Eyes on the Assembly

Most voters in the CN&R readership area are in the redistricted Assembly District 3, which covers much of the Sacramento Valley, from Red Bluff to Yuba City/Marysville. Voters in Oroville and points east are in Assembly District 1, a mostly mountainous district that encompasses much of northeastern California, including Susanville and Redding.

Here’s a rundown of the races:

Assembly District 1

There’s no incumbent in this race, but at least three of the five candidates have considerable political experience on the local level. Two of them are conservative Republicans—Lassen County Supervisor Brian Dahle and Redding City Councilman Rick Bosetti—and one, Robert Meacher, a Plumas County supervisor since 1992, is a moderate Democrat.

Dahle, a farmer who lives in Bieber and with his wife owns a seed company and nursery, has the backing of agriculture interests, including the California Farm Bureau. Bosetti, a former major-league baseball player who owns a small technology business in Redding, is backed by timber and real-estate interests.

Both decry what they say is the over-regulation of business and have pledged never to raise taxes. They oppose the high-speed-rail proposal and Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax initiative, and they support pension reform. Both have vowed to make jobs their highest priority. Dahle is staunchly anti-abortion.

Meacher, who owns a store and deli in Genesee, agrees with Dahle and Bosetti about overregulation, but he differs from them in emphasizing environmental issues, including protecting North State water and forest resources and fostering the region’s tourism and recreation industries. He also believes strongly in the value of education and investing in the state’s universities and colleges. He supports the governor’s tax measure.

As the only Democrat running, he no doubt hopes Dahle and Bosetti split the Republican vote in this GOP-leaning district, creating an opening for him to come in first or second and make it to the November ballot.

There are two other candidates with minor-party preferences: Nevada City resident David Edwards, of the Green Party, and Libertarian Charley Hooper, of Grass Valley. Edwards is a water ecologist who advocates for restoring watersheds and wildlands, creating self-reliance in communities, and creating fair taxation and balancing the state budget. Hooper, an engineer who owns a small consulting company, wants to “dramatically improve the economy in California,” reduce taxes, reduce regulations, reduce state spending and extend education choice to all students.

Assembly District 3

In the new 3rd District, which is a lot like the old 3rd District but smaller, Dan Logue is a familiar quantity. The two-term Republican incumbent has garnered considerable recognition—some would say notoriety—for both Proposition 23, the 2010 measure he co-authored that sought, unsuccessfully, to overturn California’s Global Warming Solutions Act, and his ongoing road show of hearings up and down California, and even in Nevada, on the subject of job loss and overregulation.

Logue, who lives in the Yuba City area, is a self-described fiscal conservative and “staunch opponent of high taxation and government waste” who believes in “limited government and free enterprise.” In the Assembly, he’s chief whip for the Republican caucus and vice-chairman of the Health Committee.

In Chico, a town he previously had visited only occasionally, he recently ingratiated himself by mediating resolution of the tussle between State Parks and the Bidwell Mansion Association.

It’s inconceivable that Logue, who faces two challengers, will come in last on June 5, which means he will face one of his opponents again in November. They are fellow Republican Bob Williams, a Corning area rancher and, since 2006, a Tehama County supervisor, and moderate Democrat Charles Rouse, also from Corning. He’s a retired postal worker and an olive farmer with a degree in philosophy from Occidental College.

There isn’t a lot of difference between Logue and Williams on the issues, but they do part ways when it comes to the Republican schism represented by the Doug LaMalfa-Sam Aanestad battle royal to replace Wally Herger in Congress. Williams has the backing of LaMalfa and Assemblyman Jim Nielsen, while Logue is supported by Aanestad and Rep. Tom McClintock.

Meanwhile Rouse, who is running a low-key campaign, says his top priorities, if elected, would be police and fire protection, education funding and protecting North State water. He’s hoping enough Democrats cast ballots this time around to give him sufficient votes to defeat Williams and come in second, at least.