Attorney believes less legislation is key

Alicia Robinson

If voters send him to Sacramento, attorney Don Wagner wants to get

rid of legislation rather than create it.

The 70th Assembly District seat is up for grabs, and Wagner and

five other GOP candidates are after it.

He certainly wouldn’t be the only lawyer in Sacramento, but Wagner

said because he’s not a trial lawyer he doesn’t have the vested

interests that have held up reforms in workers’ compensation and tort

law. His legal career has taught him that too much regulation can

cripple businesses, he said.

As an attorney in private practice, Wagner largely has worked with

businesses, he said.

“I have felt that personally I’ve benefited from that association,

to see some serious, hard-working people wanting to make a better

life for themselves and their families,” he said.

As a member of the South Orange County Community College District

board, Wagner said he’s had to cooperate with other board members to

cut through the bureaucracy of the education system.

“One person can’t do anything alone,” he said. “You need to find a

way to achieve a majority vote to get something done.”

Wagner has put his English background to use in various ways since

college, editing his college law journal and writing about 30

articles that have been published in magazines and newsletters.

While his professional interests consume most of his time, Wagner

has served on the board of directors of the American Lung Assn. of

Orange County, and in recent years, he’s been a soccer dad, cheering

his kids at their games and also coaching them in baseball and

softball.

Because the 70th Assembly District seat is open, Wagner thought

now would be the prime time to run. With some accomplishments on the

community college board behind him -- such as getting the district

off the state’s fiscal watch list and getting the schools’

accreditation back on solid ground -- he would be a productive

addition to the legislature, he said.

One of his goals is not to pass more legislation, but to repeal

laws that are outdated and unnecessary. That will be difficult while

Democrats control the Legislature, he said, but he’s ready for the

challenge.

Because the future of California is at issue, this campaign is

more intense than running for the College Board, Wagner said.

“This is the big leagues,” he said. “You’re under a lot more

scrutiny. Even though the [Assembly] district is smaller, a lot more

people are paying attention and the stakes are bigger.”