Story Tools

Email this story | Print this story

Indexes

Today's Stories

Last 7 Days

Top Blogs

• Area's new representatives take their seats

• Sieglock doesn't expect recount

• Parade of Lights to shine Thursday

• Regional Roundup

• Priest clarifies meaning of Obama letter

February 8th, 2010

• Public Meetings

• Locals pick best, most memorable Super Bowl commercials

• Regional Roundup

February 6th, 2010

• The Home Depot hopes to join Costco at Reynolds Ranch

• Meet Larry, Curly and Moe

• Baboon business

• Regional Roundup

• Several Lodi venues let you watch the Super Bowl in style

• Lodi Library celebrates 100 years of serving the community

• Culinary craft

February 5th, 2010

• Kids, teachers help Haiti by collecting pennies for Learning Link

• Lodi, Galt students reach out to help Haiti earthquake survivors

• Tasered suspect claims he is Yosemite Sam

• Hours of sweat and work go into putting on crab feeds

• Things looking up for state's real estate

• Correction

• Regional Roundup

• Stray bullet strikes Lodi home; police suspect gang activity may be factor

February 4th, 2010

• Managers at Geweke Toyota answer questions about recall

• Lodi City Council votes to replace play structure at Century Park

• Lodi extends ban on pot shops for another year

• Mokelumne River triathlon set for June

• Family, friends to run half-marathon in memory of Galt family

February 3rd, 2010

• Correction

• Regional Roundup

• Delta College trustees again collide over stipend committee

• Lodi-area senators Dave Cox, Lois Wolk admit to gifts; Tom Berryhill case pending

• Lodi Unified School District president issues warning to speakers over cuts

• Galt City Council avoids budget cuts — for now

• New Lodi Memorial Hospital emergency room opens to the public without a hitch

• Bad bugs, weeds are hot topics at Grape Day

February 2nd, 2010

• Big rig plows 7 cars

• Local business leaders say tourism, Costco, Home Depot may play roles in city's future

• Former Lodian Erica Davis is first paraplegic woman to summit Kilimanjaro

• Jumpers across California

• Correction

• Regional Roundup

• No snow leopards, otters for Micke Grove

• McNerney leads in campaign cash

• Police: Train victim was a Lodi teen

February 1st, 2010

• Find cuddly alpacas not too far from Lodi

• Public Meetings

• Patients can expect faster, better service when Lodi Memorial Hospital's new emergency room opens

• Man killed by Amtrak train in Lodi

The following stories have received the most reader comments during the last 7 days.

• Will terrorists be given Miranda warnings? (75)
• Lodi Unified School District president issues warning to speakers over cuts (64)
• President Obama's first year (45)
• Many reject the politics of 'no' (45)
• Islamic symbol in mosaic — what is all the fuss? (44)
• Writer comments on Neely column (42)
• The Home Depot hopes to join Costco at Reynolds Ranch (41)
• Time to shed the convenient sham of 'Don't ask, don't tell' policy (34)
• We need to conduct respectful conversations (30)
• Tasered suspect claims he is Yosemite Sam (25)

ADVERTISEMENT

Area's new representatives take their seats

It remains to be seen how the three new assembly members representing the Lodi-Galt area will be able to tackle the monster that is called the state budget and how they will whittle down the state's $11.2 billion general fund deficit.

Alyson Huber, the Democrat elected to the 10th District seat, which represents Lodi, won a tight race with Lodi Republican Jack Sieglock. Huber said she was warmly received by Assembly Republicans at Monday's swearing in of California's 80 Assembly members at the State Capitol, but she didn't offer any thoughts on how a budget compromise would be accomplished.

"Ask me in two weeks," Huber said.

Democrat Joan Buchanan, whose district includes Galt and Thornton, prides herself for her knowledge of numbers and the art of negotiation dating back to her 18 years on the San Ramon Valley Unified School District board. Meanwhile, Bill Berryhill, whose district includes Lockeford, Clements and Morada, says that Democrats need to work with Republicans to get the cooperation they need to trim the budget.

All 80 Assembly members were sworn into office during a special session Monday afternoon. Under normal circumstances, the Assembly wouldn't reconvene until January, but Assembly Speaker Karen Bass of Los Angeles announced that she will likely call the Assembly into session within the next two weeks to tackle the budget.

"These are not ordinary times, but we are not ordinary people," Bass said.

A special session with the previous Assembly members last week ended in partisan gridlock.

Joan Buchanan is sworn in as 15th District assemblywoman Monday in the Assembly chambers at the State Capitol in Sacramento. (Brian Feulner/News-Sentinel)

Buchanan, who lives in Alamo, said that Bass briefed her on the state budget and the Democratic proposal last week. However, Huber didn't attend the briefing because she was trailing Republican Jack Sieglock for the 10th Assembly District seat until Wednesday.

"I have a binder this thick," Huber said, with her thumb and index finger about three inches apart.

Now she'll dive into that binder to get an idea of what she's getting herself into when it comes to the budget.

Buchanan said she is looking forward to negotiating with her Assembly colleagues on both sides of the aisle. It's a skill she developed on her school board.

"Teachers would have gone on strike if we told them, 'I'll get back to you in three months,'" Buchanan said.

"Negotiations are not that complicated," Buchanan said. "It's only complicated when one side refuses to negotiate."

The way to negotiate, she said, is to say, "I can work with 1, 2 and 3, and not 4, 5 and 6."

For Republicans like Berryhill, the sticking point is raising taxes.

"The controlling party (Democrats) has to come around and work with us a bit," said Berryhill, who lives in Ceres. "If they continue to go with a tax increase, it's going to be a long summer."

California 26th District Assemblyman Bill Berryhill gets sworn in Monday. (Brian Feulner/News-Sentinel)

Berryhill said that joining the Assembly will give him the opportunity to shrink the size of state government.

Buchanan said she would like to see any proposal the Republicans might have.

"If they want to cut the waste, show us where," Buchanan said.

Buchanan said she has an edge in understanding difficult budget issues because the state budget is larger, but similar in nature to those from school districts because so little is discretionary. The state has a $104 billion general fund, but 93 percent of it is controlled by the initiative process. That leaves the Legislature in control of only $7 billion or $8 billion, Buchanan said.

Monday's special session, scheduled for noon, was called to order at 12:38 p.m. While taking roll, each of California's 58 counties was named in alphabetical order, and Assembly members were asked to stand as soon as the first county they represented was announced. For Huber, Amador came first alphabetically, Alameda for Buchanan and San Joaquin for Berryhill.

Until the Legislature is called into special session, Huber said she will be busy setting up her office and hiring staff.

Contact reporter Ross Farrow at rossf@lodinews.com.