Gov. Schwarzenegger, back from sports weekend, to nominate Maldonado again

This article was originally on a blog post platform and may be missing photos, graphics or links. See About archive blog posts.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger flew back to California on Monday after a long weekend out of state, busy with carrying the Olympic torch and attending other events at the Winter Games in Vancouver, and then watching the NBA All-Star game in Dallas with his family.

He is expected to formally resubmit the nomination of state Sen. Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria) for the vacant post of lieutenant governor to the Legislature on Tuesday, when he comes back to Sacramento. The Senate had already approved Maldonado’s nomination. But Schwarzenegger announced Friday that he would make the appointment again after an Assembly session Thursday when members did not provide enough votes to either approve or reject the nomination.

Since Senate leader Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) was the acting governor while Schwarzenegger was out of town, the governor had to come back to make the move.

Schwarzenegger changed course after threatening to seat Maldonado himself and argue in court that the Assembly’s failure to formally reject Maldonado meant that he should get the appointment under the rules in the state Constitution.

Legislators will have another 90 days to act on the appointment.

-- Michael Rothfeld in Sacramento