A Year of Power in Prospect

Power will dominate the California Legislature’s 2001-2002 session, formally opening today. Not sheer political force, although that too will figure large in a reapportionment year. The dominant issue remains the mess created by the Legislature’s decision in 1996 to deregulate the electric power industry. Electricity rates skyrocketed in San Diego last year, and the increases are expected to spread throughout the state soon. If that cannot be prevented, state leaders fear a ratepayer rebellion that could rival the Proposition 13 tax revolt of 1978.

Legislators may find that dealing with soaring property tax rates was easy compared with the complexity of the electric power dilemma. If lawmakers fail to deal with the problem, it’s almost certain that voters will face an initiative petition measure on the 2002 election ballot to reimpose state controls on the electric power industry. As Senate President Pro Tem John Burton (D-San Francisco) said this past week, “It would pass in a heartbeat.” Although the Legislature botched the job in 1996, it would be far preferable to have the issue handled by lawmakers than by a ballot measure.

All that looms in the future. Today’s meeting is largely ceremonial. Both Burton and Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg (D-Sherman Oaks) are expected to be reelected without opposition, then both houses will recess until Jan. 3, when the real work begins.

The Democrats’ majority clout will be felt when they use 2000 census figures to redraw legislative and congressional district lines for the next decade to reflect changes in population. Democrats will want to maximize the number of solidly Democratic districts during the 2000s, but they also have a legal and moral responsibility to draw the districts fairly. Any distorted redistricting plan is certain to be challenged--in fact the courts, not the Legislature, wound up drawing the last three reapportionment plans.

The Legislature welcomes another large crop of freshmen produced by term limits: 31 in the Assembly and 10 in the Senate, although all the new senators are moving over from the lower house. The turmoil of term limits has subsided in recent years, but turnover remains a drag on the Legislature’s effectiveness. Insiders say this year’s new class appears to be particularly bright. That’s good. We hope they’ll be quick learners too, especially on the issue of electric power generation and sales.