Gray Davis in Almanac of American Politics


On Civil Rights: Support flag burning amendment; oppose gay marriage

At home he angered liberals by agreeing to phase out a gasoline additive backed by environmentalists and to support the flag burning amendment. He opposed a plan to renovate the Bay Bridge supported by Mayors Willie Brown and Jerry Brown as too expensive. He opposed trial lawyers’ proposal to raise the cap on medical malpractice awards. He opposed gay marriage. He supported Wilson’s reduction in car taxes and opposed taxes on Internet commerce.
Source: National Journal, the Almanac of American Politics Feb 11, 2000

On Crime: Supports capital punishment

[During the 1988 campaign, Davis heartily] embraced some issues: for years he had supported capital punishment, backed by some 80% of voters and the key issue in Pete Wilson’s defeat of Kathleen Brown. Davis pledged to “govern neither from the left nor the right, but from the center.” He continued to talk tough on crime and denied clemency and allowed the execution of double-murderer Jaturun Siripongs.
Source: National Journal, the Almanac of American Politics Feb 11, 2000

On Education: Balanced education reform with teachers’ unions

Despite the fact that he had voted in the Assembly in lockstep with the teachers’ unions, he proposed education reforms which, while crafted carefully to minimally annoy union leaders, still diverged from the liberal policies which had destroyed California’s public schools. Davis called a special session of the legislature and presented four bills--for peer review for teachers, enhanced reading instruction, a school-rating system and a standardized test for high schools.
Source: National Journal, the Almanac of American Politics Feb 11, 2000

On Education: Supports EdFlex; more money for higher grades

Education he proclaimed as his “first, second and third” priorities. On the national level, he backed the House Republicans’ EdFlex bill, arguing that California didn’t need money to reduce class sizes for the first four grades--a Clinton targeted program--because it had just done so under a law Pete Wilson proposed and Davis backed; it needed the flexibility to spend money on classrooms for higher grades.
Source: National Journal, the Almanac of American Politics Feb 11, 2000

On Environment: Phase out environmental gasoline additives

At home he angered liberals by agreeing to phase out a gasoline additive backed by environmentalists and to support the flag burning amendment. He opposed a plan to renovate the Bay Bridge supported by Mayors Willie Brown and Jerry Brown as too expensive. He opposed trial lawyers’ proposal to raise the cap on medical malpractice awards. He opposed gay marriage. He supported Wilson’s reduction in car taxes and opposed taxes on Internet commerce.
Source: National Journal, the Almanac of American Politics Feb 11, 2000

The above quotations are from Almanac of American Politics, by Grant Ujifusa and Michael Barone.
Click here for other excerpts from Almanac of American Politics, by Grant Ujifusa and Michael Barone.
Click here for other excerpts by Gray Davis.
Click here for a profile of Gray Davis.
Please consider a donation to OnTheIssues.org!
Click for details -- or send donations to:
1770 Mass Ave. #630, Cambridge MA 02140
E-mail: submit@OnTheIssues.org
(We rely on your support!)

Page last updated: Dec 02, 2021