Portantino Brings In Lawyer Over Budget Cuts

A local legislator who by Democratic Party leaders because of his vote against the state budget has retained a lawyer to file a public records request with the state to attempt to demonstrate he is being singled out by a committee that is seeking to cut his office budget.

Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, D-La Canada Flintridge and one of Arcadia's two representatives in the State Assembly, was informed the week before last that his budget--which pays for his legislative staff and other office expenses--may need to be cut by as much as $67,000 to comply with a limit set by the state's Assembly Rules Committee.

Portantino described the action as "bizarre and unprecedented" and claimed in a letter widely distributed to the media that the action was done to punish him for being the sole Democrat to vote against the state's budget, which was passed last month.

After several calls to the office of Nancy Skinner, the chair of the Rules Committee who wrote Portantino about the issue, Patch was referred to Jon Waldie, the committee's chief administrative officer, who declined to comment. He called it a "personnel'' issue.

Portantino is seeking information on the office budgets of the rest of California's legislators in a public records request dated July 14. Under state law, his office must receive a reply about the records within 10 days of filing -- so far that has not happened, according to Wendy Gordon, a spokeswoman for Portantino.

Portantino's open records request, filed by the Los Angeles-based Hennigan Dorman LLP firm, can be viewed at right, along with correspondence between Portantino and Skinner's offices.

Skinner wrote in her original letter to Portantino that he must provide a spending plan by July 18, and a failure to do so could result in a range of penalties ranging from a ban on his using the Assembly mail room to the far more serious consequence of his office staff being put on unpaid leave. Portantino needs additional information before creating such a plan, Gordon said.

Portatino laid out his reasons for voting against the budget as follows:

     My strong belief in the importance of public education in California and the folly of further and deeper cuts to higher education in our State.
·      My opposition to the abrupt elimination of Redevelopment Agencies, which are essential tools used by cities in the San Gabriel Valley to create economic development, jobs and housing.
·      My concern, shared by the Los Angeles District Attorney, my local County Supervisor and many in law enforcement, that the misguided prison realignment plan will increase crime on our streets and in our neighborhoods and ultimately cost the State more money.
·      My opposition to the hastily drafted AB 114 School Finance bill, which, along with the Budget, contains triggered cuts to education that may cause the elimination of a full week of school and may wreak havoc on the finances of our local school districts.  (AB 114 was not available for proper public review and has since been the subject of negative editorials in the Los Angeles Times and other newspapers throughout California).
·      My concern over the optimistic revenue projections.