PS 103A: Professionalizing the California Legislature

Professionalizing the California Legislature

Artie Samish and His Amateurs

Jesse Unruh and Professionalism•Moving the 3rd House into the

Speaker’s Office

•Defining Professionalism

Evaluating the Reforms

Artie Samish and His Amateurs

"And how are you today, Mr. Legislature?" – Colliers Magazine, August, 1949.

Artie Samish and His Amateurs

Until his 1953 income tax evasion conviction, Artie Samish claimed to be the “Secret Boss of California.”

•He represented the liquor industry,

horse racing, banks, chemical manufacturers, and transportation.

•Samish took payments from companies and turned them into votes.

Artie Samish and His Amateurs

How Did the System Work?•Select and Elect. Samish says

that he mostly selected likeminded candidates and helped them win.

•Campaign Contributions in exchange for influence.

•“Shrimp Hour”

Artie Samish and His Amateurs

What was the Legislature like circa 1950?

•Influenced by “the third house,” which dangled answers and treats.

•Possessed of less information and patience than the full time executive branch.

•Tilted in favor of rural interests.

Artie Samish and His Amateurs

Malapportionment: Any drawing of legislative districts that does not lead to equal populations in districts.•California’s 80-member Assembly was

loosely based on population, but 40-member Senate went by county lines.

•7 million voters vs. 29,000 voters.

•Outlawed by Baker v. Carr (1962)

Jesse Unruh and Professionalism Elected to the Assembly

from Los Angeles in 1954, Unruh shifted power in the Legislature by:

•Moving the 3rd House to the Speaker’s office

•“Professionalizing” the Legislature through Proposition 1A in 1966

Jesse Unruh and ProfessionalismMoving the Third House

How Did the New System Work?•Howard Ahmanson’s Home Savings

and Loan Money went to Unruh.

•“Big Daddy” dispensed campaign funds, legislative perks, and other goodies to those in need.

•Legislators supported him for Speaker and his interests

Jesse Unruh and ProfessionalismProfessionalization

As Speaker from 1961-68, Unruh “professionalized” the Legislature:

•Staff – More and more expert

•Salaries – Enough to make it a career

•Session Length – Full time.

Jesse Unruh and ProfessionalismProfessionalization

Legislative ProfessionalismProfessional (10)Hybrid (28)Citizen (12)

Jesse Unruh and ProfessionalismProfessionalization

Proposition 1A in 1966

•Allowed the Legislature to set its own calendar and salaries.

•Passed by a 3-1 margin.

•Unruh also hired expert staffers so that the Legislature could be independent of lobbyists and the governor.

Evaluating the Reforms

The Benefits of Professionalism

•Made Legislature transformative. In contrast to a parliament that rubber stamps cabinet requests, it could change proposals and design bills of its own

•Expert staff made lobbyists less powerful

•Full-time members not tied to the whims or special interest of a day job

Evaluating the ReformsThe Problems with Professionalism

•Power of incumbency grows with increased resources, makes government less responsive

•Special interests still wield power through campaign contributions

•“Career politicians” drawn from ranks of staff and local office

What Else Has Changed?Partisan Polarization

California Federation of Labor Scores in the Assembly for the Median Member of Each Party, 1933-1999

0

20

40

60

80

100

1933 1941 1949 1957 1965 1973 1981 1989 1997

Democrats

Republicans

NOTE: Labor scores are derived from the annual publication of the California Federation of Labor, AFL-CIO, recorded and presented by Seth Masket. Scores have been adjusted by the process described by Groseclose, Levitt, and Snyder (1999).

Districts Have Grown with the State

Cost of Campaigns Skyrocketed

Budgets Are Often Late

Discussion Questions

Has the California’s Legislature come full circle from the Artie Samish era to today?

Would you support an initiative to “deprofessionalize” the legislature? Why or why not?