Hertzberg's Ambitious Agenda

When Robert Hertzberg was unanimously elected as Speaker of the State Assembly this April, he pledged to restore the Legislature's capacity to support the New Economy. Since then, he's unveiled plans for a new standing committee on Jobs, Economic Development and the Economy; formed two new Speaker's Commissions--one charged with reforming the initiative process and the other focusing on regionalism; and created a new training institute for freshman members of the Legislature and their staff. He also just appointed new committee chairs, breaking tradition in order to assure his colleagues would be ready to do the people's business on the first day of the new legislative session this fall. These efforts are part of the Speaker's overarching goal to rise above the daily grind and assess how well California's government is working--and how it can work better.