Free Republic

Sacramento -- State Sen. Carole Migden, who came under criticism earlier this year for pushing the voting button of a fellow lawmaker to help passage of one of her bills, abruptly relinquished her position as chair of the powerful Senate Appropriations Committee on Monday. The San Francisco Democrat said she wanted to devote more of her time to help Controller Steve Westly in his bid for governor. But sources in the Senate who insisted on anonymity said Migden, who is known for having an abrasive style, angered many of her colleagues in the past year and that the final straw...

Nobody was surprised that state Sen. Carole Migden voted in favor of her own cosmetics bill. The problem was that she did it in the wrong legislative house. Toward the end of Wednesday's floor session, Migden, a San Francisco Democrat, pushed the voting button of a GOP assemblyman who was temporarily away from his desk. Her action violated Assembly rules and drew an angry response from Republicans. "That behavior cannot be tolerated," said Assembly Republican leader Kevin McCarthy of Bakersfield. "It's unheard of on this floor, it's against the rules, and it cannot be tolerated." Migden, chairwoman of the powerful...