Karen Bass, to be Elected Speaker of the California Assembly Today, is a Solid Progressive Who Walks the Walk

She has solid ratings of 100% from environmental groups such as the California League of Conservation Voters and Sierra Club California. She also has a 100% voting record from the Consumer Federation of California, an 87% rating from the California Public Interest Group (CalPIRG) near the top ratings issued by that group concerned about governmental ethics and curbing corporate abuse. Among the legislation CalPIRG looked at were bills to reform California's health insurance system (AB 8, SB 840), reduce risks for patients taking prescription drugs (SB 606, SB 472), and provide new consumer protections in the marketplace (AB 1673, SB 250). Additionally, CALPIRG scored two budget trailer bills, one which significantly cut public transit funding (SB 79) and another that, if passed, would have enacted new corporate tax breaks (SB 98). She also has a 100% rating from Planned Parenthood on choice issues.

Just to mention of few of her solid progressive votes, Bass has supported campaign finance reform in the California Clean Money bill, AB 583 by Assemblymember Loni Hancock; Fiona Ma’s legislation to ban toxic phthalates in children’s products; Sally Lieber’s bill to ban diacetyl, a toxic substance causing popcorn lung in movie theater employees; same sex marriage; an interstate compact to reform the Electoral College; flood liability reform; and AB 1554 by Dave Jones to regulate health insurance premiums and require that prior approval be obtained before these rates can be increased. She appeared with Senator Sheila Kuehl when SB 840, her single payer health bill, was reintroduced at the start of the current session.

She was a strong voice on the Assembly Floor in support of a measure to place an advisory measure on the February Presidential Primary ballot, a bill vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger. In her ringing speech, she said:

"I believe this is a historic day."

"I rise in support of this bill in the hope that when the President sees what I believe will be the will of the people of the state and as other states across the country follow suit that he will begin to listen to the American people. I support our young men and women who are fighting this war and I believe the best way to demonstrate our support and I believe the best way to demonstrate our support is to bring them home immediately."

She then spoke of the effects of the war on soldiers and Californians in particular, and mentioned the many times the Assembly Chamber has adjourned in the memory of California troops who have been killed in action:

"Often we talk about the lives lost. We regularly adjourn in memory for soldiers who died in our districts. But not has been said about the lives that have been permanently altered due to injuries suffered. I want to remind us of the hundreds of young men and women who have lost arms and legs. The hundreds of young men and women who have suffered traumatic brain injury. The thousands are suffering from post-traumatic stress syndrome. A study published in the archives of Internal Medicine reports that about one-third of the 103,000 veterans returning from the Iraq War seen at the Veteran's Hospital are seen with mental illness. One in four returning soldiers have health problems, both physical and mental."

A lifeling commitment to community service and social justice

Bass has a lifelong history of community service. She has said: "My life has been defined by the fight for social justice." Among her many awards are the Rosa Parks Award from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference (the group that Dr. Martin Luther King founded) and the Upton Sinclair Award from the Liberty Hill Foundation.

A product of the Los Angeles schools, she has a Physician Assistant Certification from the University of Southern California School of Medicine and a BS in Health Services from California State University, Dominguez Hills.

It was while working in the emergency room at L.A. County USC Hospital, that she was witness to the ravages that crack cocaine had brought to the young men, women and children of the inner city and founded the Community Coalition for Substance Abuse, Prevention and Treatment in South Central Los Angeles, one of the first organizations in the country to deal with the emergence of the crack cocaine epidemic. The organization which has involved more than 2,000 members, has worked in five projects focused on public policy response to drug abuse issues. Bass is also an instructor at the USC School of Medicine's physician assistant program.

