Tenacious Friedman Plans to Try Again

Only minutes after his legislation to protect native oaks and other valuable California trees was defeated, Democratic Assemblyman Terry B. Friedman, of Los Angeles, was already thinking of ways to revive the bill.

“We will resurrect the bill in January,” said the eternally optimistic Friedman. “I have promises from people who were against me this time that they’ll help me out next year.”

It is such tenacity, not a charismatic personality, that has carried the 42-year-old Friedman this far in politics. Tenacity--and ties to the Berman-Waxman political operation that is so powerful in Los Angeles.

Growing up in Eagle Rock in the 1950s and ‘60s, the only child of two teachers, Friedman heard political talk every day.

“My parents weren’t activists, but the news, especially political news, was central in our family,” he recalled in an interview. “We kicked it around at dinner every night.”

At UCLA, Friedman became active in the California Federation of Young Democrats. At 21, he was president of the statewide organization.

He worked in three Democratic campaigns: Tom Bradley for mayor in 1969, George Brown for U.S. Senate in 1970, and George McGovern for president in 1972. All three lost, but Friedman gained valuable campaign experience.

Friedman was one of a group of UCLA politicos who worked as volunteers for Westside Democratic Congressman Henry Waxman and later ran for office themselves. Others were Howard Berman (now a congressman), Burt Margolin (a California assemblyman) and Rick Tuttle (Los Angeles city controller).

All are members of the loose-knit but powerful political organization that has been assembled by Berman and Waxman.

After seven years as legal director for Bet Tzedek, a Los Angeles legal services agency that specializes in helping Jewish people of low and moderate income, Friedman was elected to the Assembly in 1986. He was 37.

The 43rd Assembly District, which Friedman represents, includes Beverly Hills, Brentwood, Bel-Air and prosperous neighborhoods in the San Fernando Valley.

In the Assembly, he has been a solid liberal vote and a loyal member of Speaker Willie Brown’s Democratic majority. This year Friedman was rewarded with the chairmanship of the Labor and Employment Committee.

In the session that just ended, Friedman overcame fierce opposition from the Traditional Values Coalition and other conservatives to win both Assembly and Senate approval for legislation that would have banned job discrimination against gays and lesbians.

Gov. Pete Wilson, under heavy conservative pressure, vetoed the bill.

Unless Proposition 140, the term-limitation initiative approved by voters last year, is overturned in the courts, Friedman must leave the Assembly in 1996. He would like to run for city attorney in Los Angeles but knows he stands little chance against James K. Hahn.

And if Hahn stays on the job, “I’ll have to keep my eyes open for other opportunities,” Friedman said.

Meanwhile, he will continue to advocate liberal and environmental legislation, convinced that hard work, attention to detail and meritorious argument eventually will lead to passage of such measures as the failed gay rights and tree-protection bills.

“After all, it took Henry Waxman 10 years to get the Clean Air Act through Congress,” Friedman said, “and that is one of the most important pieces of environmental legislation we have.”