Greg Lucas has a nice obituary today on former state Sen. Joseph Rattigan, described as trusted, knowledgeable, compassionate, wry, eloquent, liberal, well-educated and socially committed. Just like the lawmakers of today!
Rattigan left the state Legislature in 1966 to become a judge, but he is still remembered around the Capitol by a handful of old-timers. "People would cry when he introduced a Mother's Day resolution. People would want to know when he was speaking so they could go listen," John Mockler, a long-time capitol lobbyist and consultant, told Lucas.
It's probably wise not to get too sentimental about people, especially lawmakers--we're all flawed. But one anecdote stands out. Lucas reports that Rattigan in 1963 maneuvered to save the Rumsford Fair Housing Act, which had been slated for defeat in the Senate.
Rattigan forced a vote on the bill rather than let it die. From the obit in the S.F. Chronicle: "Byron Rumsford, an African American assemblyman from Oakland, watched from the back of the Senate. Rattigan walked back and hugged him. 'Byron, I've just atoned for a Jim Crow boyhood,' Sen. Rattigan told him."
Actor Edward James Olmos looks down at the Latino Spirit Award he
received from the Legislative Latino Caucus during
ceremonies held at the Capitol. Other honorees included former Davis administration official and bank founder Maria Contreras-Sweet, dyslexia advocate Victor Villasenor, comedy troupe Culture Clash, Santa Clara County supervisor
Blanca Alvarado, USC Mexican American expert Raul Vargas, L.A. supervisor Gloria Molina, Rep.
Esteban E. Torres, and the family behind Molina Healthcare.
(Photo:
Rich Pedroncelli/AP)
"Gil was straight up. He was on
of my mentors. We didn't agree on everything – he was frustrated with
what he called 'the machine' (of the local GOP). I'm not sure I agree
with that conspiracy theory. … (But he) wasn't afraid to take on the
establishment and that endeared him to a lot of people." Orange County supervisor John Moorlach on the death of former Republican Assemblyman Gil Ferguson.
Ferguson served in the Assembly from 1984 to 1994, and started an O.C. tradition - People Over Politics, which sponsored conservative speakers and eventually turned into a monthly breakfast club. Ferguson was 84, and suffered from leukemia. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has ordered the Capitol flag lowered to half staff.
Now that state Sen. Jenny Oropeza and Assemblywoman Laura Richardson are headed into an epic primary battle for a Los Angeles-area congressional seat, I thought I'd do a little research on the two elected officials representing big parts of Long Beach. Voters this summer will have a tough decision on replacing Rep. Juanita Millender-McDonald, who died April 22.
What better place to look for information on Oropeza and Richardson than their own taxpayer-funded websites. But even that may be too much to absorb. For confused voters and political contributors, Political Muscle offers a helpful guide to the official state biographies for Richardson and Oropeza.
OBVIOUS PROPAGANDA
 Richardson: "Laura has continued to demonstrate significant leadership by initiating and supporting legislative and administrative actions that enhance vitality and livability for those she serves. She has garnered the respect of her peers and others because of diligence and thoroughness. Ms. Richardson often stands alone on issues that impact the disenfranchised. But in doing so, she has always taken the 'High Road' focusing on the values of fairness and integrity above all else. ... Clearly Assemblywoman Richardson is making an impressive start."
Oropeza: "Finally, on a more somber note, her resolution commemorating Sept. 11 as an annual day of remembrance and service ensures that Californians each year honor those who were lost. ... She and her husband, Tom Mullins, have been married since 1977. They, along with her niece, live in a 1930s-era Craftsman bungalow in Long Beach that showcases impressionistic oil paintings by her late father, the son of Mexican immigrants. The oldest of three children, she enjoys reading political biographies and spending time with her husband.
WINNER: Richardson.
* * *
THE POWER FACTOR
 Richardson: "Now as Assemblywoman, Laura surprised many again by garnering a much coveted leadership position as Assistant Speaker pro Tempore. Additionally, Laura was appointed to serve on vital committees affecting all Californians such as Budget, Human Services, Utilities & Commerce, Government Organization, Joint Legislative Budget and Chair of the Select Committee on Proposition 209-Equal Opportunity."
Oropeza: "In January 2002, with barely a year's experience in the Assembly, Oropeza was named chair of the Assembly Budget Committee — on the eve of the worst deficit in California history. She served two years leading one of the toughest committees in the Legislature. From 2004 to 2006, Oropeza chaired the powerful Assembly Transportation Committee.
WINNER: Oropeza.
* * *
MINOR ACCOMPLISHMENTS
Richardson: "In 2001, Laura approached her local government position by engaging 6th District community leaders, businesses, residents and city officials in the creation of a 'Master Plan' that would serve as a strategic guideline for development in the area. ... Other significant accomplishments during her tenure included securing the first funding for alley maintenance by the City of Long Beach."
Oropeza: "Oropeza began her career in public service by serving two terms as student body president while majoring in Business Administration at California State University Long Beach; Oropeza ... was named a delegate to a number of Democratic conventions, including the most recent 2004 convention."
WINNER: Richardson.
* * *
MENTIONING ETHNIC STATUS
Richardson: "The first African-American and South Bay representative to achieve this position."
