On Feb. 8, several members of the California State Assembly held a press conference in Sacramento asking their colleagues to vote against confirming Sen. Abel Maldonado as lieutenant governor.
Leading the charge to block Maldonado’s confirmation is Assemblyman Pedro Nava (D-Santa Barbara).
“While we respect Mr. Maldonado’s personal story, it is important that the Assembly conduct its due diligence and look at his voting record and positions on the issues that affect all Californians—and 99.9 percent of the time he has not stood with the everyday working men and women of this state who are struggling to raise their families. I cannot in good conscience vote to confirm Mr. Maldonado. Why not let the voters decide in the primary election in June if they want the senator’s name on the ballot?” Nava said in a press release.
Maldonado was appointed late last year by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to fill a vacancy created by the election of former Lt. Gov. John Garamendi to the U.S. Congress.
“Although Mr. Maldonado has been a champion on causes dear to his party, his general view on issues facing our state and his voting record are not aligned with the needs of California,” Assemblyman Tony Mendoza (D-Norwalk) said in the release. “The vacancy of the lieutenant governor’s office, in my view, should be decided by the voters in June rather than by political appointment.”
Maldonado must be confirmed by both houses of the Legislature in order to finish out the remaining months of the former lieutenant governor’s term.
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This article appears in Feb 11-18, 2010.