Los Angeles Times | Feb. 11, 2010 | 4:10 p.m.
Assembly denies Sen. Maldonado confirmation as lieutenant governor
What was supposed to be a relatively quick debate over the confirmation of the appointment of Sen. Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria) as lieutenant governor turned into a drawn-out, five-hour affair that could wind up being decided in the courts.
In the end, the Assembly failed to confirm Maldonado's nomination. He received 37 votes in favor of his confirmation, and 35 votes against confirmation. All but one of the Assembly's Republican members voting for his promotion. Only eight members of the 49-member Democratic caucus voted to support Maldonado. The Assembly's only independent member, Juan Arambula of Fresno, also voted in support of confirmation.
But it may not be over. In the end, the courts may be asked to decide what the definition of rejection is. At issue is whether Maldonado's nomination had to be rejected by a majority of the Assembly's 80 members as the administration maintains. Assembly leadership says Maldonado's confirmation was rejected simply because he failed to receive 41 votes in the Assembly.
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http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/california-politics/