Karen Bass reflects on Schwarzenegger, budget cuts in farewell press conference as Assembly speaker

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When Karen Bass began talking about her proudest achievements as Assembly speaker in her farewell Capitol news conference this week, she began by mentioning restoring cuts to the Healthy Families program -- a program that was cut on her watch just weeks earlier.

Such is the plight of the modern-day legislative leader. Rather than list of a battery of major policy victories, Bass’ essential reflection on her nearly two years in the speaker’s office was, ‘It could have been worse.’ Bass said she had ‘no regrets’ about her tenure as speaker as she spoke of the state’s fiscal woes, her relationship with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and her political future.

Bass said at times she felt Schwarzenegger ‘didn’t understand the real-life implications of the cuts’ state lawmakers made over the last two years. But she said, ‘Some of our disagreements were more theatrical than they were personal.’

She did shed some light on why she voted to reject Sen. Abel Maldonado’s (R-Santa Maria) appointment as lieutenant governor, noting that Maldonado had voted for some budgets in the past but that Assembly Democrats ‘felt very strongly ... that the cost of his vote was too high.’

Bass said that other Republicans, such as Sen. Dave Cogdill of Modesto or Assemblyman Mike Villines of Clovis, would have been confirmed if Schwarzenegger had selected them to replace John Garamendi. Speaker-elect John Perez (D-Los Angeles) will be sworn in as speaker on March 1.

--Anthony York