Lieber named to third highest position in Assembly Lieber named to third highest position in Assembly (February 13, 2004)

First-term state legislator will help run the floor

By Grace Rauh

Much to her delight, Democratic state Assembly member Sally Lieber was appointed to the assistant speaker pro tempore position Monday afternoon.

In her new role, Lieber will help run floor sessions, rule on debates and assist other Assembly members in passing legislation. The appointment puts the first-term Assembly member, a Mountain View resident, third in line behind Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez (D-Los Angeles) and Speaker Pro Tempore Leland Yee (D-San Francisco).

"I'm very pleased that the Speaker has entrusted me with helping run the house, especially at a very difficult and tumultuous time," Lieber said. With tense budget negotiations coming up, her job is not likely to be easy. For now she is focusing on doing "a lot of homework and getting ready for sessions," she said.

The state Assembly uses Mason's Manual rules to guide legislative proceedings, but Lieber is more familiar with Robert's Rules of Order, which the Mountain View City Council follows, she said.

Although her Assembly responsibilities have changed, the former Mountain View mayor plans to keep her front row seat on the Assembly floor -- unless she is presiding over a legislative session, she said.

Lieber and Nunez have worked together to support low-income families and he "really gave me a lot of support in my living wage bill last year," she said. Lieber will stay in her new position indefinitely or until she is voted or termed out of office. Her appointment would also be cut short if Nunez asked her to leave, but that doesn't sound likely.

The Speaker has "assured me that he would like me to serve during his term and if there becomes an opening for the speaker pro tem position, he would like me to consider that," Lieber said.

E-mail Grace Rauh at grauh@mv-voice.com

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