December 21, 2006

Earlier this month, 80 men and women raised their right hand and took their oaths of office to become the State Assembly for the 2007-08 session. The startling fact was that new members almost outnumber those of us who were re-elected.

There are 36 new Assembly members, the most since the full-time legislature began in 1966. One former Assemblymember told me that when he was first elected in 1988, there were exactly three new members.

In an interesting twist, the majority of the Democratic caucus—25 of 48 members—are brand new. What does it all mean? Over time term limits—which allow no more than six years in the Assembly—have transferred power to lobbyists, long-term staff, and the governor’s administration. This year, that shift is even more pronounced.

During December, the 36 new members are setting up offices, hiring staff, meeting lobbyists and reporters, finding their way around the Capitol building itself, and receiving committee assignments. For a number of them, those committee assignments will include the position of committee chair. That’s thanks to term limits; there are too few incumbent members to fill all the chair positions.

As challenging as these first weeks may seem for them, the true challenge comes this spring, when policy committees will be hearing testimony from hundreds of experts and advocates on issues of critical importance.

Having led the training session on the state budget, I can report there is tremendous talent in the new class. There are former county supervisors, city council members and school board trustees. Though term limits have obliterated institutional knowledge among legislators, they have also provided opportunities for experienced local officials.

But having a 50% turnover in one election is no way to run the government of the sixth largest economy in the world. There are a number of term limit reform proposals floating around. The most popular would allow a legislator to spend the current combined 14-year maximum between the Assembly and Senate—but allow that time to be served in one house.

This plan would enable legislators to learn the systems of the Capitol, build valuable relationships and truly make a difference on long-term issues—while still serving the same current maximum. This scenario is often linked to proposals to reform the redistricting process—reform that is also badly needed.

Most pundits give term limits reform a low chance for success, even amid buzz that Governor Schwarzenegger may throw his support behind some kind of reform. Either way, it’s going to be a fascinating year watching what will likely be the most challenging on-the-job training the legislature has seen in modern times.