LETTERS
Labor Law
Many barrels of ink were used this year to bash the Legislature, state Sen. Joe Dunn and former Gov. Gray Davis over Sen. Dunn’s SB 796 of last year, the Private Attorneys General Act (aka the “sue your boss bill.”)
So it’s surprising to me how few drops of ink were used to explain how Sen. Dunn and state Sen. Dick Ackerman negotiated a compromise with the state Chamber of Commerce and unions that was supported by every interest group and unanimously by both houses of the Legislature.
Republicans went nuts all year, as they and the chamber introduced bills to do nothing less than repeal the law. Gov. Schwarzenegger got in the act late, insisting that the budget must include a repeal.
Sen. Dunn introduced a clean-up bill in February (SB 1809),which he had promised to do if frivolous lawsuits were filed after the enactment of SB 796,and had moved it through the Senate and all the way to the Assembly Appropriations Committee.
Unfortunately, most of the year, Sen. Dunn and the union sponsors of SB 796 were negotiating with themselves because no one seemed interested in fixing SB 796, only repealing it.
It’s a truly amazing story of how, in the end, adversaries Dunn and Ackerman were able to conduct fairly harmonious negotiations to produce a compromise that was far short of a repeal. (Note the absence of other legislators who offered nothing to the negotiations other than self-serving press releases.)
The bill became the reason legislative Democrats and Republicans and the governor finally agreed on a budget.
I’m shocked that no reporter seemed interested in the story. Was it just not sexy enough? Or did I miss it?
Rick Battson
Chief of staff
Sen. Joe Dunn’s Office
Sacramento
Mears vs. Agran
Re: Irvine Mayor Larry Agran’s growing ethics problems:
It is more than symbolic that the Los Angeles Times’ headline writer recently referred to Irvine council member Chris Mears as Agran’s “ex-comrade.”
Shades of Agran as Lenin and Mears as Trotsky come to mind. Please be careful, Mr. Mears.
Chuck DeVore
Republican nominee
70th Assembly District
