 |
 -0 |
 |
|
||||||||
 |
||||||||
 |
||||||||
|
||||||||
|
||||||||
 |
|
Davis flipping his stance on key bills Davis' reputation for linking politics and fund raising to policy decisions has vexed Californians and helped his foes secure the recall election. But instead of curtailing the activity that helped get him into trouble with voters, he's kicked it into overdrive, lawmakers and Capitol watchdogs say. He's signing bills he vetoed just last year, provided they appeal to groups he needs to win over. "The governor is sending clear signals that he will sign anything that lands on his desk that will make him look good," said Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter. "He is definitely using bills to pander to groups; there's no denying it." Davis' aides insist he's signing bills because the authors addressed his concerns. "I kind of understand when people say he flip-flopped, but from our perspective there was no change in the governor's position," said Davis spokesman Russell Lopez. "On a lot of these bills, the governor was supportive of the concept. There's been a lot of compromise and negotiations that have taken place over the past year." The Register found that in six cases Davis is supporting bills that contain many of the problems he cited as reasons for refusing to support the legislation in the first place. Just this week, Davis publicly asked the Legislature to send him workers' compensation bills. Davis killed most past reform efforts, and his commitment comes at a time when 20 authors are in the mix and a compensation package has not been finalized. California businesses - both big and small - are pushing hard for reform because claims filed by injured workers are increasing and insurance premiums to cover them are skyrocketing. Insurance companies that have big dollars at stake are weighing in with money. Zenith Insurance, a key player in the workers' compensation industry, has already committed $200,000 to the anti-recall campaign. Assemblyman Ken Maddox, R-Garden Grove, said Davis has made this commitment blindly, which is making lawmakers and lobbyists involved in the process wonder if he cares what the bill says. "I'm not sure policy is a factor in what Gray Davis signs," said Maddox, a member of the conference committee that will craft the legislation. "We don't know what the bill will look like, and whether it is good or bad remains to be seen. But he'll get a bill to sign." Other examples of Davis' flip-flops include bills dealing with automobile insurance, driver's licenses for illegal immigrants, sacred sites for American Indians, environmental waste and consumer privacy rights. The auto bill Davis signed SB 841 last week, giving insurance companies the ability to offer lower rates to their competitors' longtime customers to lure them away. The Department of Insurance opposed the legislation last year and again this year for the same reason: It conflicts with Proposition 103, a voter initiative passed in 1988 that requires that rate reductions benefit all drivers. Insurance Commissioner John Garamendi said the law would dramatically raise rates for new drivers, a clear violation of the initiative. The conflict is no small matter. A lawsuit has been threatened, and the state's legal fees could reach $1 million. Lopez, Davis' spokesman, said the governor changed his mind about the bill because a Department of Insurance analysis was "inconclusive" about the conflict with Proposition 103. But a copy obtained by the Register shows the department remained firm that the new law would violate the initiative. Driver's license bill
One of Davis' most visible reversals came just days after tallies
|
|
|
