Capitol Alert

Former California Sen. Cathie Wright, a Simi Valley Republican who served in the Legislature for 20 years, died Saturday. She was 82.

Timm Herdt writes about her legacy in today's Ventura County Star:

"She was a conservative politician with a soft heart for people who were not able to take care of themselves," said former Ventura County Chief Administrative Officer Richard Wittenberg. "She really cared for people who were poor or mentally ill."

Wright was instrumental in crafting details of the state's welfare-to-work law, but she took greatest pride in her advocacy for an integrated program for delivering services to mentally ill children. She championed the Systems of Care program as a pilot project in Ventura County, and then each year pushed to expand it to additional counties.

A public memorial service is expected to be held on Friday in Simi Valley. Click here to read the full obituary.

Rod Blonien, a Capitol fixture for years as Deukmejian administration official and later as a major lobbyist for gambling and horse racing interests, was found dead in his home Tuesday, the apparent victim of a heart attack. He was 65.

Angela Schiele, a long-time associate in Blonien's lobbying firm, said Blonien's son, Jarhett, found him in a chair at his home after he failed to come to his office near the Capitol. His wife, Noreen, was out of town on business at the time.

Blonien worked for former Gov. George Deukmejian at the Department of Justice and then segued into a prominent role in Deukmejian's gubernatorial administration before setting up his lobbying practice in 1987.

Survivors include not only his wife, but four children -- Ryan, Jessica, Molly and Jarhett -- and 11 grandchildren.

A rosary will be recited at 6:30 p.m. Thursday at the Cathedral of the Blessed Sacrament, followed by a funeral Mass at the cathedral at 10 a.m. Friday.

Editor's Note: This post has been updated to correct Blonien's age. He was 65, not 55. Updated at 12:35 p.m. March 14, 2012.

Former Marin County Supervisor Hal Brown, Gov. Jerry Brown's cousin, died today of cancer, the Marin Independent Journal reported.

He was 66.

Jerry Brown was governor before when, in 1983, he appointed his cousin to the county board, filling a seat left open when U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer went to Congress. The supervisor resigned from the board last year after being diagnosed with cancer.

"Hal was a champion for the people of Marin County, to whom he dedicated his life of public service," the governor said in a prepared statement. "His concern for the community shined through in all of his actions as a public official and he greeted the greatest of challenges with courage and humor."

Former Democratic Assemblyman Norman Waters, who served 14 years as a legislator, died at his Amador County home this week at age 86.

Waters served in the Capitol from 1976 to 1990, ultimately losing his seat to Republican David Knowles in one of California's closest races that year.

The Assembly adjourned today in Waters' memory, with Assemblywoman Alyson Huber, D-El Dorado Hills, memorializing him by saying that his service and work ethic left a lasting impression on constituents.

"Everywhere I go in those counties, they say to me, 'We haven't had someone this present in our county since Norm Waters,'" she said. "That's what they remembered about him, that he was always in his district fighting for constituents."

His Assembly career included stints as leader of the Rural Caucus and of the Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee.

In his final legislative campaign, Waters portrayed himself as "The Last Rancher," a working cattleman on 600 acres of tree-dotted land, a "good old boy" in a stuffy Legislature of 9-to-5, suit-and-tie types.

Political observers attributed his 1990 loss partly to fast growth and an influx of conservatives into his largely rural district, stretching from Placer to Mono counties.

Word circulated early today at the Capitol that longtime staff member and consultant Britton "Jerry" McFetridge died suddenly over the weekend at his home in Clarksburg.

He was 72.

The Assembly is expected to adjourn in his honor today. He served under several Democratic members of the Legislature, including current state Treasurer Bill Lockyer. He is credited with mentoring dozens of Democratic staff members and shepherding significant legislation through the process over the years, including the state's prevailing wage law and the California Occupational Safety and Health Act.

After leaving the Legislature, he became legislative and political director for the State Building and Construction Trades Council. Most recently, he retired to a grape-growing operation in Clarksburg.

Senate Secretary Greg Schmidt, a close personal friend said McFetridge was "the consummate legislative consultant...He had great passion for the issues he believed in, but also a strict adherence to objectivity in his work. He was at the social heart of the Capitol, and a canny politician. But mostly, he was a grand human being."

He is survived by five children, including Duncan McFetridge, a lobbyist at the Capitol. Services are pending.

PHOTO CREDIT: Jerry McFetridge, stands next to remaining Elm trees along Hwy 160 earlier this month. Paul Kitagaki Jr./The Sacramento Bee.

Former Democratic Sen. Ruben Ayala, who was a leading force on water policy during his two decades in the state Legislature, died last night. He was 89.

News of his death was announced in a statement from the office of Democratic Assemblywoman Norma Torres, who now represents Ayala's home region. A Torres spokeswoman said Ayala had been battling a prolonged illness.

Ayala, a former mayor of Chino and member of the San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors, was first elected to the upper house in a1974 special election, according to JoinCalifornia.com. He went on to win six full terms in Senate before stepping down in the late 90s due to term limits.

