An Inland Empire lawmaker announced Wednesday, July 26, that he’s proposing restrictions on state legislators’ use of taxpayer-funded vehicles if they’re charged or convicted of driving under the influence.
Republican Assemblyman Bill Essayli introduced Resolution 51, which would mandate that any member of the Assembly who is arrested and charged with DUI lose — until his or her case is resolved — the privilege of using a “pool vehicle” provided at no cost to lawmakers while they’re in Sacramento. The resolution would also require that an Assembly member be prohibited from access to pool cars for a minimum of three years following a conviction.
“Last year, over 1,000 Californians died as a result of drunk drivers,” Essayli said. “When I was a prosecutor, I fought to keep our roads safe by prosecuting and convicting drunk drivers. Now as a member of the Assembly, I am troubled by recent incidents of legislators and candidates drinking and driving. Public officials must be held to the highest standards given the public trust placed in us, which is why I’ve introduced Resolution 51.”
The most recent DUI arrest of a state lawmaker involved state Sen. Dave Min, D-Irvine, in early May. Min, who is also running for Congress, was booked on suspicion of misdemeanor DUI in Sacramento after a California Highway Patrol officer spotted him driving without headlights in a Toyota Camry.
Min apologized publicly. The case is awaiting disposition.
In July, a state Assembly candidate, Riverside City Councilmember Clarissa Cervantes, was arrested on suspicion of DUI. She later said she was seeking treatment for alcohol abuse after the DUI arrest, her second in less than 10 years.
Mothers Against Drunk Driving is supporting Essayli’s resolution, which would expand on Rule 120 of the Standing Rules of the Assembly for the current fiscal year. Rule 120 establishes that Assembly members be barred from receiving compensation in the event of a felony…
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