California Family Minute  >  California Family Minute  >  This Week Inside the Capitol  >  The Changing Faces of the Pro-life Movement  >  The Next Speaker of the Assembly?

The Next Speaker of the Assembly?


The Next Speaker of the Assembly?
While California’s families prepare for the Christmas season, state legislators and Capitol staff traditionally also take time away with family. However, repeated annual deficits and the economic recession keep legislators and staff in their Sacramento offices. Though the state is anticipating a deficit in excess of $20 billion next year, the Capitol has been preoccupied with speculation, and acrimony, over who will become the next Speaker of the Assembly (its highest ranking official). 
Since mid-November, when Speaker Karen Bass (D-Baldwin Vista) announced that she would be stepping down from the Speakership post, Democrat legislators began campaigning to replace her. The leading contenders were Assemblymembers Kevin de Leon, John Perez and Felipe Fuentes.
The speakership battle was not between Republicans and Democrats, but between 3 Southern California Latino Democrat legislators. While de Leon and Fuentes were the more ambitious contenders, some Democrat legislators were searching for an alternative candidate, and encouraged Perez to enter the competition for the role. Assemblyman Perez, who served as the Democrat Caucus Chairman during 2009, had proven himself to many of his colleagues as a respected person with whom they could cooperatively work. With Perez’ growing caucus support, Fuentes promptly withdrew his name from consideration for the Speaker position, leaving only Kevin de Leon to vie with Perez.
Both de Leon and Perez are freshmen legislators, which mean if selected as the Speaker of the Assembly, they could potentially have 5 years to lead from one of the most powerful positions in the Legislature.  After intense campaigning and behind-locked-door negotiations, Assemblyman de Leon conceded to Perez. With Perez the only remaining candidate, the Democrat Caucus scheduled a meeting Thursday to elect their new leader, the next Speaker of the Assembly.
The new speaker will undoubtedly dictate the Assembly’s policy priorities. Historically, the Speaker of the Assembly’s policy ideas receives preferential treatment throughout the legislative process. The Assembly Speaker’s legislative bills receive less scrutiny and greater support than other legislation. For instance, during her tenure Speaker Karen Bass has championed foster care and adoption reform. As a result, during Bass’s tenure there were more bills introduced and passed related to California’s foster care and adoption systems than in previous years.
The election of Kevin de Leon to the Assembly Speakership would have brought a strong anti-life agenda. Assemblyman de Leon has been one of the fiercest supporters of Physician-assisted Suicide (PAS) legislation. If he had become speaker, PAS legislation was guaranteed to have resurfaced in 2010.
Regrettably, Assemblyman Perez, the presumptive next Speaker, also brings an anti-family agenda to California families. As an open homosexual, Perez’ candidacy was promoted by homosexual special interests, and with his election as Speaker the pro-homosexual bills will not only continue, but likely increase. Californians who favor the protection of traditional marriage and parental authority must be prepared to engage their elected representatives, to prevent the further deterioration of the family. The current legislative majority has already demonstrated their contempt for the voters of California, with the passage in August of Senate Bill 54 (Leno, D-San Francisco), which allowed same-sex marriages performed outside the state of California prior to the passage of Proposition 8 (the ballot measure reaffirming one man, one woman marriage) to be valid and recognized in California. With Assemblyman Perez as Speaker, the assault on marriage and California families will intensify.
With the Speaker battle resolved, the potential primary battle between Senator Gil Cedillo and Assemblyman Perez could present an significant distraction to the presumptive new Speaker. Last week, Senator Cedillo released a poll showing him soundly defeating Perez in 2010 for the Assembly seat. The pending primary results may cause another Speaker battle by mid-summer. 
  • Printer-friendly version