Politics & Government

Public Records Request on Legislative Budgets Denied

A public records request for legislative staff budgets filed by Altadena's representative, Anthony Portantino, has been officially denied. Portantino filed the request after he was told he would have to furlough his staff because he had gone over budget.

A local legislator's for information on how much California legislators have to spend on their office budgets was denied, according to Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, D-La Canada Flintridge, who filed the request.

Portantino filed the request after he was told by the Assembly Rules Committee that he was $67,000 over budget and would have to .  The request was filed in an attempt to find out what other legislators were spending in their office budgets.

Portantino has claimed that he was targeted by the committee because he was the sole Democrat to vote against the state budget passed in June.

Find out what's happening in La Cañada Flintridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

He told Patch this week that the records request was an attempt to prove that his spending was not out of line with other legislators.

"Certainly I have a right to know that I am being singled out because I voted to protect public education," Portantino said.  "I think the public has a right to know."

Find out what's happening in La Cañada Flintridgewith free, real-time updates from Patch.

John Vigna, a spokesman for John Perez, D-Los Angeles, the Assembly speaker, told Patch in previous interviews that Portantino was officially warned in January and again in April by the rules committee that he could face severe action if he didn't reign in spending.

If the furloughs go through they would affect Portantino's six staff members and four field representatives.

Patch has requested a copy of the letter denying the records request and will post it here if it is received.




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