Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, R-Hesperia, bravely welcomed John Oliver and crew from “The Daily Show” to his office Wednesday to talk direct democracy, taxes and, for perhaps the first time, only a little immigration.
“They’re very interested in direct democracy,” Donnelly said. “Obviously with the governor saying he will sign the DREAM Act, I plan to referend (sic) it. So that plus my focus on the Amazon tax attracted their attention.”
Donnelly acknowledged he’s never seen the show before and so perhaps is unprepared for what Oliver and the editors plan to do to him in post production, but he wanted to get his message out.
“People say why in the world would you go on a comedy show where they make fun of you and try to make you look stupid?” Donnelly asked. “We always hear people talking about `we need to go after the youth vote, we need to get our message out…’ They have 14 million viewers. I think there’s some things that (despite) the comedy, sometimes the message gets through,” Donnelly said.
And that message?
“That people are absolutely sick and tired of illegal taxes. The Amazon tax is illegal. And the fire tax is illegal and unconstitutional, according to California’s constitution. And here in California they cry the blues and say we don’t have any money, but somehow we came up with $40 million to pay for people here illegally to go to college.”
Maternity services, misogyny, chicken wings
Meanwhile, Assemblyman Roger Hernandez, D-West Covina, urged Californians to ask Gov. Brown to sign Assembly Bill 210 and Senate Bill 222 – bills that will guarantee maternity services under basic insurance plans.
“Women should be offered fair and affordable coverage for quality maternity care, regardless of income status,” Hernandez said on Facebook.
S.B. 222, co-authored by Sen. Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa, would become operative only if A.B. 210 also is enacted.
But last week the two Democratic lawmakers were anything but united over women’s rights.
They were at odds over an August email Evans forwarded to 25 female legislators in which she accused Hernandez of “hijacking” her legislation, according to the Press Democrat.
With an implicit nod to the irony, Evans’ email also linked to a blog post about Hernandez hosting a Capitol lunch catered by Hooters, as well as a 2007 domestic violence call involving Hernandez and his then campaign manager, for which no charges were filed.
Tim Roth, Evans’ chief of staff, did not return requests for comment. Hernandez spokeswoman Yong Eo said her boss was unavailable.
Evans alleged Assembly Speaker John Perez was “forcing me to give half of the bill” to “the same Assembly member that hijacked my maternal health care bill.”
As a result, two of Evans’ bills dealing with the fishing industry and considered noncontroversial were held up on the Assembly floor last week before getting last-minute approval.
A Sacramento insider who spoke on condition of anonymity said the incident clearly was retaliation.
“(Evans) was upset because he catered his event from Hooters and sent out the angry blast, so (Hernandez’s) cronies started killing her bills on the floor to retaliate,” the insider said.
“They killed two of her bills. Other Assembly members who supported the policy got enough Republicans to cross the aisle because they were noncontroversial bills. It was a very vindictive thing for (Hernandez) to do. And Noreen takes those issues very seriously.”
Both maternity health bills await approval from Gov. Jerry Brown.
Compiled by Beige Luciano-Adams. Mail items for It’s Politics to 911 E. Colorado Blvd., Pasadena CA 91701. You can reach Beige by phone at 626-578-6300, ext. 4444. Send email to beige.luciano-adams@sgvn.com
