Welcome Area Delegates!

Today, California welcomes 48 new Assembly and Senate members. These wide-eyed frosh will soon learn the glories of hidden vodka stashes inside ornately carved mahogany desks, the thrill of special license plates for high-speed commutes, the bewitching allure of gutting-and-amending legislation, and the tasty delights of barely warm Frank Fat's mango-ginger chicken placed seductively outside the member's lounge.

New lawmakers include Anthony Portantino, the La Canada Flintridge assemblyman whose previous experience has been as line producer on "El Regalo De Paquito," production designer on "Grizzly Adams: The Mark of the Bear" and art director of NBC's "Unsolved Mysteries." He joins Jared Huffman, a Marin County environmental attorney and former "three-time NCAA All-American athlete and member of the world champion United States volleyball team," in the Assembly.

In addition, Mike Eng of Monterey Park replaces his wife, Assemblywoman Judy Chu, in the lower house. And Kevin de Leon, who grew up with Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez and remains one of his best friends, will represent Los Angeles with his buddy. Finally, the grateful people of California welcome Borat Sagdiyev, who has been elected to Make Benefit the Glorious Assembly.

We wish them all great success.

UPDATE: We incorrectly reported that Borat Sagdiyev has been elected a new Assembly member. He is actually Mike Feuer, the former Los Angeles City Council member and "dynamic community leader who has devoted his entire public life to community service, especially the elderly, disabled and young people," according the the Assembly. We regret the error.

L.A. Observed found another Feuer-Borat connection, made Nov. 7 on The Sausage Factory. Very nice!

(Photos: 20th Century Fox; Mike Feuer for Assembly)