May 12, 2008 7:25 pm US/Pacific
New Calif. Assembly Speaker To Face Budget Crisis
SACRAMENTO (CBS 5 / KCBS) ―
Democrat Karen Bass takes over as Assembly speaker on Tuesday -- just in time for what could be the state budget deadlock to end all budget deadlocks.
The former community activist will become the first black woman to hold the Assembly's top leadership post.
Bass will find out just how tough her job is likely to be when Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger releases his revised budget proposal and deficit projections Wednesday.
Bass takes the place of termed out Los Angeles Democrat Fabian Nunez. The former labor leader became House Speaker in 1995 and became the longest-serving speaker since Willie Brown.
During his 15-year tenure, Nunez tackled a range of issues from global warming and school funding to health insurance. He also came under fire for spending tens of thousands on foreign travel and expensive meals at fine hotels, spending now being investigated by the state Fair Political Practices Commission.
Nunez was the son of a gardener and a labor leader before being elected to office. He told the L-A Times he has no plans to run for office, and would probably work in the private sector, but he has yet to announce a new job.
(© MMVIII, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
