Atkins: a steady force as Assembly speaker

Speaker of the State Assembly Toni Atkins is greeted by participants at the annual Harvey Milk Diversity Breakfast on May 21,2015. — Peggy Peattie / UTSan DIego/Twitter @peggypeattie

(Peggy Peattie)

In her first year as Speaker of the California Assembly, San Diegan Toni Atkins has won praise from colleagues both inside and away from the Capitol as a leader who seeks substance over style and teamwork rather than “high drama.”

Atkins, 52, a former San Diego City Council member, hasn’t escaped criticism in Sacramento. She dealt earlier this year with conflict-of-interest questions tied to her support for affordable housing and the controversial removal of a fellow San Diego Democrat from an Assembly committee.

But on the whole, she’s carved out a reputation as a practical, effective leader willing to tackle California’s toughest problems, from its crumbling highway system to its dearth of affordable housing to its current water crisis, according to colleagues on both sides of the aisle.

Atkins is the first San Diegan and first lesbian to serve as speaker. She has brought steadiness and civility to the Legislature’s lower house, managing the needs and personalities of the 80-member, Democratic-controlled chamber with a direct, but not heavy-handed style, colleagues said. That approach has allowed lawmakers to focus on the state’s most pressing issues rather than political gamesmanship, several said.

“She leads from a place of fairness and wants to bring as many people together as possible,” said Assembly Republican Leader Kristin Olsen of Modesto, who has co-authored a bill with Atkins to expand private sector funding of preschools in low-income areas.

“I think she’s been a real stabilizing force up there,” added San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce President Jerry Sanders, a Republican who served as San Diego’s mayor while Atkins was on the San Diego City Council.

“Toni isn’t cut out of a specific mold,” Sanders continued. “She’s not hugely ideological, except on workforce housing.”

Housing, a passion

Whether as a college student working in rural Virginia or as a City Council staffer fighting for San Diego’s urban poor, Atkins has placed one priority above all others during her years of service: safe and affordable housing.

She’s continued that push as Assembly speaker, introducing a package of bills this spring to address California’s affordable housing crisis.

FILE - In this Monday, May 12, 2014 file photo, Assembly Speaker-elect Toni Atkins, D-San Diego, right, walks hand in hand with her spouse, Jennifer LeSar, to the rostrum of the Assembly where she took the oath of office as the 69th Assembly Speaker at the Capitol in Sacramento, Calif. Atkins told an audience of women Tuesday, June 17, 2014, there was nothing courageous about her kissing her spouse when she was sworn in last month. The San Diego Democrat says the little backlash to photos of the kiss reflects growing tolerance. (AP Photo) The Associated Press

(The Associated Press)

One of the bills, AB 1335, would establish a permanent source of funds for affordable housing by charging a $75 recording fee on certain real estate transactions.

The bill did not emerge from the Assembly during last week’s mad dash to move legislation out of its house of origin. But due to an urgency clause in the bill, it “is still very much alive,” according to Atkins deputy chief of staff.

“It is still a work in progress,” Atkins said in a recent interview at her Capitol. “We are still working on it to make it the best program ever that works for communities, that works for people in every part of the state.”

The fee has the potential to create between $300 million and $500 million annually for affordable housing development statewide.

While Atkins’ bill has a long way to go, it’s already cleared a hurdle that previous versions failed to do: Gaining support from the influential California Association of Realtors.

That’s because Atkins sat down with the group and agreed to ensure oversight of the revenue created, among other commitments, said Alex Creel, a lobbyist for the association.

“She’s been very open to working to make this happen,” he added.

Drought response

Reflecting on her first year as speaker, Atkins said she’s most proud of her role bringing Democrats and Republicans together to support a slimmed-down $7.5 billion water bond. The measure, passed by voters in November, was in response to the state’s now four-year drought and includes funds for water recycling, storage and conservation projects. Earlier versions called for spending as much as $11 billion and lacked support from Gov. Jerry Brown.

Atkins said she rejected calls to strong-arm a version that pleased only Democrats, and had less money for Republican-backed water storage projects.

“There were people in the very beginning who said: ‘Let’s just count the votes we need to get this done,’” Atkins said. “My feeling was: ‘No, this is a statewide issue. We can’t leave anybody behind and I’m not willing to.’”

Facing criticism

While she’s scored high marks with many, Atkins has also encountered some criticism and controversy during her first year as speaker. Questions were raised in February about whether Atkins’ affordable housing initiatives represent a legal conflict, given that her spouse, Jennifer LeSar, heads a San Diego-based consulting firm that specializes in affordable housing.

After reviewing the matter at Atkins’ request, an attorney for the Legislature said in March that the speaker’s plans do not violate California’s conflict-of-interest laws. Both Atkins and LeSar have repeatedly said they are careful to avoid any improprieties.

In April, Atkins removed Assemblywoman Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, from her post on the Assembly Public Safety Committee. The move, which was followed by contradictory statements from Atkins and Gonzalez about why it happened, caused some to ask whether there’s a rift between the two prominent lawmakers.

“Our styles occasionally bump up against one another,” Atkins said after the removal of Gonzalez, considered an ascending leader at the Capitol. Atkins added at the time that she has “in no way ever intended to slight Lorena Gonzalez.”

Lonely at the top

Since birth, Atkins has always been part of a team.

“I’m a twin. I’ve always been a ‘we, not me,’” she said. “That’s where I’m more comfortable. I think my style is more: ‘Let’s figure out how we can do this together.’”

That team-first attitude sometimes collides with Atkins’ independent duty to decide which lawmakers will rise in the Assembly, by granting committee chair assignments or even just a bigger office space.

“If I’m learning anything, there’s a reason a speaker feels lonely. It’s a lonely place to be because ultimately you really are responsible for how things happen,” Atkins said.

At least one lawmaker who’s done that job said Atkins is wearing the many hats required by the speaker post well.

“I think she’s doing great. The difference between being speaker and a member (of the Assembly) is just a sea change,” said state Sen. Bob Hertzberg, D-Van Nuys, who served as Assembly Speaker from 2000 to 2002. “She’s not the command and control speaker.… She’s even handed, she’s thoughtful. She’s not a press monger. She’s not a demagogue.”

Looking forward

Atkins has declined to say what she’ll do, at least in the near term, once she’s termed out of the Assembly in 2016. She’s opened a fundraising committee for a potential state Senate run in 2020, when Sen. Marty Block, D-San Diego, will be termed out of his seat.

Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, D-San Diego, one of her strongest allies in Sacramento, said Atkins would be a great candidate for other high-profile elected offices.

“I had hoped she would run for U.S. Senate. I thought she’d be a great mayor,” of San Diego, Weber said. “Whatever she does, I am sure it will be exciting and dynamic, and it might not even be in public office.”

chris.nichols@utsandiego.com | (916) 445-2934 | Twitter@ChrisTheJourno