Today in the Capitol Morning Report, a subscription only fact-filled tip sheet, former Assembly Member Bill Bagley takes a go at the gridlock in Sacramento.  You might remember Bagley's name, as he is a long-time Republican Assemblyman who endorsed Barack Obama for the Presidency. He had a record of being a real moderate, but it was easier to be a moderate in the 1960s when he spent most of his time in the Legislature.

He goes through a whole litany of reasons why the Legislature is not a very bipartisan place from his day to the current antipathy.  Bagley begins with the ending of cross-filing, which brought a bunch of moderate Republicans, in 1959.  He then notes that the reform (Prop 9, 1974) that ended lobbyist lunches alienated the members from each other. They no longer dined and “hung out” with each other, and had the opportunity to like each other as human beings.

All of that is interesting background, but the real problem comes from the two more recent developments: Prop 13 and term limits.  Prop 13 brought a bunch of conservative radicals who not only voted in a bloc, but wouldn’t even sit next to Democrats.  

But the death knell to bipartisanship was really term limits.  The term limits blocked any hope of legislators developing a trust between members. There can be no long-term relationships of trust, because there are no relationships at all. Members have an eye on the next office, and the primary for that office.

Bagley’s solution is the Open Primary and optimism for the meaningless Proposition 11 redistricting reforms. As we’ve said here many, many times, Prop 11 isn’t a real solution. You can’t redistrict “moderate” districts into LA or SF, or even some Republican areas. Perhaps the open primary would bring a few less partisan voters into the voting booth, but it’s certainly no lock that will actually happen.

What amazes me is how quickly Bagley just drifts over the more obvious solution: repeal term limits.  Term limits create a constant merry go round where legislators are always looking towards the next office, ignoring their current surroundings.  Allow them to get used to the place, and to their fellow legislators. Unfortunately, as we discovered with Prop 93 last year, there is still quite a bit of opposition to that particular reform.

A final point should be made.  One party has been willing to compromise, has made cuts to some of its core constituencies, has been willing to adjust to reflect the reality of our time. Unfortunately, you can’t compromise with somebody who refuses to budge.  You have to give a little to get a little, and Bagley’s Republican heirs refuse to do so.