BY STEVE GEISSINGER, MediaNews Group
Article Last Updated:11/14/2006 09:12:05 PM PST

SACRAMENTO - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and state lawmakers are faltering in their efforts to bolster racial equality, says an annual report card issued Tuesday by a research group.

Grades fell to "D" for the Republican governor and "C-minus" for the Democrat-dominated Legislature on efforts to close California's racial divide, according to the Applied Research Center, a national think tank.

The report authors praised efforts by Assembly Speaker Fabian Nu ez, D-Los Angeles, but said partisan politics and budget restraints have crippled long-overdue reforms in education, health and income.

They also questioned whether there will be enough bipartisan cooperation in 2007 to address the inequities.

"Of the 20 racial-equity bills that were passed by the Legislature, 12 originated in the Assembly, and Nu ez received an `A' for 100 percent support," said Menachem Krajcer, a policy analyst at the center.

Senate leader Don Perata, D-Oakland, got a "C" for failing to vote on six of the bills. Spokeswoman Alicia Trost said the senator was traveling and unavailable for comment.

Schwarzenegger received his "D" for vetoing half of the racial-equity bills that reached his desk. But spokesman

Francisco Castillo said the report does not accurately reflect the governor's accomplishments.

"It fails to include some of the most important pieces of legislation that will provide greater access to health care coverage for the uninsured, expand preschool at (the) lowest-performing schools and provide financial assistance to disadvantaged students," Castillo said.

The report focused on bills with purposes ranging from allowing English-language learners to take achievement tests in their primary language to establishing a universal health care system.

Grades broke mostly along partisan lines, with many Southern California Democratic lawmakers scoring high and Republicans low. Representatives of GOP lawmakers said the study was biased.

Republican Sens. Tom McClintock of Thousand Oaks, Keith Richman of Granada Hills and George Runner of Antelope Valley each got an "F," as did Republican Assemblywomen Sharon Runner of Lancaster and Audra Strickland of Camarillo.

Not all Democrats won top grades. Assemblyman Paul Koretz of West Hollywood was among those receiving a "B." Scoring "A" grades were Democratic Assemblymen Lloyd Levine of Van Nuys and Dario Frommer of Glendale, along with Democratic Sens. Richard Alarc n of Sun Valley, Fran Pavley of Agoura Hills, Sheila Kuehl of Santa Monica and Jack Scott of Altadena.

Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally, D-Compton, who chairs the Legislative Black Caucus, said there has been progress, "but we still have a lot of work to do in combating disparities in education, economic justice, health, civil rights and criminal justice."