The longtime Chino resident authored 1980 legislation that proposed building a peripheral canal to transport water around the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta. The measure, Senate Bill 200, was signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown but voters blocked it in a 1982 referendum.

Torres said in a statement that Ayala's "passion for our community and public service inspired us to build a better future for our children."

"If you ever had the chance to meet and speak to the Senator, you would've seen his passion for his family and the community he served," she said.

Read the obituary published by the Inland Valley Daily Bulletin at this link.

PHOTO CREDIT: California state Senators Ruben Ayala, D-Chino, left, and Quintin Kopp, I-San Francisco, listen during a joint legislative committee on allegations of mistreatment of inmates at Corcoran State Prison at the Capitol in Sacramento, on Wednesday Oct. 21, 1998. (AP Photo/ Bob Galbraith).

The wife of former Assemblyman Tom Calderon died on New Year's Day after a long bout with cancer. She was 52.

Marcella Calderon, of Montebello, was the first Latina to serve as president of the Montebello Unified School District board, Tom Calderon said in a brief statement announcing his wife's death.

Calderon said his wife will be remembered as a "committed community leader, relentless advocate for education, and a loving wife and mother."

The Calderons established a political and governmental relations firm in 1986, Calderon & Associates, that helped to elect more than 75 local and state officials from throughout Southern California, according to Tom.

A "public celebration" of Marcella's life will be held, but details have not yet been completed, he said.

Tom Calderon, 57, served in the Assembly from 1998 until 2002, when he ran unsuccessfully for state insurance commissioner.

Calderon, D-Montebello, is running to return to the Assembly from the San Gabriel Valley's 58th Assembly District, stretching from Montebello to Cerritos.

Besides her husband, Marcella Calderon is survived by their two children, Cameron and Victoria.

Editor's note: This post was updated to reflect that Marcella Calderon was from Montebello. Updated 9:55 a.m. on Jan. 3, 2012.

Former GOP Rep. Carlos J. Moorhead died last week at age 89.

Moorhead, who retired from Congress in 1996, had been diagnosed with Alzheimer's disease and was living in an assisted living facility in La Cañada Flintridge at the time of his death, according to an obituary published by the Los Angeles Times.

The Times reports:

Moorhead worked as an attorney in Glendale before entering politics in 1966, when he was elected to the California Assembly. In 1972, he was elected to Congress.

While in Washington, Moorhead served on the Judiciary and the Commerce committees and specialized in energy policy, copyright law and cable TV legislation.

As a first-term congressman, he supported President Nixon during impeachment hearings and, over the course of his career, established a solidly conservative voting record.

Click here to read the full obituary of the longtime California congressman.

Former Democratic Sen. Teresa Hughes, who served in the state Legislature for 25 years, has died. She was 80.

News of the longtime legislator's death was reported by the office of Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez, who issued a statement calling Hughes an "outspoken voice for inclusion and justice."

"She was a fierce advocate for the men and women she represented, and spent every moment of her time in public service fighting for working families," Pérez said in a statement.

Hughes, who was first elected to a Los Angeles Assembly seat a July 1975 special election, was re-elected to eight full terms in the Assembly before winning a seat in the state Senate in 1992, according to a biography on www.JoinCalifornia.com. She served two terms in the upper house before stepping down due to term limits in 2000. Prior to running for office, Hughes worked as a legislative consultant for the State Commission for Teacher Preparation and Licensing and as a staffer for former state Sen. Mervyn Dymally, according to the site.

Hughes, who lived in Castro Valley at the time of her death, was married to Frank Staggers, a retired urologist who served as president of the California Medical Association and the National Medical Association.

Carlota Gutierrez, a former reporter and legislative staff member, died last week at age 54.

Gutierrez, who worked under three Assembly speakers, had in recent years battled ALS -- Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), which is sometimes referred to as "Lou Gehrig's Disease -- a degenerative disease that affects the nervous system.

A paid obituary published in today's Bee recounts her career:

Ms. Gutierrez served as Miss Sacramento, 1978, work as a sports reporter for Univision National Network, San Francisco in 1984 later producer and host for KOVR-TV, Channel 13, Sacramento. She subsequently worked as a media consultant for the California State Legislature with State Assembly Speaker Willie Brown in 1990, then State Assembly Speakers Cruz Bustamante, Antonio Villaraigosa, public liaison for State Treasurer Philip Angelides. After briefly working Western Integrated Network, went back to the State Legislature in 2002 managing media for Senator Liz Figueroa, Senator Mark Ridley-Thomas, and Senate Democratic Caucus. Carlota was very active in the Latino and Asian community and will be sorely missed.

Memorial services have been scheduled for the weekend. For more information, click here to read the full obituary.

Timothy Hodson, a leading expert on California politics who spent more than three decades working in and around the Capitol, died this morning. He was 61.

Hodson, who had previously battled prostate cancer, had revealed to friends in August 2010 that he had been diagnosed with brain cancer. The news of his death was announced in an email from his wife, Deputy Controller for Health and Consumer Policy Ruth Holton-Hodson.

