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Published on Tuesday, May 13, 2008
By LA Daily News Staff Writer
Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles, took over as speaker Tuesday amid much fanfare about being the first African-American woman to lead the California Assembly - or any other legislative body in the nation's history.
That precedent is significant and will likely remain part of her legacy. But we can think of another, more enduring `first' we'd like to see attached to her name: the first person to turn the state Legislature's interest back to the people of California.
Bass assumes a top leadership role - one of the three most powerful positions in the state - in a troubled government. California is beset with an enormous state budget crisis, and the pain will likely be passed on to schools, local governments and taxpayers.
What's more, Sacramento has become so disconnected from the public that lawmakers have consistently failed to make inroads on the top issues of the day - health care, budget reform and redistricting
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