touring Timbuktu.

California emerged from the Wells Fargo wagon age long ago. Let’s bring the Constitution around as well.