The New Petty: Timothy Hodson's poem about the state of public affairs in California

Hodson served as executive director of the Center for California Studies at California State University, Sacramento for nearly two decades before retiring earlier this month. In that role, the former Senate staff member oversaw the Capital Fellows Program, a nationally recognized internship that counts more than two dozen judges and current or former elected officials as alumni. He also served until earlier this year as a commissioner on the Fair Political Practices Commission.

His expertise and knowledge of California's political process was rooted in the 15 years he spent under the dome, working for the Select Committees on Political Reform and Government Regulation, the Senate Office of Research and the Senate Elections and Reapportionment Committee.

In addition to his work with CSU Sacramento, Hodson taught over the years at Claremont McKenna College and the University of Southern California. A Sacramento State scholarship has been established in his honor. For more information on that fund, contact the Center for California Studies calstudies@csus.edu.

PHOTO CREDIT: Courtesy of California State University, Sacramento

A longtime former Senate staffer has died after sustaining injuries in a weekend bike accident.

Robb Deignan, 65, was participating in a 100-mile road ride Saturday at the time of the accident, according to Facebook posts and an email sent by former colleagues at the Department of General Services. KTVU.com reported over the weekend that a cyclist in the annual Foxy Fall Century ride crashed after losing control of his bicycle while riding down a hill in Fairfield.

Deignan worked in state government for two decades, serving as a press secretary and media consultant in the state Senate and spending four years as director of public affairs at the Department of General Services, according to his LinkedIn and Facebook profiles. The former anchor and reporter for KTXL-TV put his media skills to work in the Senate, directing radio, television and web communications for the Democratic Caucus and serving as a press aide to then Democratic Sens. Kevin Murray and John Garamendi.

California's top elected officials have responded to the death of Apple CEO and co-founder Steve Jobs with statements celebrating and reflecting on the life and contributions of the Golden State resident.

"Steve Jobs was a great California innovator who demonstrated what a totally independent and creative mind can accomplish," Gov. Jerry Brown said in a statement. "Few people have made such a powerful and elegant imprint on our lives."

Jobs, who suffered from pancreatic cancer, died Wednesday at age 56.

Statements from other current and former statewide elected officials are posted after the jump. Share your own thoughts on Jobs' passing in the comments field below or on the Capitol Alert Facebook page.

Democratic pollster Andre Pineda died last week at age 46.

The Pasadena-based pollster, who ran his own firm Pineda Consulting, was known for his expertise on winning support of Latino voters.

Mark Barabak writes about Pineda's career in the Los Angeles Times:

Pineda, a native of South Pasadena, built an international campaign practice on the strength of his experience in several facets of electioneering, including direct-mail and field organization as well as opinion polling. His clients included a number of corporations and philanthropic groups along with a roster of Democratic candidates and causes.

In 2008, Pineda was the pollster for New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson's presidential campaign. After Richardson left the race, Pineda joined Barack Obama's general election effort, working on surveys to help boost Latino support.

Richard Schlackman, who hired Pineda in Washington in the mid-1990s for his San Francisco-based consulting firm, said Pineda was the rare practitioner who combined creativity with a facility for number-crunching. "It's why our [campaign] mail was so good, and that was back in the days before micro-targeting," said Schlackman, referring to the computerized data sifting that has become today's political norm.

Read the full Los Angeles Times piece at this link.

An obituary has also been posted on Campaigns & Elections.

Former Republican Rep. Charles Gubser and Assemblyman Gib Marguth both passed away late last week.

Gubser, 95, served one term in the state Assembly in the early 1950s. The Gilroy native went on to represent a Santa Clara County congressional seat for nearly two decades, resigning in 1974 from what was then the 10th Congressional District. He died Saturday in Fresno.

Marguth represented a Livermore Assembly district for one term in the early 1980s before being appointed deputy superintendent of public instruction. He died last Friday at age 77. He had fought leukemia and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma for nearly a decade, according to a Contra Costa Times obituary.

Hat tip: JoinCalifornia.com

A memorial service for the late Assemblyman Dick Floyd will be held at Capitol Park next week.

Friends and former colleagues will honor the colorful former Democratic lawmaker, who died last week at age 80, on Friday Aug. 26. The 11 a.m. service will be held next to the park's Vietnam Veterans Memorial, which was created by legislation authored by Floyd.

Click here to read an obituary by The Bee's Dan Walters.

Richard Floyd, a crusty, chain-smoking former assemblyman best known for carrying the legislation requiring motorcyclists to wear helmets, died at his Sacramento area home Thursday evening. He was 80.

Floyd was a long-time aide to Sen. Ralph Dills, D-Gardena, when he struck out on his own in 1980, winning an Assembly seat centered in the heart of Dills' south Los Angeles County Senate district and serving for 12 years.

Floyd's first Assembly stint -- much of its as chairman of the committee that handled horse racing, gambling and liquor legislation -- ended when he lost a primary to a Democratic challenger in 1992 after the district's boundaries were changed. But he returned to the Assembly four years later when the seat reopened, only to be bounced out again by term limits in 2000. Floyd ran for the state Senate that year, but lost in another Democratic primary battle.

