ON MONDAY, members of the new California Assembly and Senate took their oaths of office. Both houses now have super-majorities from the Democratic Party, something that hasn’t happened since 1883. Needless to say, in those long-ago days, the Democrats were something completely different from what they are now. So for the first time in history, Californians are about to learn what it’s like to live under an ultra-liberal government.

The swearing-in ceremonies were marked by the usual expressions of gratitude and humility, along with promises not to go off on crazy spending sprees and tax-hiking binges.

In remarks to the new Assembly, Speaker John Perez said it faces a “sober, profound responsibility” during the coming year.

Senate President Darrell Steinberg agreed, promising that Democrats wouldn’t “come hurtling out of the gates talking about taxes.”

But before the ink had a chance to dry on their remarks, there were plenty of signs that, instead of restraint, the new California Legislature is, in fact, headed off in a completely Looney Tunes direction.  

- Reacting to mean-spirited laws enacted in conservative places such as San Francisco and Berkeley, Assemblyman Tom Ammiano this week introduced a bill he calls the “homeless bill of rights,” which would prohibit cities and counties from barring things such as sleeping on the sidewalk and urinating in public.

- In October, California decided to issue driver’s licenses to young illegal immigrants under the Obama “Dream Act” amnesty policy — a bill that passed the Legislature when Democrats had simple majorities. Now, Assemblyman Luis Alejo has introduced a bill to issue driver’s licenses to all illegals. He’s also introduced a bill to protect illegal immigrants from deportation unless they’ve committed “serious or violent” felonies (as opposed to non-serious felonies).

- Democrats are practically lining up to “reform” Prop 13. Ammiano’s contribution to this great cause is a bill to remove business property from Prop 13’s protections. And his colleague, Mark Leno, has introduced a separate bill to make it easier for communities to increase property taxes on homeowners for schools.

All that, and the Legislature hasn’t even been in session a week. The next two years are going to be one wild ride ....