Life as Sacramento lawmaker has gotten a lot tougher
Rick Orlov
Staff Writer - Los Angeles Daily News
December 5, 2008
A message to the 36 freshman lawmakers who were sworn in this week at the state Capitol: Don't get too comfortable.
Once the euphoria of being elected to state office and moving into Sacramento wears off, reality will set in: a terrible economy, a massive budget deficit and new rules to redraw district boundaries and make elections more competitive, even for incumbents.
"What I would tell the freshmen is, 'Hold your breath; you're in for a pretty steep ride,'" said Jaime Regalado, director of the Pat Brown Institute at California State University, Los Angeles.
"They will have this exhilarating feeling coming in, but then they will all be deflated by the reality of what they're facing."
So far, anyway, the area's November winners of new-to-them legislative roles appear undaunted.
They include Assemblyman Steve Knight, R-Palmdale; Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills; Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield, D-Van Nuys; Sen. Carol Liu, D-La Cañada Flintridge; and Sen. Tony Strickland, R-Westlake Village.
