October 19, 2006
When you talk about politics in California, you’re talking sexy,� California State Senator Jackie Speier said last night, aiming to persuade students that a state legislator, particularly in California, can pass a great deal of important policy.Speier said she jumped at the opportunity to speak to Stanford students. She spoke about the ways in which politics can be successfully employed to get policy through, using examples from her 18 years of experience in the California State Senate to elucidate her assertions.
Speier, who finished second in the Democratic primary for lieutenant governor in June, spoke at Stanford as the first of three speakers for a class entitled “Creating and Analyzing Public Policy: The Roosevelt Institution.� Guest lecturers in coming weeks will include U.S. Congresswoman Zoe Lofgren and California State Controller Steve Westly.
Junior Eric Mitzenmacher, president of the Roosevelt Institution and lead teaching assistant for the class, introduced Speier by emphasizing the importance of state legislation.
“State-level politics are often overlooked by students, because they’re not as sexy as federal politics,� he said. “But they are really quite imperative to spur the balance towards innovation, and that has been Speier’s path for the past few terms.�
The senator opened her speech with examples of how California has taken the lead on a number of important issues and continued by outlining a number of premises she felt were indicative of successful policy.
First, Speier discussed the value of incrementalism, a tactic she used to pass a bill on health insurance.
“You can move very sound public policy by moving a portion of it and then expanding on it,� she said.
She also emphasized the importance of perseverance in public policy.
“You have to be willing to stick with a bill, reintroduce it, until it gets through,� Speier said. She cited the examples of a financial privacy bill she introduced that passed after four attempts and another that took three years.
Speier then explained the importance of research in forming good policy. A hotly contested bill about requiring proof of auto insurance at the time of registration was successfully passed because Speier was able to show substantial savings for taxpayers if the bill became law.
Speier added that sometimes, though, it takes a bit of serendipity to pass a bill. At one point, said Speier, she had been unsuccessful for three years in passing a bill allowing birth control pills to be covered by prescription drug plans. However, in the fourth year, when the drug Viagra, which was more expensive, was introduced and instantly covered by prescription drug plans, the bill was finally signed into law.
Another way to help pass public policy is through the successful use of the media, which can be helpful to spotlight specific issues. She advocated and spoke of successfully drawing on real people, rather than lobbyists, to make one’s case.
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For example, a bill she introduced to create an organ donor registry in California was successful because Speier brought forward stories of people who had lost loved ones or received organ donations.
“The stories were pretty compelling and effective at moving the legislation forward,� she said.
Speier also emphasized the necessity for legislators to identify relevant issues, adding that senators are elected to identify issues that are important to the public.
The senator’s final point focused on the need to understand the members of committees. She said that votes often don’t come from members of her own party, so she has to find alliances with members of opposite parties.
After her 18 years on the state legislature, Speier cannot run again due to limits.
“I’m at a crossroads now,� she said. “I’m not quite sure what I’m going to do next.�
Looking toward the future, Speier encouraged students to get involved in public policy and public service, saying she found her work sustaining and fulfilling.
“There’s a difference between knowing that something you did helped raise stock figures a couple points and knowing that you’ve just passed a law that will help 36 million people,� she said. “There’s just no comparison.�
Mitzenmacher said that Speier was an innovative and visionary legislator in addition to being a wonderful speaker.
“Policy research is what these students are here for,� Mitzenmacher said. “We could bring plenty of politicians here who could talk about battles over bills, but I think she makes a fairly unique perspective in that she approaches the entire policy process from a very similar stance as a student. She sits down, she reads, she has that bit of inspiration, she goes to work on it, and I think that’s how students want to interact with the policy process as well.�
Sophomore Julia Guth said she found Speier’s speech inspiring.
“I’m definitely more interested in researching more about what exactly state senators and assemblymen do,� she said. “[I am] even considering a career in politics or in public policy.�
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