Senator Rod Wright
One week ago today State Senator Rod Wright was found guilty of eight felony counts after Los Angeles County District Attorney prosecutors made the case to a jury that Wright did not actually live in the State Senate District to which he was elected to office.
Yesterday I penned a lengthy column detailing how tragic it was that not one of 39 other State Senators had publicly committed that they would vote to remove Wright from office — this on the heels of Senate President Steinberg saying that it was his intention to let Wright stay in office at least through his sentencing in mid-March, and perhaps even beyond if Wright is not ordered to prison during his appeal (Wright is facing up to 8 years in state prison for his crimes).
Senator Andy Vidak
Well, we now have our first two Senators who have come out in favor of removing Wright from the Senate — Senator Joel Anderson and Senator Andy Vidak. Both of the Republican legislators stated their desire to vote to remove Wright — Vidak on his Facebook page and Anderson in an email exchange we shared.
From Senator Vidak’s Facebook Page, with the Senator responding to a question from one of his FB friends:
“I am prepared to vote for expulsion as soon as the super majority schedules a vote.”
Last night I had been emailing with Senator Joel Anderson — and when I saw the Vidak post I asked him about it and he responded. Pulled directly from that email (with the permission of Anderson):
Senator Joel Anderson
Me: “Senator Anderson, your colleague Andy Vidak has said on Facebook that he would vote to remove Rod Wright from the Senate if a vote were taken. What about you?”
Anderson: “If the Democrat supermajority ever allows a vote on the senate floor to happen, I am prepared to vote to remove him.”
It is my hope that these are just the first two of what will eventually be a two-thirds majority in support of removal, at which point perhaps Wright will just make it easy for everyone and step down. Then again, if Wright had particularly good judgement he would have chosen to live in his district, instead of the one next door.
I applaud Senators Anderson and Vidak for stepping up. To the rest of the Senators — your chamber is not above the law.
In closing, while the editorial boards of Sacramento Bee and the Los Angeles Times have already joined the FlashReport in calling for Wright to be removed, today the San Francisco Chronicle joins in as well. And don’t miss this outstanding column in the Los Angeles Times from Sandy Banks, who nails it.