As described by the California Political Almanac in 1990, "Floyd is easily the loudest, most profane member of the Legislature -- and proud of it. Not a last-night-of-the-session has gone by without Floyd bellowing a profanity at one of his Republican colleagues. During Gov. George Deukmejian's state of the state addresses, Floyd can usually be spotted tossing paper airplanes and making comments to anyone within earshot."

The mother of 36th Congressional District candidate Janice Hahn has died just one day before the San Pedro Democrat competes in a special runoff election.

Ramona Hahn, 86, was the wife of late Los Angeles County Supervisor Kenneth Hahn. Her son, James Hahn, is the former mayor of Los Angeles. Janice Hahn, who serves on the Los Angeles City Council, is running against Republican Craig Huey in tomorrow's special election to fill a vacant Los Angeles County congressional seat.

"We understand that Janice needs to be with her family, but the campaign will move forward--as her mother would have wanted," Hahn campaign advisor John Shallman said in a statement. "Ramona was very proud of and always supportive of Janice. She was looking forward to seeing her daughter sworn in as the next Congresswoman of the 36th District. We will work very hard to make that dream a reality."

The Los Angeles Times has more on Ramona Hahn's death at this link.

PHOTO CREDIT: In this Oct. 17,1997 file photo Ramona Hahn, wife of the late supervisor Kenneth Hahn flanked by her son Jim, left and daughter, Janice, during a memorial service for her husband at the Crenshaw Christian Center in Los Angeles. AP Photo, Michael Caulfield.

A former aide to Gov. Gray Davis who joined the United States Army Special Forces was killed in Afghanistan over the weekend.

Army Capt. Joseph William Schultz, 36, died on Sunday after his Humvee was struck by an improvised explosive device, according to news reports and an email Davis sent to former colleagues.

Davis remembered Schultz, who worked in his Washington, D.C. office and as a press aide in Sacramento, for his "bright spirit and enduring commitment to integrity and public service."

"As a soldier, Joseph paid the ultimate price for our freedom, he gave his life. While Joseph's sacrifice has already been made, let us not forget the sacrifice that his family will be making for the rest of their lives - having lost one of their own. While we can never repay them for their sacrifice, we can honor Joseph and his family by committing to be of service in his memory," the former Democratic governor wrote.

Schultz was raised in part in Sacramento and graduated from El Camino High School in 1993. He will be buried at Arlington National Cemetery. His mother, Betsy Reed Schultz, lives in Port Angeles, Wash.

Matt Fong, who was state treasurer from 1995 through 1999, has died.

Fong, a Republican, was 57. His wife Paula told the Associated Press that Fong died Wednesday morning after a battle with skin cancer.

Current Treasurer Bill Lockyer issued the following statement:

"Our state has lost a fine leader and a great example of the Asian-Pacific community's tremendous contributions to the California family. As Treasurer, Matt never forgot he was managing taxpayers' money, and never failed to put their interests first. I try to live up to that standard. My heart goes out to Matt's family. I hope they find strength in his courage, and that their grief quickly fades into the quiet joy of memories."

Gov. Jerry Brown also issued a statement:

"Matt Fong lived a life of service. He served his country as an Air Force Reservist and, later, he served the people of California as their Treasurer. It is with great sadness that Anne and I learned of his passing. On behalf of all Californians, I wish to express gratitude for the service that Mr. Fong provided to our great state during his term as Treasurer. Our thoughts are with his wife, Paula, and their two children, Jade and Matthew, during this time. I also wish to express my deepest condolences to Mr. Fong's mother, former California Secretary of State March Fong Eu, with whom I served in Sacramento from 1974 to 1983."

Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer issued a statement praising Fong, son of former secretary of State March Fong Eu and Boxer's 1998 opponent for reelection, as a "strong competitor" who had a "distinguished career of public service in California ."

"We debated passionately, but we always had respect for one another. He will be missed and I send my deepest condolences to his family," she said.

Former Gov. Pete Wilson said: "Matt was a man of courage, of great intellect and a wonderful heart. He was a thoroughly decent good man and one of the more talented public servants that I have been privileged to work with. I will miss him greatly, both personally and professionally."

From state Controller John Chiang: "Matt Fong was a California fiscal leader who served residents of this state with distinction. He had a great passion for public service and a great sense of humor. He also was a friend who bravely battled cancer for many years.

Editor's note: This post was updated throughout the afternoon with reaction.

PHOTO CREDIT: Matt Fong in 2004. The Associated Press/ Ric Francis

Sidney Harman, the wealthy businessman and philanthropist married to former Democratic Rep. Jane Harman, died in Washington late Tuesday of complications from leukemia. He was 92.

Harman, who made his fortune in the stereo industry, made headlines in recent years for his purchase of Newsweek magazine and decision to merge the publication with the Daily Beast website. His wife represented the 36th Congressional District until late February, when she stepped down to take a job with a Washington, D.C. think tank.

Below is an excerpt from a Los Angeles Times obituary of Harman. Read the full piece at this link.

