A politician who will soon hold one of the most powerful positions in California was walking along the industrial banks of the Los Angeles River last week when an artist smoking a cigarette stopped him to lodge a few complaints.

The area has graffiti but no murals, Robert Cortes said. Too few trees and too many dope dealers.

“You’ve got a lot of work to do, bro,” Cortes said to Assemblyman Anthony Rendon, who will take over next year as speaker of the California Assembly.

When he does, the stage is set for Rendon to become a leader unlike any California has seen in 20 years. Changes to legislative term limits approved by voters three years ago have now taken hold, creating the potential for a period of stability unseen since Willie Brown – the self-proclaimed “ayatollah of the Assembly” – left the speaker’s office in 1995. In the 20 years before that, California had just two assembly speakers. In the 20 years since, there have been 11.

Rendon, a Democrat from the Los Angeles County city of Lakewood, will take over in 2016 with the possibility of holding office for nine more years. He’ll lead a house with increasing seniority, as the new term limit rules allow lawmakers to hold their positions for 12 years. That’s twice as long as they could stay in the Assembly under the old system.

And Rendon, 47, will be working across the aisle with a new Republican leader – Assemblyman Chad Mayes of Yucca Valley – who will take the helm next year with the possibility of staying in office for 11 more years.

Longer terms and steady leadership could have a calming impact on the Capitol, allowing lawmakers to settle into the responsibility of their positions rather than plotting their next political move. The changes may help lawmakers build expertise in areas of government – like education, water policy or health care – that are now overseen by a constantly rotating cast.
Rendon, who has a PhD in political science, used his own experience chairing the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee to illustrate the potential shift. He took control of the committee the first year he was elected to office and negotiated a $7.5 billion water bond while learning policy on the fly.

“If I had stayed in that committee chairmanship for ten years, I could probably tell a lobbyist when I thought they were full of (crap),” he said, using a word that rhymes with sit.
“I could probably tell a water district official that they were not being honest with me.”

In the coming years, Rendon said, he and his colleagues will “have the ability to do that.”
Of course, there are no guarantees they’ll succeed.

Rendon faces numerous challenges, including some ambitious colleagues who want a shot at being speaker too. His caucus could pass the baton to someone else at any time. And Rendon is taking over a Democratic caucus that is divided over some key California issues, including technology and the environment.

The grandson of Mexican immigrants, Rendon’s political background is solidly liberal – including stints leading the California League of Conservation Voters and Plaza de la Raza Child Development Services. He’s been a robust fundraiser, receiving 29 percent of his campaign cash from organized labor.

Yet he landed the speakership with significant support from a bloc of business-friendly Democrats who break with progressive Democrats on environmental issues to cast votes that are sympathetic to the oil industry. Satisfying both bands within his party will be tough.

http://calmatters.org/articles/gripping-power-for-the-long-term/