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State Sen. Pat Wiggins listens to Senate Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg as he asked for votes from members who were absent from earlier parts of Thursday's floor session.
By KEVIN McCALLUM
THE PRESS DEMOCRAT
Ailing state Sen. Pat Wiggins made a rare trip to Sacramento Thursday to vote on a number of bills before a key Friday deadline.
The Santa Rosa Democrat, who has been on partial leave from her duties since March 24, appeared in the Senate chambers briefly at the end of the six-hour session to cast votes on a dozen pieces of legislation, spokesman David Miller said.
Wiggins, 69, suffers from an undisclosed illness and has announced she will not seek reelection this year.
Friday is the last day for the Senate to approve bills authored by its members. Two ailing members of the Senate — Wiggins and Sen. Jenny Oropeza, D-Long Beach — agreed to attend Thursday’s floor session, casting crucial votes in an effort to move Senate legislation to the Assembly before Friday’s deadline.
After spending most of the day in her office watching the proceedings on television as her Senate colleagues debated various bills, Wiggins appeared with aides around 3:15 p.m. to cast votes on several bills whose outcomes were in doubt, Miller said.
“It’s not inaccurate to say that there were some bills that she helped push over the edge and there were some that needed her vote and she voted no,” he said.
Bills that Wiggins helped pass included one requiring gift cards under $10 to be redeemable for cash and another that would ban drivers from texting or e-mailing while behind the wheel.
She also voted in favor of a bill she authored, SB 1418, allowing local agencies to increase from $1 to $2 an annual fee on vehicles to fund more emergency call boxes on state highways and parks.
She voted against just one proposal, a plan to shrink from 20 miles to 15 miles the protective zone around off-track betting facilities, Miller said.
She did not attend an hour-long Democratic caucus from 2 p.m. to 3 p.m., he said.
Wiggins’ illness, which she has refused to discuss publicly, has forced her to give up committee posts and limit her travel to Sacramento, appearing at the Capitol on an as-needed basis. In May, Wiggins attended just one Senate vote, Miller said.
Her leave followed instances of erratic behavior during committee meetings, actions that caused some to speculate she is in serious mental decline.
Wiggins and Oropeza were needed on the floor Thursday because the votes on several bills were expected to be very close, said Alicia Trost, spokeswoman for Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg.
“Without their votes, some bills will die,” Trost said.
The two senators were not ordered to return, but did so voluntarily in support of colleagues who had worked hard on bills that needed their support, Trost said.
“No one was summoned. No one was forced to be here,” Trost said.
Senate leadership allowed the voting on several bills to remain open until the end of the session to allow Wiggins to avoid sitting through the lengthy floor debates, Trost said.
Steinberg remains “absolutely” confident that Wiggins is competent to carry out her voting responsibilities, Trost said.
Wiggins was elected to the state Assembly in 1998, and after being termed out in 2004, was elected to the 2nd Senate District, which includes portions of Sonoma, Napa, Mendocino, Lake, Humboldt and Solano counties.
She continues to earn an annual salary of $95,291, as well as receiving health care benefits.
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What legislative experience does Michael Allen have? I’d really like to know. I thought he was running for the first time.
Here’s also an editorial from his home town:
A Very Light Beer
Michael Wilson for State Assembly ?
By Marc Garman
3/16/10
Michael Wilson, a freshman member of Vallejo’s city council is already on the campaign trail again with a run for Noreen Evans’ seat in the State Assembly in Sacramento. As politicians go, Wilson is something of a light beer. Very.
Wilson touted his status as a downtown Vallejo businessman at the forefront of his campaign for Vallejo City Council. He and his brother Tom moved their Vallejo architectural firm ARC Architects Inc. (Wilson is listed as CFO) to Benicia not long after the council race. Wilson’s partnership in ARC Inc. has also resulted in the need for him to recuse himself from any council vote touching any project his firm may have been involved with. The recusals, due to potential conflicts of interest, have been so frequent they have earned Michael Wilson the title “The Recusinator”. He has been a de-facto lame duck councilmember. Inexperienced, ineffective and unable to cast a vote on many of the important development decisions brought before the council. Why is he there?
Michael Wilson has one focus—one reason for being there: To use Vallejo as a means to propel his political hopes and ambitions. Nothing more. In his quest for glory in Sacramento, he has partnered with the political powerhouse Public Safety Unions. They have the money and knowledge of the Sacramento political machine needed by a fledgeling with aspirations. The safety union political machine also has patience and the willingness to groom a candidate for years if necessary. It has worked for them in the past. But first, there must be a favor to show loyalty. Quid pro quo.
