Pasadena Sun
Assemblyman Anthony Portantino (D-La Cañada Flintridge) and Assembly Speaker John Pérez are facing off in a high-profile clash over legislative staff budgets, but the numbers behind the battle are complex, with multiple funding sources adding to the bottom line for many lawmakers.
Legislators get funds for their staff offices and their leadership roles, according to documents disclosed by the Assembly Rules Committee last month. In some cases, the Democratic or Republican parties pony up to help pay for legislative staffers.
Records for the first eight months of the legislative year reveal that lawmakers from the San Gabriel and San Fernando valleys have spent widely varying amounts.