1. PolitiCal
ON POLITICS IN THE GOLDEN STATE
Skirmish breaks out on Assembly floor during budget
debate [Video]
June 15, 2011 | 9:15pm
Budget debates in Sacramento are often heated, but they don’t often require lawmakers to restrain
one another in front of rolling television cameras to prevent them from getting physical.
Except on Wednesday.
It all began when Assemblyman Don Wagner (R-Irvine) likened a portion of the Democrats’ budget
plan, a plan to eliminate redevelopment agencies, to a “Tony Soprano” insurance scheme.
Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) quickly rose to say that “as a proud
Italian American, I resent that and I would respectfully ask the commenter to make an apology to
Italian Americans in California."
Wagner retorted, “I will apologize to any Italian Americans who are not in the Mafia and engaged in
insurance scams,” to audible murmurs and grumbling in the chamber.

2. Then Wagner rose again. "My apology, if one is needed, is sincere," he said. "My reference is certainly
not one that no one in this room gets… I think my colleagues on the other side of the aisle, especially
one who seems to be extraordinarily outraged over this for reasons I don't understand -- my
reference is not lost on anyone here. This is not an attack on anyone. This bill is a bait and switch."
Moments later, Assemblyman Warren Furutani (D-Gardena), who is not Italian American, hustled
over to confront Wagner and the two had to be separated by colleagues.
The exchange begins at around the 2:45 minute mark in this video.
-- Shane Goldmacher in Sacramento
Photo: Assemblyman Warren Furutani (D-Gardena) is held back by, from left, Assemblymen
Manuel Perez (D-Coachella), Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo), and Richard Gordon (D-Menlo Park) as he
exchanges words with Assemblyman Donald Wagner (R-Irvine). Credit: Hector Amezcua /
Sacramento Bee