Michael Wilson was the sole member of the Vallejo City Council who voted against placing ballot Measure A before the voters. This measure will allow the voters to decide whether or not to keep binding arbitration (section 809) in the Vallejo City Charter. He was the only one to oppose the opportunity for change—should it be the will of the people. Even union stalwart and council colleague Erin Hannigan voted to allow the citizens an opportunity to weigh in on this issue.
Measure A will be before Vallejo voters this June. The binding arbitration section of the Vallejo City Charter is and has been a long treasured and sacred holy grail of Vallejo’s Public Safety Unions.
Wilson also allegedly wrote the ballot argument in favor of keeping Binding Arbitration (section 809) in The Vallejo City Charter.
Wilson’s pro Binding Arbitration ballot statement (HERE) is smooth, deceptive and articulate with just the right dash of fear and misdirection to obscure the issue, and leave the voter uneasy. It is a carefully crafted and concise piece of work that far exceeds Wilson’s intellectual capacity for articulation and manipulation. It has the fingerprints of union lawyer Alan Davis all over it. Davis is known as the “Johnny Appleseed of Binding Arbitration”. He has been one of the most powerful advocates of this controversial means of dispute resolution, and has been instrumental in constructing the contract language for cities still using this provision. You can see the argument against keeping binding arbitration in the City Charter by Mayor Osby Davis, Vice Mayor Gomes and Councilmember Schivley HERE for comparison.
Is Michael Wilson merely a name for rent to the highest bidder with the best connections?
Michael Wilson has made a big deposit on the Public Safety favor bank. He expects that balance to be paid. It takes a lot of money to propel a neophyte to the State Assembly. Wilson faces some stiff competition from former Pat Wiggins District Director Michael Allen and Lee Pierce who has served on the Santa Rosa City Council. I have a feeling that Michael Wilson is unlikely to reach the State Assembly this time around, but that doesn’t matter. He will be firmly in the pocket of his backers—balance due for all the money and support provided regardless of the result. Another politician embracing the ideology of money and power before all others.
But what about Vallejo? Well Vallejo…you need to wake up. Many people voted for Michael Wilson because he is a pleasant man who wears expensive ties and smiles a lot. Many of the same people who voted for Michael Wilson because he joined their Football Club will probably do so again. “He’s from Vallejo.” they’ll say. “He will represent us.”
Michael Wilson represents himself. If he makes it to Sacramento he will leave Vallejo behind like a bad dream. Our bad dream.
Simultaneously both the saddest and happiest moment of this campaign season was watching Michael Wilson fail to be able to answer “what three things have you done for Vallejo as a city council member”. I linked that video to this post.
George, you are absolutely correct. Senator Wiggins has performed at an exceptional level for her constituents, working long and hard for us. I am proud she has represented us all these years.
The “Haters” need to leave the Senator alone…oh I forgot, they don’t know what respect is.
Vote for Michael Allen
Michael Allen has been Senator Wiggins’ District Director for over 3 years, he went on unpaid leave while he campaigns for the State Assembly. Michael Allen is the only candidate with legislative experience and the endorsement of the Democratic Party. If you attended any of the debates or forums, you would have seen and heard for yourself how much experience he does have. The other two candidates couldn’t answer questions and when the moderator asked for clarity on answers…they said they agreed with everything Michael Allen said. Lee Pierce or Michael Wilson have no ideas of their own.
On June 8th, vote Michael Allen for State Assembly.
Wilson isn’t running against Wiggins. Wiggins isn’t even running. She is retiring. Evans is running for her seat. Why this paper and some very mean spirited individuals keep attacking the poor woman is beyond me. Enough already, leave Senator Wiggins alone.
Vote for someone who can vote every time and without assistance. We need a legislator who is 100%.
Lately I’ve noticed that her district director Michael Allen has been taking credit for having “legislative experience.” Who is really taking advantage of this woman and drafting the bills under her name?
Watching the Pat Wiggins/Noreen Evans fiasco is beginning to resemble ‘A Weekend at Bernies’. This is not fair to Ms. Wiggins or her constituents to have her hauled around and propped up to serve political agendas.
The party should have gratefully and graciously given Ms. Wiggins a proper thank you celebration for her hard work for Sonomans and then let her heal in peace.
I guess ‘Progressive’ agendas are more important than human dignity.
Very courageous. Kudos to Pat for her dedication in difficult times.
What a scam. So much for honesty and integrity.
It seems the party of Hope and Change is neither.