Oropeza: "Meet Jenny Oropeza, Latina role model. ... She is past Vice Chair of the dual-house Latino Caucus. In 2005, the League of California City’s Latino Caucus named her Legislator of the Year. In 1994, she was elected the first Latina member of the Long Beach City Council and won re-election in 1998. As one of 26 Latinos in the Legislature, Oropeza chairs the California Latino Caucus Policy Committee on Environmental Justice.
WINNER: Oropeza
Senate leader Don Perata has canceled his four-day Washington D.C. visit after minor car accident. He was not injured but is feeling a bit sore. More than a dozen other lawmakers are already headed to D.C. without him.
Alicia Trost, his spokeswoman, said Perata's car was rear-ended about 3:45 p.m. Friday on Interstate 880 while stopped in traffic. He was driving alone. "He did joke that the car was doing better than he was," Trost said. The accident also caused Perata to miss a press conference Sunday night at the scene of the collapsed freeway in Oakland, inside his district. Today is Perata's birthday.
 "Lou Papan, a one-man powerhouse in state and local politics, passed away
Saturday night of an apparent heart attack. Mr. Papan, 78, of Millbrae died sometime between 6 p.m. and 6:30 p.m, said
Margie O'Clair, a spokeswoman for the Peninsula Medical Center in Burlingame. ... Louis J. Papan, who had a portion of Highway 1 from Daly City to Pacifica
named after him, served in the state Assembly for 20 years. He was chairman of the powerful state Assembly Rules Committee and the
right-hand man of then-Assembly Speaker Willie Brown. Mr. Papan had a hardball approach to politics that earned him the nickname 'The Enforcer.' " S.F. Chronicle.
Former Assemblywoman Sarah Reyes has taken a job as chief of staff to Assemblyman Juan Arambula, a Democrat from Fresno who is running for a third term despite apprehensions.
Reyes' new job places her a comfortable, politically inside spot if she wants to run for Dean Florez's state Senate seat in 2010. E.J. Schultz of the Fresno Bee says Reyes will be based in Fresno, and leave her current job as CEO of Community Food Bank. She starts part-time next month, and full time June 1.
 An eagle-eyed consultant in Sacramento with a sense of history noticed something strange about the effort by former Sen. John Vasconcellos to end partisan bickering and cynicism in California politics.
Vasconcellos, the father of the self-esteem movement and a frequent bully in Senate committees, has a new political endeavor being launched this week by his modestly named Vasconcellos Project. The endeavor--scheduled to be unveiled Wednesday in Sacramento, according to the Capitol Morning Report--is designed to build trust between Republican and Democratic lawmakers.
A bipartisan team of politicos is heading up the mission--including former Secretary of State Bruce McPherson and former Assembly Speaker Bob Hertzberg. And ex-California Sen. Frank Hill, a Republican from Whittier, who was convicted of extortion, conspiracy and money laundering for taking $2,500 from an FBI undercover agent who had posed as a businessman seeking help on a bill. In 1994, Hill was sentenced to 46 months in prison.
 Hill may be responsible for a lot of the cynicism he now wants to cure. "What, Chuck Colson wasn't available?" the consultant joked, referring to Nixon's chief counsel (pictured left), who went to jail for Watergate crimes.
Looks like someone needs some sensitivity training right away. Luckily, the program, according to Vasconcellos' website, would work "toward deepening a sense of common purpose and collegiality, trust and dialog, partnership and collaboration among all our elected representatives." This would include a new orientation program for lawmakers to encourage partnerships, creating a network of former lawmakers for mentoring, hosting parties "to help build a more deeply experienced sense of collegiality," and the inevitable booklet.
(Photo: Rich Pedroncelli/AP)
 Assemblyman Lloyd Levine (D-Valley Guy)--a former participant in "The Bachelor"--has just finished the 111th Boston Marathon, which took place during a wicked storm in the Northeast.
Levine's time was 3:10:03. His pace: 7:15 per mile. His chief consultant on the Assembly Utilities and Commerce Committee, Edward Randolph, also placed well: 2:56:09, with a pace of 6:43 per mile.
Here is how the Bee described Levine recently: "The 37-year-old Van Nuys resident, who owns a duplex in River Park and dates KCRA-TV journalist Edie Lambert, has crafted successful legislation to create a statewide plastic bag recycling program, bolster the number of solar roofs, require utilities to meet energy-efficiency goals and allow telephone companies to offer cable TV programming. "But the 6-foot-3, 160-pound Levine--who once dreamed of becoming a jockey--is best known, perhaps, for pending legislation to ban the sale of incandescent light bulbs, require nearly every dog and cat to be spayed or neutered, improve the living conditions of captive elephants and to permit doctors to prescribe fatal medication to terminally ill patients whose death is imminent."
He better run back to Sacramento. It'll take a marathon runner to get through that agenda.
(Photo: Rich Pedroncelli/AP)
"I know that sometimes I'm in the Capitol chomping on cigars and getting things done – rather than being here." - State Sen. Carole Migden (D-San Francisco), at a forum in San Francisco last night.
Migden is facing a tough reelection challenge from Assemblyman Mark Leno (D-San Francisco) for her district, which stretches into Sonoma County. The San Francisco Young Democrats hosted the debate, which ended in an endorsement vote favoring Leno. Leno supporters say Migden has become out of touch with her liberal constituents, but Migden suggested his challenge was wasted effort: "Mark has the right to run, but is it a good idea? We should put our energy into places where we can make gains." BeyondChron.
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