The path of Harman's long career took him from the electronics industry to government, academia and, finally, the Fourth Estate. His passion for the arts and philanthropic impulses led him to provide funding for Washington Sidney Harman Hall, a popular performance space. An indefatigable reader and thinker who was fascinated by creative geniuses, Harman also at age 92 founded the Academy for Polymathic Studies at the University of Southern California. From heart, he could recite long passages from Shakespeare, or Abraham Lincoln or Maxwell Anderson, and would often embroider a thought or regale dinner-party guests with an apt quote.

As state lawmakers eulogized A. Alan Post, the long-time legislative budget analyst, on the floors of both legislative houses today, his family established a website to solicit contributions to a University of California fellowship established in his name.

Post, who served as the analyst for 28 years through five governorships, died last Saturday at his Sacramento home. Legislators praised him for establishing the analyst's office as a bulwark of independent advice that defied political pressure. He was the second of just five people who have held that position over the last seven decades.

The website invites visitors to submit personal remembrances, photos and other tributes to Post, who was also a renowned artist, and to donate in his name to the A. Alan Post Fellowship in Public Policy at UC-Berkeley's Goldman School of Public Policy.

PHOTO CREDIT: A. Alan Post works on perfecting his painting, "French Fireman, No. 4" at his studio in Sacramento on July 19, 2004. (Sacramento Bee file photo / Renée C. Byer)

A. Alan Post, California's longtime legislative analyst, died of natural causes Saturday in his Arden Oaks home. He was 96.

Mr. Post served as legislative analyst under five different governors during his 28-year tenure, beginning in 1949.

A Renaissance man, Mr. Post also was known as an artist. He displayed his work in multiple shows, and his colored paintings sold well.

As legislative analyst, Mr. Post supervised an office charged with giving accurate, nonpartisan information and analysis to the Legislature.

"We were extremely careful to be virtuous," Mr. Post said in an interview in 1995.

"I've been in an arena in which conflict, differences of opinion, is the stock in trade," he said.

"If they trust you, it is an extraordinary privilege and you simply cannot abuse it."

A native Californian, Mr. Post attended Occidental College, earning a bachelor's degree in economics and art.

He studied art at what was the Chouinard Institute in downtown Los Angeles, now known as the California Institute of the Arts in Valencia. He also completed coursework for a Princeton University doctoral degree in economics but did not write his dissertation, said his son, David Post, of Sacramento.

Mr. Post was preceded in death last year by his wife, Helen, who was an artist in her own right and was third cousin to tennnis champion Helen Wills Moody.

Besides David, Mr. Post is survived by a daughter-in-law Susan, of Sacramento; and by three grandchildren: Allison Post Harris of Alameda, Erin Post Koshal of Toronto, and Matthew Rudd Post of Carmichael.

Details for services are pending.

PHOTO: A. Alan Post wipes paint off his hands after working on a piece in August 2004. Sacramento Bee/Renee C. Byer)

Note: Report by Ellie Shaw and Jim Sanders.

Pulitzer Prize-winning reporter and columnist David Broder died today at age 81, the Washington Post reports.

Broder, who covered national politics for the Post for four decades, was suffering from diabetes-related complications, according to the Post:

The Post reports:

Mr. Broder was often called the dean of the Washington press corps - a nickname he earned in his late 30s in part for the clarity of his political analysis and the influence he wielded as a perceptive thinker on political trends in his books, articles and television appearances.

In 1973, Mr. Broder and The Post each won Pulitzers for coverage of the Watergate scandal that led to President Richard M. Nixon's resignation. Mr. Broder's citation was for explaining the importance of the Watergate fallout in a clear but compelling way. ...

He covered every presidential convention since 1956 and was widely regarded as the political journalist with the best-informed contacts, from the lowliest precinct to the highest rungs of government.

Click here to read the full obituary.

PHOTO: David Broder speaks during a taping of "Meet the Press" at the NBC studios August 10, 2008 in Washington, DC. Alex Wong/ Getty Images for Meet the Press

Longtime California Correctional Peace Officers Association spokesman Lance Corcoran passed away last night at age 47. Jon Ortiz at sister blog The State Worker has more.

Longtime Assembly aide Lou Leary died of cancer earlier this month. He was 60.

Bee colleague Robert D. Dávila writes in today's Bee:

In his role on the Assembly floor, Mr. Leary worked with the speaker and Democratic and Republican leaders to coordinate bills to be taken up and heard each day, and special events. He helped establish many procedures used today related to floor actions, re-referral of bills, and other motions and rule waivers.

"Lou had a wealth of knowledge about the legislative process," Assembly Chief Clerk E. Dotson Wilson said.

"His intellectual ability could attach to anything he put his mind to."

Click here to read the full obituary.

The state Senate convened this morning to honor the life of Democratic Sen. Jenny Oropeza, who died in October at age 53 after battling illness.

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg called the Long Beach Democrat "a crusader for the rights of women and girls and a champion for all of us as consumers."

