Maldonado plans to sign reform bills while Schwarzenegger travels abroad

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Locked in a tough race to keep his job, Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado is hoping to seize an opportunity to take the spotlight while he is acting governor. Maldonado hopes to sign bills connected to the Bell pay scandal while Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is out of the country.

Maldonado, who is battling San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom in the November election for lieutenant governor, is making arrangements to hold a bill signing ceremony in front of Bell City Hall on Monday, according to an e-mail to that city from one of his staffers. A spokeswoman confirmed Maldonado may sign AB 900, which would refund property taxes overcharged by the city of Bell.

‘Should the bill be sent to the governor’s office, the people of Bell deserve to have their money returned to them,’ said Erin Shaw, a spokeswoman for Maldonado. ‘The lieutenant governor will be in Los Angeles on Monday and it makes sense for our staff to put our logistics in place should he be needed to expedite the state’s business.’

Having been appointed lieutenant governor by Schwarzenegger, who is seen as his mentor, it appears Maldonado is getting some assistance from the governor to grab the media spotlight, according to the e-mail, which talks of the governor’s office supplying some of the equipment for the ceremony.

With the governor on a trade mission to Asia, the lieutenant governor takes on the power to sign bills. ‘Any executive authority he exercises as acting governor is a demonstration of a collaborative partnership between himself and Gov.Schawarzenegger,’ Shaw said. A spokesman for the governor’s office said he would have to research the issue to determine whether the governor supports Maldonado’s action.

[Updated at 11:16 p.m.: The governor supports Maldonado signing the bill, a spokesman said later.]

Bell-related legislation eventually requiring some action includes AB 900, which would allow the refund of $2.9 million in property taxes, and AB 827, which would prohibit automatic pay raises built into employment contracts for city managers.

The legislation was approved by lawmakers last month in response to a scandal involving a salary of nearly $800,000 paid to Bell’s former city manager, and pay of $100,000 to members of Bell’s part-time City Council. The pay controversy has garnered national headlines, so a bill-signing ceremony at Bell City Hall would likely get Maldonado some media attention at a crucial time in his campaign.

In an e-mail to Bell planners seeking a special events permit for the ceremony, Maldonado’s Capitol director, Dinora Ramirez, does not say which bill or bills he plans to sign. ‘I wanted to let you know that I just faxed back the application for the permit that we need for Monday, September 13th,’ Ramirez wrote to a planning official. ‘Again, the Lt. Governor is hoping to use a space outside of City Hall for a bill signing ceremony. The event would begin at 9 a.m., but we would need to set up at 8 a.m. We are expecting no more than 20 people in attendance. We do not need street closures or anything like that. The governor’s Los Angeles office will provide a table, chairs and podium to be used during the event.’

Carlos M. Chacon, the assistant city planner who received the e-mail, declined to comment Thursday.

It is unclear whether Maldonado can pull off the event, given that the bill has not yet reached the governor’s desk, but the governor’s office has asked the Legislature to expedite its processing so action can be taken Monday.

The Newsom camp was critical of Maldonado. ‘Schwarzenegger’s lieutenant should be in Sacramento fixing the budget mess he created instead of grandstanding as Arnold’s stunt double,’said Dan Newman, a spokesman for the Newsom campaign.

-- Patrick McGreevy

[Updated at 11:16 p.m.: An earlier version of this post incorrectly said it was written by Anthony York.]