Capitol Trivia

Capitol Trivia tests the memories of the seasoned Capitol hands and offers
newbies a chance to learn something about the dark underbelly of California
political history.
1. Who said, “I hate raising money. I’d love to be
governor if they made
it an appointive office.”?
2. Who wrote what became known as the “mom, pop and apple pie bill”?
3. What was once described in the Capitol as the “Camden, New Jersey, of
California”?
4. Which former bear-hunting lawmaker was known for his excellent
impersonation of Bill Clinton?
5. Who was known as “stentorian Stull”?
6. What became known as “Apocalypse Right Now”?
7. Who was elected state senator but never served,
and who named the town
of Calistoga in the Napa Valley?
8. Who would have been Assembly speaker if the Gang of Five had overthrown
Willie Brown?
9. Which purple-haired, saxophone-playin senator’s brother operated an
elevator for years in the Capitol?

ANSWERS
1. Former Assembly Speaker Jesse Unruh 2. Former Assemblyman Bill Bagley,
on legislation dealing with the American flag. 3. Stockton 4. Rico Oller
of San Andreas. 5. Former state Sen. John Stull of Encinitas, who had a booming
voice. 6. Former Gov. Jerry Brown’s campaign stop in Madison, Wis., during
his 1980 presidential campaign, when the lights, sound, and other aspects of
the carefully planned event collapsed. 7. Sam Brannan, elected in 1853, but
didn’t serve. He once got drunk and said he would make his new town like
Saratoga in New York. But he garbled the words and he said, “I’m going to
make it the Calistoga of Sarafornia!” 8. Former and future Assemblyman Chuck
Calderon, who also served in the Senate. 9. Ralph Dills