Lockyer: Key Licensing Boards Must Be Saved

State Attorney General Bill Lockyer supported Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger when he took office on Nov. 17, 2003. Now, one year later, the state’s top lawyer has a different opinion. ‘Unfortunately, this last year and last month, the Arnold I see is super right wing, even more right than George Bush,’ Lockyer told the Pacific Palisades Democratic Club at its annual meeting last Saturday in the home of Joe and Pepper Edmiston. Lockyer, a strong advocate for consumer rights, expressed concern over Schwarzenegger’s recent proposal to reorganize state government by abolishing 88 state boards and commissions. He is concerned especially about eliminating professional licensing boards that are responsible for disciplinary actions and oversight. He warned the 100-member crowd that if these important duties are transferred to one executive officer, there is a risk that with the right amount of money or influence, one person can make a case go away. The best lobbyists, he said, are doctors whose licenses are threatened because of malpractice suits. Lockyer explained that they hire the best attorneys money can buy. ‘That’s not right,’ he said, and emphasized that the boards and commissions are important because they make things visible and publicize possible risks to the public. Other boards on the governor’s butcher block include the Electricity Oversight Board, Commission on Health and Safety and Workers’ Compensation, and the Board of Forestry and Fire Protection. Lockyer, who has held the state’s highest law enforcement post since November 1998, is also keeping a close eye on Washington. On Tuesday, he and Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O’Connell filed a lawsuit to block the Hyde-Weldon Conscience Protection Amendment, which he said was tacked on to a recently passed Labor, Health and Human Services and Education Appropriations bill in the middle of the night. The Amendment would give health insurance companies, hospitals, doctors and staff the right to refuse to perform, pay for, or provide referral services in abortions, even in an emergency. If any state or local government attempts to enforce state laws to safeguard women’s constitutional right to abortion care, federal funding to health care providers would be denied. This could potentially deny $49 billion in federal funds to California. ‘The Bush administration is trying to repeal Roe v. Wade in a sneaky, backdoor way,’ Lockyer said Saturday. ‘Our suit argues that Congress doesn’t have the power to tack this onto an appropriations bill.’ ‘It’s going to be a tough fight,’ he admitted. His office is working closely with key Californian lawmakers Senators Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein and House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi and Rep. Henry Waxman. Lockyer, who believes in the fundamental right of a woman to choose, told the group that the Democratic Party needs to protect U.S. Supreme Court’s decision Roe v. Wade, which marked its 32nd anniversary Saturday. ‘If we change direction on this issue, we don’t deserve to win an election. That is what we’re about,’ he said as the crowd cheered. Lockyer, a former history teacher, advised the Democratic Club not to lose hope despite the 2004 presidential election results. There is a cycle of social progress that occurs every 40 to 50 years, and he reminded the group that in 1964 the situation was reversed. The Democrats controlled the White House and Congress. Though the country was involved in an unpopular war, like today, the incumbent President, Lyndon B. Johnson, won re-election. ‘It’s been 40 years,’ Lockyear said, and noted that it’s time for a change. When asked about whom he supports to head up the Democratic National Committee, Lockyer responded that though he does not have a vote for DNC chair, he thinks former Vermont Gov. Howard Dean would be a good choice because he will be able to energize the party. (Diane Guthman, who lived in Pacific Palisades until she was 11, is a Santa Monica writer.)