Ailing Sen. Pat Wiggins called on to cast deciding votes

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Senate leader Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) called on ailing Sen. Pat Wiggins (D-Santa Rosa) to cast deciding votes on a pair of bills on the Senate floor Thursday. The votes came as the Senate faced a deadline to pass bills out of that house.

Wiggins is suffering from an undisclosed illness and has been absent from the Capitol since mid-March. She has appeared visibly impaired in recent months and was led to the Senate chambers with the aid of her husband and Senate staff Thursday.

Among the bills that passed because of Wiggins’ vote Thursday was a measure by Sen. Joe Simitian (D-Palo Alto) that increases penalties for people who use cellphones and other mobile devices while driving.

Capitol Weekly’s Malcolm Maclachlan has more details

-- Anthony York in Sacramento