We lost some legends this year. Bill Munnell was a member of the Cold War-era Assembly Doomsday Committee. Newt Russell was one of the very last legislators who set such a high value on following the Legislature’s rules that he wouldn’t allow them to be broken in the name of expediency. Nick Petris authored the Lanterman–Petris–Short Act, which restructured California’s laws relating to ‘mentally disordered people’.
As these giants left us, we wanted to take a moment to recognize their lives and contributions of our state and nation.
JANUARY
Paul J. Lunardi – Assemblyman (1957-1963), State Senator (1963-1968)
Nolan Frizzelle – Assemblyman (1980-1992)
MARCH
Nicholas C. Petris – Assemblyman (1959-1966), State Senator (1967-1996)
William A. Munnell – Assemblyman (1951-1961), Superior Court Judge (1961-1981)
APRIL
Bill Royer – Congressman (1979-1980)
MAY
Newton R. Russell – Assemblyman (1965-1974), State Senator (1974-1996)
AUGUST
Patricia Wiggins – Assemblywoman (1998-2004), State Senator (2006-2010)
SEPTEMBER
George N. Zenovich – Assemblyman (1963-1970), State Senator (1970-1979)
Ernest F. Vance – American Independent Party (AIP) candidate