Assemblywoman Karen Bass secured the votes to become the next speaker of the California Assembly late Wednesday, elevating an African American woman to the post for the first time in California history. Bass, a 54-year-old Los Angeles Democrat, was the top lieutenant of outgoing Speaker Fabian Núñez, who pitched in behind the scenes Wednesday to help Bass win a feverish, 10-person battle for the top job. Steve Maviglio, Núñez's spokesman, said the 48-member Democratic caucus will meet privately early today. Immediately afterward, the entire Assembly will vote on Bass' selection. Bass is expected to work alongside Núñez in the coming months, then transition into the Assembly's top spot.

Bass, Núñez and Democratic colleagues sipped wine in the speaker's office late Wednesday to celebrate her ascension, assured by events that came together in rapid-fire fashion. Bass, considered the front-runner for weeks, will assume a political job considered by many to be second only to the governor in power and prestige in California government. "She's a fantastic person, she's a great candidate and I think she's going to be a wonderful speaker," said Assemblyman Kevin de Leon, a Los Angeles Democrat who also fought for the job.

Núñez will be forced from office at the end of 2008 by term limits. The end of his reign as speaker – the longest of the term limits era – was sealed after voters defeated a Feb. 5 ballot measure that would have extended his time in office. Neither Bass nor Núñez was available for comment late Wednesday.

Besides De Leon, Bass beat a field of Democratic speakership candidates consisting of Alberto Torrico of Newark, Hector De La Torre of South Gate, Joe Coto of San Jose, Fiona Ma of San Francisco, Charles Calderon of Whittier, Mike Feuer of Los Angeles, Anthony Portantino of La Cañada Flintridge, and Ed Hernandez of West Covina. Torrico, also considered a prime contender, applauded Bass' leadership. "What a great day," he said. "We have just elected an African American woman to be speaker. I couldn't be prouder of our caucus, I couldn't be prouder of serving in it, and I'll do whatever Ms. Bass wants me to do, large or small."

Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes, also a Los Angeles Democrat, said the Democratic caucus agreed to coalesce around the candidate who had the most support, and "what you're seeing tonight is people coming together to do exactly that." Fuentes said the Democrats opted for experience over longevity. Bass, first elected in 2004, will have to leave the Assembly no later than 2010 under term limits. A freshman, in contrast, could have served until 2012. "It seems like the natural transition to move to a sophomore who's been around, especially when we're facing these terrible budget issues," he said.

Sen. Darrell Steinberg, a Sacramento Democrat who already has been named to become Senate president pro tem next year, said he looks forward to working with Bass. "I think the world of her," Steinberg said. "I'm confident that we will work very well together. I think she has the right temperament for the job. She is calm, unflappable and very committed to getting good things done for the people of California."

There are 48 Democratic members of the state Assembly, meaning Bass needed at least 25 votes to become speaker. An official vote had been planned for March 11, but news that Bass secured support from a majority of the caucus Wednesday left no reason to wait another two weeks for ratification. Democrats, who control the Assembly by a vast margin, 48-32, can elect Bass to the speakership with or without GOP support.

As speaker, Bass will serve as chief negotiator for the Assembly Democrats in discussions with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the other three legislative leaders, including Steinberg. Of the so-called Big 5, Bass will be the only woman and the only non-white. As the leader of the lower house, Bass will also name the chairs of every legislative committee, set staff budgets, assign offices to members and have ultimate say in picking what legislation reaches the Assembly floor.

Bass is the fifth consecutive speaker from Los Angeles. Before Núñez, there was Herb Wesson, currently a member of the Los Angeles City Council, Bob Hertzberg and Antonio Villaraigoisa, now mayor of Los Angeles. In addition to becoming the first African American woman speaker, she is one of only two African American women serving in the 120-member California Legislature.

Bass in 2004 won her seat in the state Assembly – her first post in elective office. Four years later, she's poised to become one of the most powerful political figures in the biggest state in the union. But her career as a political activist began long before that. The daughter of a homemaker and a postal worker, Bass served as leader of the nonprofit Community Coalition following the 1992 Rodney King riots in Los Angeles. The group sought to replace burned-out liquor stores and run-down motels with businesses less likely to attract a rough-and-tumble clientele.

A native of Los Angeles, Bass worked as a nurse and a physician's assistant before arriving in Sacramento. As a legislator, she has been an outspoken liberal, voting for Democratic causes including universal health care and gay marriage. One of Bass' first major efforts, though unsuccessful, was to push for California to develop alternative methods of measuring academic proficiency, besides the high school exit examination, for granting high school diplomas. Her official Assembly Web site touts that she has carried 25 pieces of foster-care legislation.

Bass has had to battle personal tragedy during her time in Sacramento. Her only daughter, Emilia Wright, and son-in-law, Michael Wright, died in a car accident in Los Angeles in October 2006. Both were 23. Well-liked by her colleagues, Bass enters a leadership post in a California Capitol known for its bare-knuckle politics. But despite her quiet demeanor, she may have a few punches up her own sleeve – as the owner of a pair of brown belts in tae kwon do and hapkido martial arts.

By Jim Sanders and Shane Goldmacher, The Sacramento Bee
Thursday, February 28, 2008