By Melissa Overbeck
Staff Writer
Gov. Gray Davis signed more than 884 bills into law and made more than 20 appointments to state courts and boards since losing the recall election, despite protests from Gov.-elect Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Republican Party. The laws include some important changes in consumer privacy, gay rights and environmental protection.
Davis acted in spite of requests by Schwarzenegger not to sign any of the bills he received from the legislature after the recall. Davis had the option to sign, veto or ignore the 971 bills on his desk, but those he chose to ignore would automatically become law.
Dr. Stanley Moore, a professor of political science at Pepperdine, said Davis’ actions were nothing out of the ordinary.
“In California, legislation is passed in September and the governor has until October to either sign or veto it,” Moore said. “This wasn’t any different than the years before.”
Moore said Davis’ surge of legislation was a result of the nature of California’s system rather than an attempt to spite Schwarzenegger.
“Percentage-wise (Davis) hasn’t signed more recently than in the past,” Moore said.
Some of the most controversial laws Davis approved include driver’s licenses for illegal immigrants, car license taxes, new benefits for registered gay partners and rights for water quality officials to block logging proposals.
The following are some of the bills Davis recently approved:
• Driver’s Licenses. A measure Davis had twice previously vetoed, which gives illegal immigrants the right to obtain a special type of driver’s license, was intended to encourage illegal immigrants to insure their cars. However, those who oppose the law say that it increases the risk of terrorism. Davis passed the measure shortly before the election and many saw it as a last minute attempt by the governor to reach out to minority voters. Schwarzenegger promised to take measures to repeal the law.
• Gay Rights. Davis also appealed to voters in the gay community by passing a law granting registered gay couples more than 300 benefits similar to those received by married couples, including shared ownership of property and debt. The issue created controversy around the country with both the advocates and the opponents to the measure rushing to sign petitions to either support or bar the measure. Schwarzenegger promised to reverse this decision as well.
• Car Tax. This measure increases car license fees in order to provide funding for public services, particularly fire and police departments. Schwarzenegger plans to reverse this decision, but to do so will have to find funding elsewhere for these services.
“The cuts in the fire and police departments that will result from the reversal of this measure will be so devastating that Schwarzenegger will have to find another way to come up with the $4 billion the tax would have provided,” Moore said.
• Logging Restrictions. This measure provides water regulators the power to stop logging endeavors that would pollute streams and rivers.
• Ephedra Ban. This measure banned the sale of diet pills containing Ephedra, after the stimulant was shown to be linked to problems such as heart attacks and strokes. Davis had vetoed a similar bill restricting Ephedra-containing products in 2000.
In addition to these and the many other bills he passed in his last few weeks in office, Davis also rushed to fill the remaining appointed positions.
“Davis has been notoriously slow in filling appointments,” Moore said. “He had a policy that he wouldn’t make appointments without first meeting the appointees, which slowed the process. The appointments he is making now are ones that he should have made throughout his term. He had to fill them under pressure because he hadn’t done it earlier.”
Since the recall election, Davis has made more than 20 appointments, including 10 Superior Court justices, three of whom made contributions of more than $1,000 to Davis’ anti-recall campaign.
October 30, 2003