After the 1992 civil unrest in Los Angeles, Bass and the coalition prevented the rebuilding of over 150 liquor stores. Her work continued with local business owners in converting over 40 former liquor stores into viable, productive businesses

Bass wrote a paper, “Community Organizing/Mobilizing as a Method of Addressing Alcohol Problems,” where she discusses problems faced in low income areas such as South Central Los Angeles. In it, she says:
"...affluent resort areas might have seasonal problems when tourists congregate and drink in large crowds and fighting and violence erupts. Poor white and ethnic minority inner city areas have problems resulting from an overconcentration of liquor stores and bars. The people affected by problems in resort communities are likely to be business owners or middle class homeowners with access to and experience in approaching local officials with problems. The people concerned about problems in less affluent areas are likely to be homeowners and renters without access to officials and unaccustomed to the operations of local government."

She served as the Executive Director of the coalition, and also has taught as a Clinical Instructor at the University of Southern California School of Medicine and as an Adjunct Instructor at California State University, Dominguez Hills, She served as Project Director for the Health Careers Opportunity Program from 1986-1990, and has worked as a Physician Assistant at Los Angeles County USC Hospital.

Unlike most of her fellow state Democratic legislators, Bass has been a strong supporter of Democratic Presidential candidate Barack Obama. In this regard, she joins Darrell Steinberg, who will be her counterpart at the end of this session as President pro Tem of the California State Senate.

Here is what Bass has had to say about some of the important issues facing California:

EDUCATION

Supporting public education is my first priority, therefore I will not support (and have actively fought against) school vouchers or any other attempt to subsidize private schools with public money. My priority for education is to lessen the achievement gap, and see that students from every district get the best education possible. Education should be the top budget priority in good times and bad.

HEALTH CARE

I believe that Universal Healthcare is in the best interest of all people. Until that becomes a reality, I will work to support any quality legislation that improves access to healthcare for Californians. I support the expansion of Healthy Families to include all family members. No child in California should be without healthcare.

WOMEN'S ISSUES

I have worked hard to ensure social and economic justice for women. I am Pro Choice and believe that all reproductive choices are between a woman and whomever she decides to consult, such as her family, physician or clergy. I support efforts to assist working women and their children and have fought to increase funding for child care programs, such as Head Start. I support domestic violence prevention programs, and tougher laws to protect victims.

VIOLENCE & CRIME PREVENTION

I support gun control, particularly the bans on Saturday Night Specials and assault weapons, mandatory background checks, and waiting periods. I support efforts to require additional safety features on handguns, including child safety locks, requiring safe and proper storage of handguns, and registration of all firearms. I support increasing enforcement of current gun controls and increasing regulation of gun sellers.

ENVIRONMENT

If we do not protect and enhance our environment and quality of life that makes California a unique place to live and work, we will lose businesses and skilled workers. I believe that we need to make sure polluting businesses absorb a greater cost than they currently do, so that they have an incentive to change their behavior. Individuals must also be responsible for changing their behavior, urban runoff is the largest remaining source of pollution in the Santa Monica Bay. Education has proven to be the most effective method of pollution prevention, but it is also time that we establish hard cumulative discharge standards and enforce them.

STATE BUDGET

The state of California's current budget crisis is one of the most daunting problems we face. It threatens programs and services across the board. There is a need for massive reform of the states tax and budgetary system. I believe that we must work to create new revenues by taking steps such as closing corporate tax loopholes, reinstating the upper income tax bracket and considering alternative sources. I support the Budget Accountability Act, Prop 56, which would end the partisan gridlock over the budget. We need to invest in people and not eliminate jobs.

ECONOMIC DEVELOPMENT

Strong, well directed, broadly inclusive economic growth is essential to a healthy California. But in California, as in the rest of the nation, the income gap between rich and poor is continually widening. Economic development programs must be structured to create access to jobs and a wage structure that does not widen the economic gap. Public investment policy must focus on restoring California’s antiquated infrastructure including; schools, transportation systems, parks, telecommunications, drinking water systems, and public building projects. New public resources must be created. I have always joined in the struggle for improved salaries and benefits for workers. I support a Living Wage.