"Frankly, I walk into these chambers and I still expect Jenny Oropeza to lift her mic right over there and to give an impassioned argument about one of her many causes," he said. "For when I think of Jenny, and when we all think of Jenny, we think of her first and foremost as a fighter. She fought for the health of children, for the health of our wives and our mothers, our sisters and daughters, for all Californians."

Colleagues praised Oropeza's focus on cancer prevention and limiting exposure to cancer-causing agents, including cigarette smoke, a passion fueled by her own battle with cancer.

"She used her fight against cancer not as an excuse to work less but as an inspiration to work harder," Steinberg said.

Updated 12-03-10 6:47 PM for funeral services

Joe Cerrell, an icon of Southern California politics for decades as campaign manager and public relations consultant, died Friday of pneumonia following a brief illness. He was 75.

Over five decades, Cerrell was involved in dozens of Democratic campaigns from president to local office and founded Cerrell Associates, a Los Angeles firm. Hal Dash, his long-time associate who has been the firm's CEO in recent years, said, "We are deeply saddened to announce that our company co-founder, mentor, political legend and friend Joe Cerrell passed away this morning in Camarillo following a brief bout with pneumonia. His family was at his side to say goodbye."

Cerrell became involved in politics as a student at the University of California in the 1950s, founding a campus Democratic club and teaming up with another USC student, the late Jesse Unruh, who later became speaker of the Assembly and state treasurer.

Cerrell was an aide on Pat Brown's 1958 campaign for governor and at Brown's behest took over management of the state Democratic Party. He met his wife, Lee Bullock, while working on the Brown campaign.

Services for Cerrell will be held Monday at 10:30 a.m. at Christ the King Catholic Church, 624 N. Rossmore Ave., Los Angeles. Cerrell Associates, meanwhile, has established an archive on his career that can be accessed here.

Former California first lady Virginia Knight died Monday at her home in Los Angeles. She was 92.

Knight, born Virginia Carlson, was the second wife of late Republican Gov. Goodwin Knight, who was elevated to state's chief executive from the lieutenant governor post when Gov. Earl Warren stepped down to become Supreme Court chief justice in 1953. The two married in 1954, the year Knight was re-elected to a full term as governor.

The Los Angeles Times has a full obitutary on the former first lady here.

PHOTO CREDIT: A 1958 file photo shows former first lady Virginia Knight with Gov. Knight. (File photo/ Los Angeles Times/ MCT)

Alister McAlister, who served in the state Assembly for 16 years, died at his home near Wilton in Sacramento County Monday. He was 80.

McAlister, a conservative Democrat, represented the San Jose area in the Assembly from 1970 to 1986, leaving the Legislature to run for state controller against fellow Democrat Gray Davis, who went on to win the office and serve as lieutenant governor and governor.

For many years, McAlister chaired the Assembly committee dealing with banking and insurance matters and adopted the nickname of "Honest McHonest" when he ran for controller.

A practicing Mormon, McAlister was known for his work ethic - often sleeping on his office couch - and his extensive knowledge of financial law. He was preceded in death by his wife, Evelyn, and is survived by five children and 14 grandchildren.

Services will be held at the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints at 8925 Vintage Park Drive, Sacramento, on Friday at 11 a.m.

A public memorial service for Sen. Jenny Oropeza has been scheduled for Monday in the Long Beach-area city of Cypress.

The Long Beach Democrat died Wednesday night after battling an illness for several months. She was 53.

The 1 p.m. service will be held at Church of Our Fathers, Forest Lawn, 4471 Lincoln Ave. More information is available on Oropeza's website.

The Capitol community is reacting today to the news that Sen. Jenny Oropeza, died yesterday after a battle with illness. She was 53.

Capitol flags will fly at half staff in her honor, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office said. See a collection of statements and tweets from lawmakers after the jump.

Democratic Sen. Jenny Oropeza has died following a prolonged illness. She was 53.

Oropeza had been largely absent from the Senate since her office announced in May that she had been diagnosed with a blood clot in her abdomen. The Long Beach Democrat, first elected to the Senate in 2006, had battled liver cancer and a tumor during her time in the Assembly.

Her own battle with cancer inspired her to become a champion of cancer prevention in the Legislature.

"I've always believed that we ought to regenerate the Earth and be concerned about ozone levels, but I didn't personalize it until I got sick," she told The Bee in 2005.

She carried legislation to curb fight cancer-causing chemicals and air pollution, including a ban on smoking at beaches and state parks. Earlier this year, she joined forces with Assemblywoman Noreen Evans, D-Santa Rosa, on legislation that would restore a program that provides mammograms to low-income women who do not have sufficient health coverage.

In an e-mail to Senate staff, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg mourned the loss of "a true public servant and a cherished part of our legislative family."

"She carried on her responsibilities through great physical challenge, which is an inspiration for all of us, and for that service we are grateful," Steinberg said .

Assembly Speaker John A. Perez issued a statement remembering Oropeza for her service, as well as her "charm and cheerful smile."

"From the time I worked with her on the Long Beach City Council, through our service together in the Legislature, I know she was a leader of conscience and compassion, and was an able and talented representative of her constituents," he said.

