SACRAMENTO /California Newswire/ — Governor Schwarzenegger’s Communications Director Matt David today issued the following statement after Senator Steinberg’s comments on the Governor’s recent appointment of Senator Maldonado as California’s next Lieutenant Governor:

“If Senator Steinberg acts promptly and confirms Senator Maldonado as California’s next Lieutenant Governor within 84 days, the Governor will consolidate the 15th district’s special election with the statewide June election to save tax payer dollars. If Senator Steinberg is concerned about state revenues and college tuition hikes he should stop fighting his own pay cut.”

Senator Steinberg Announced Today That He Was Opposed To A Special Election, But He Had No Problem Earlier This Year Endorsing State Senator Gil Cedillo In The Special Election To Fill The 32nd Congressional District Seat. (Gil Cedillo For U.S. Congress, www.gilcedillo.com, Accessed 11/24/09)

In April, The Sacramento Bee Ran A Story Detailing The Problems The Democratic Leadership May Have As Legislators Leave The Senate And Assembly To Seek Higher Office. This Is What Senator Steinberg Said When Asked About The Vacancy Situation: “Steinberg said he will always ‘encourage my colleagues to seek higher office (and) achieve their goals. We’ll deal with it all as best we can.’ (Shane Goldmacher, “Vacancies To Plague Dem Leadership Throughout ‘09,” Sacramento Bee, 4/3/09)

Senator Maldonado Has Had A Commitment To Ensure Fiscal Responsibility By Requesting Legislative Pay Cuts.
“State Senator Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria) today testified before the Citizens Compensation Commission hearing in Los Angeles, which voted to reduce legislators’ salaries by eighteen percent. As part of his ongoing commitment to fiscal responsibility, Senator Maldonado immediately sent a letter to State Controller John Chiang asking that he be paid the new salary effective June 1, 2009. “Of all the cuts that are being discussed right now, one part of government remains immune—the Legislature. I have always said that this economic crisis is about shared pain and shared sacrifice. That is why I came to Los Angeles today to testify before the commission,” Maldonado stated immediately following the hearing.” (Press Release, Senator Abel Maldonado, 5/20/09)

The State Legislature Is Quietly Seeking Using The Courts To Block A Steep Cut In Lawmakers’ Salary And Perks.
“Executives of the Assembly and Senate have asked the state attorney general to determine whether the scheduled 18% pay reduction and additional 18% cuts to living expenses and car allowances are illegal. The lowered benefits are due to kick in next month, while base pay is set to be slashed from $116,000 to $95,000, starting with lawmakers elected starting year.” (Patrick McGreevy, “Lawmakers try to block cuts in their pay, perks; Officials seek attorney general’s ruling on the legality of the trims,” Los Angeles Times, 11/6/09)