By Assemblymember Betty Karnette
The alarm goes off at 6:30 a.m. and it’s up and at ’em.
Limbering up is necessary and it’s usually stretch exercises on the floor after organizing myself to begin the day. I also try to use the gym if a breakfast meeting isn’t on the schedule. Since a legislator’s schedule varies greatly, personal attire and appearance varies just as often, but must always be professional.
Like everyone, a legislator starts an effective day by nourishing both mind and body. “The Today Show” on NBC gives the latest in local and national news. Oatmeal or dry cereal usually is the breakfast of choice and then it’s out the door.
Although schedules and deadlines are serious business “under the dome,” there is no such thing as a typical day in Sacramento except that Assembly floor sessions and committees have assigned meeting times. Mondays and Thursdays are typical days for floor sessions, which lengthen and become more frequent during crucial times on the legislative calendar.
I usually arrive at the office around 8:30 a.m., check messages and go through the mail. Correspondence from constituents and other interested parties crosses my desk for review throughout the day. Numerous requests for meetings really keep the scheduling secretary busy.
Phones are just as active as the mail traffic, if not more so. But judging by recent trends, it won’t be long until email activity dwarfs both mail and phones. The four capable staff people assist with handling all of these calls, letters and emails.
After reviewing the communications each morning, I like to take inventory of the morning news. Two major newspapers give good reports from our region and the capitol. I subscribe to local papers in my Long Beach office and usually read them online when I’m up north. The Assembly speaker’s press office compiles daily summaries of articles from newspapers all over the state, which I scan for relevant articles.
Next, it’s time to go over bills that are coming up for a vote in a committee or on the Assembly floor. The staff has studied the upcoming legislation, attended briefings and has pertinent information. There may be dozens of bills on a given day, and we need to understand each of them.
When bills that I’m authoring are up for hearing, I work with the staff to make necessary preparations for the bill presentation and we coordinate efforts to secure the votes or amendments necessary for passage.
When legislators are not handling committee or floor session work, they’re usually meeting with one group or another.
But not everybody can make arrangements to meet with a legislator, so lawmakers must work hard to understand a community’s overall concerns. Perspectives of average citizens, the disenfranchised and the have-nots should not be ignored even if they have no clear voice. The youth in our communities, who will be the leaders of tomorrow, also should be heard.
Late afternoons and evenings are always busy times. When committees last longer than anticipated, sometimes I am forced to take scheduled office meetings in hallways and corridor corners near committee rooms. If my schedule is double or triple booked, I try to drop by each event. Sometimes, the rigorous schedule dictates that a staffer must take my place at a meeting and brief me later on those proceedings.
Plans can change quickly in the capitol. By the end of the day, you might end up having to deal with an unexpected meeting or even a surprise TV interview, so it helps to build-in a small block of open time when possible.
Once the legislative day is over, receptions, fundraisers and events, which may or may not be directly political, are held. Sometimes legislators even assemble bipartisan fundraisers to help needy groups.
To accommodate legislators’ active schedules, some of these events take place during breakfast or lunch. The California State Chamber of Commerce has a yearly luncheon for all legislators as do many other for-profit and nonprofit organizations.
Then too, legislators enjoy having a quiet lunch or dinner with one or more members at a restaurant and in the privacy of their home-away-from-home in Sacramento.
The life of a legislator is a very busy and very necessary part of California life. While it is impossible to convey a complete view of a legislator’s constantly changing schedule, voters should trust and expect that their elected leaders are actively engaged.
I hope that this article, and others like it, will help foster an ongoing community dialogue about issues that interest our communities.
As always, feel free to contact my local office at (562) 997-0794 if you have any questions or suggestions.
