The Associated Press Culver City Democrat Herb
Wesson (right) is sworn in as speaker of the state
assembly.
By Kelly Rayburn
Daily Bruin Senior Staff
Challenging colleagues by saying, “All I want is all
you’ve got,” Assemblyman Herb Wesson, who will likely
represent UCLA in the state legislature next year, was sworn in as
speaker of the assembly Wednesday morning.
Wesson, D”“Culver City, will represent UCLA and parts of
the surrounding area in 2003 if he is re-elected in November. UCLA
currently falls in the 42nd district, but redrawn district
boundaries will go into effect in 2003, and UCLA will be part of
Wesson’s 47th district.
Wesson will visit UCLA Friday morning for a Los Angeles
Inauguration and reception at Royce Hall.
“We face a great challenge. This is our moment,”
Wesson said upon being sworn in Wednesday. “It’s time
to step up with greatness of our own. You don’t just wake up
one day and say “˜I’m great.’ You have to see the
greatness within yourself, and then stand up and dare to be
great.”
Later, Wesson addressed the difficult task of balancing a budget
with a $12 billion shortfall and said money for education will not
be compromised.
“We will not balance the budget on the backs of business,
or teachers or local government,” he said. Wesson is the 65th
speaker of the assembly, replacing Robert Hertzberg, D”“Van
Nuys, who is ineligible to run for re-election in November because
of term limits. An representative can serve no more than six years
in the assembly.
Wesson, born in Cleveland, Ohio, was first elected to the
California State Assembly in 1998. A year later, he completed his
bachelor’s degree in history from Lincoln University in
Pennsylvania.
In the last year, Wesson has authored measures to examine
inequities between men and women in state jobs, make Kindergarten
attendance mandatory and keep employers from requiring employees to
speak only English in the workplace.
Wesson said Wednesday he doesn’t care what anyone says
about him ““ even when reporters chide him for the bubble
baths he takes every morning.
Wesson’s colleagues voted him in as speaker in
January.
One of his top jobs as speaker is to name new committee
chairs:
Wesson named on Wednesday four assemblymembers to leadership
positions and seven assembly committee chairs, including:
“¢bull;Â Christine Kehoe, D”“San Diego, as Speaker pro
Tempore designee
“¢bull; Marco Firebaugh, D”“Cudahy, as Majority Floor
Leader.
“¢bull; Jenny Oropeza, D”“Long Beach, as Chair of the
Budget Committee.
“¢bull; Jerome Horton, D”“Inglewood, as Chair of the
Committee on Government Organization.
A spokesperson for Paul Koretz, D”“West Hollywood, whose
district currently includes UCLA, said the university will be in
good hands if Wesson is re-elected in November.