The CSU Long Beach graduate served on the Long Beach School District Board, the Long Beach City Council and the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority Board before she was first elected to the Assembly in 2000. There she served as chair of the budget and transportation committees. The Democratic Caucus chairwoman is on the ballot for a second term representing the 28th Senate District.

She is survived by her husband, Tom Mullins.

Democrat Al Rodda, who served in the state Senate for 22 years, died Saturday at age 97.

Click here for more at SacBee.com.

Barry Nestande, chief of staff to former Republican Sen. John Benoit and brother to Assemblyman Brian Nestande, died Friday. He was 49.

The familiar figure in state GOP politics was pronounced dead Friday afternoon after suffering an apparent heart attack at the gym, according to an obituary published in The Desert Sun of Palm Springs.

The Republican strategist first joined Benoit's legislative staff in 2002 and continued to work as the former senator's top aide on the Riverside County Board of Supervisors. Before that he worked in insurance and finance, according to a statement released by Benoit's office.

Benoit described their relationship as "closer than most brothers" and rooted in a "shared faith in God and our country."

"From the earliest days of my first campaign for the State Assembly in 2001, until lunch yesterday, Barry Nestande was by my side," he said in the statement. "Working together as a team, we felt we could very effectively represent the interests of our constituents."

Nestande, whose father Bruce also served in the state Legislature, is survived by his wife Merrilee and sons Tyson and Brett.

UPDATE: Memorial services will be held 10 a.m. Friday at the Southest Community Church in Indian Wells. In lieu of flowers, the Nestande Family is requesting support for Beverly's House, a program to support young women leaving foster care that was founded by Nestande's mother. Donations can be made to YWCA-Central Orange County, P.O. Box 689 (Orange, CA 92856) with "Beverly's House" in the memo line

Longtime Senate staffer Melinda Melendez died Wednesday following a stroke. She was 61.

The senior education consultant to Democratic Sen. Gloria Romero devoted nearly 30 years to a career crafting state education policy.

Melendez first joined the Legislature in 1982, working as a senior consultant to the Assembly Ways and Means Committee. She worked for numerous offices and committees, including serving as higher education adviser to former Assembly Speakers Antonio Villaraigosa and Robert Hertzberg and as principal education consultant for the Senate Office of Research. She also worked as a professor and as a legislative advocate for the Association of California School Administrators.

A memorial service for Capitol staffer Will Smith has been set for 11 a.m. Saturday at Sacramento's Arcade Baptist Church.

Smith, chief of staff to Republican Sen. George Runner, died unexpectedly Monday after he collapsed while playing basketball. He was 41.

A memorial fund has been created for his wife, Anissa, and four children. More information is posted after the jump.

Will Smith, chief of staff to Republican Sen. George Runner, died Monday night after he collapsed while playing basketball. He was 41.

Smith, who grew up in Weaverville and attended Sacramento State, first came to the Capitol as an Assembly Fellow.

In 1996, Smith joined Runner's Assembly staff. For the next 14 years, he worked in various capacities in Runner's Assembly and Senate offices, as well as for Runner's wife, former Assemblywoman Sharon Runner.

"He was just an incredibly loyal individual. He was loyal obviously to us, but he was loyal to his passions, to his faith," George Runner said. "He was loyal to his conservative convictions, but yet he did it in a way that no matter where you were and who you were you respected him."

A funeral Mass for longtime California labor leader Jack Henning has been set for 1:30 p.m. Friday at San Francisco's Cathedral of St. Mary, at 1111 Gough St. A reception at the cathedral will follow the Mass.

The Mass will be preceded by visitation hours from 2-4 p.m., and a Rosary at 4 p.m., Thursday at the McAvoy O'Hara Evergreen Mortuary, at Geary Boulevard and 10th Avenue in the city. In lieu of flowers, the family asks that donations be made in Henning's name to St. Anthony's Dining Room in San Francisco.

A gifted orator who served as U.S. ambassador to New Zealand and as a labor official under two presidents, as well as leading the California Labor Federation for 26 years, Henning died last Thursday at his San Francisco home. He was 93.

Government, union and political officials reacted today to the death of legendary labor leader Jack Henning:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger

Jack Henning was a premier labor leader who led a long and distinguished career in public service both at the state and national level. He dedicated his life to improving the lives of others, revolutionized the labor movement and had an enormous impact on California. Maria and I join all Californians in remembering Jack's service and our hearts go out to his family and friends during this difficult time.

­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­­Secretary of Labor Hilda L. Solis

Today American workers lost a tireless advocate, and I lost a dear a friend. I would like to extend my heartfelt condolences to the family of John F. 'Jack' Henning. For most of his life, Jack Henning was on the front lines of the labor movement, fighting for civil rights, equality and justice for working Americans. He was a man of modest means, with a thirst for knowledge and a tremendous sense of compassion for his fellow man. His life story is one that inspires me and many Americans. His career began in his home state of California, where he fought for the most vulnerable - the working poor and underclass - fighting to improve their standard of living. A master orator, Jack began a steady climb within the labor movement and later served in the Kennedy and Johnson administrations as the U.S. undersecretary of labor. As a testament to his work, President Johnson later named him ambassador to New Zealand. Jack Henning was a champion, visionary and unwavering voice on behalf of the working women and men of the United States and of the world. We are all indebted to his leadership, and he will be missed.

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg

All Californians lost a true friend today in Jack Henning. Jack Henning's commitment to working people and social justice serves as an inspiration to us in these recessionary times. Workers still benefit from his leadership on farmworker rights, workplace safety, worker's compensation and in many other areas. Jack Henning was a giant and he will be missed.

Assembly Speaker Karen Bass

Jack Henning spent his life trying to make California a better place to live and work. He was a tireless fighter for the labor movement and for social and economic justice. Jack Henning served the public well as Ambassador to New Zealand and as a Regent of the University of California. With his passing we reflect on Jack's love for the working men and women of California and his great love for his family, including his adored late wife Betty and his son Pat, who became his own fixture in the Capitol community. My colleagues and I in the Assembly send our sincere condolences to Jack's children, grandchildren, brothers and sisters in labor and his countless friends. We will adjourn Assembly session in his honor next week.

California Democratic Party Chairman John Burton

Jack Henning dedicated himself to improving the lives of poor and middle-class workers in California - and across the nation. In 26 years at the helm of the California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO, Jack fought to protect farm workers, men and women who were injured on the job, low-wage workers, the unemployed, women and children. Under his leadership, the Labor Federation set the standard for unions across the country. A San Francisco native whose father was a charter member of the Plumbers union, Jack never forgot where he came from or who he was. Not only was Jack Henning a strong advocate for the working men and women of California, but also he was a personal friend of mine for decades. The California Democratic Party sends condolences to Jack's seven children, 12 grandchildren and six great-grandchildren and to the labor community on this loss. Jack Henning was a great man who will be deeply missed.

United Farm Workers President Arturo S. Rodriguez

Today the American labor movement and the state of California lost a genuine champion of working people, and especially farm workers. No one inside or outside the California labor movement more consistently or selflessly championed the farm workers' cause over as many decades than Jack Henning. No one loved and respected Cesar Chavez more. Jack never wavered, whether it was standing with the United Farm Workers on picketlines in the dusty fields and vineyards or in the halls of the state Capitol. From the 1960s to the 1990s, he rallied the entire labor movement to support the UFW during strikes, boycotts, legislative and political battles. Jack Henning played a critical role in realizing the era's most important advances for all working families. He understood the labor movement could never be true to itself if it ignored the poorest of the poor, the men, women and children who work in the fields.

Lt. Gov. John Garamendi

The working men and women of California made great strides in being treated justly and fairly on the job because of the hard work, commitment, and leadership of legendary labor leader Jack Henning. Organized labor is where it is today in California and throughout the nation because of Jack Henning, a man who I had the honor of calling my friend. He did everything possible to encourage the labor movement for everything including the minimum wage, organizing the rights for farm workers and workers compensation. Jack accomplished what he did with the unusual mix of grace and tenacity with workers in the fields or politicians in the halls of government. He is the definition of a true public servant. My thoughts and prayers are with his family.

State Treasurer Bill Lockyer

For most of my public life, Jack Henning was the voice and conscience of California workers. His passion for economic equality and social justice inspired a generation of post-war labor organizers. In his fight to bring decent treatment to workers and a better life to their families, Jack never wavered. And he will never be forgotten.

Jack Henning, a longtime leader in California's labor movement who served in the administrations of Gov. Pat Brown and Presidents John F. Kennedy and Lyndon B. Johnson, died today at his San Francisco home, labor officials said.

Henning was 93.

"Jack was a lion of a man and a great labor leader," said Art Pulaski, head of the California Labor Federation. "His vision and his magnificent oratory inspired several generations of union activists."

The CLF released a brief biography on Henning, which can be found on the CLF website by clicking here.

Jerome Waldie, a former state assemblyman and later congressman who carried legislation to create a full-time Legislature and later introduced the articles of impeachment against President Richard Nixon, has died. He was 84.

There are obituaries in the San Francisco Chronicle, Contra Costa Times and Greg Lucas' blog.

Waldie's son, Jon Waldie, currently serves as the chief administrative officer of the state Assembly.

Bill Stall, the Sacramento-based Pulitzer-prize winning editorial writer for the Los Angeles Times, has died. He was 71.

The Times has an obituary here.

The paper has posted his editorial series on California governance that won the Pulitzer here.

From the Times' obituary:

Ben Weider, one of the key supporters of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's bodybuilding career, died on Friday. He was 85.

Weider and his brother Joe brought Schwarzenegger to America in 1969.

"Without them having done that, I mean I wouldn't have known how to come over here. I sure didn't have the money. So that was a very important kind of stepping stone for me," Schwarzenegger told The Associated Press.

Read the AP's obituary.

Photo: 1998 file photo of Ben Weider. Credit: AP Photo/ Dave Thomson