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. What was the game played by legislative staff during late-night
sessions that involved Isabella?
2. What was the legislative constitutional deadline that, for 25 plus
years, had the wrong date?
3. Who was the state Senator that single handedly forced the Senate
Democratic caucus to deny the confirmation of Michael Franchetti as director
of finance in the Deukmejian administration?
4. Which senator publicly called the Los Angeles assessor “an arrogant
asshole bureaucrat”?
5. What are the words to Sen. Dills’ “Bring in the absentees” song?
6. Why was Assemblyman Sam Yorty known as “Outhouse Sam”?
7. What is a “slabovian loss”?
8. Remember the number of the Senate committee room that now serves as
the Senate Budget Committee office?
9. Who were the previous occupants of the location currently occupied
by the upstairs cafeteria?
10. What was the Harold Summers Rule?
11. Why is the Board of Equalization titled the Board of Equalization?

ANSWERS
1. Pitching pennies from the second floor of the rotunda into Isabella’s
crown. 2. The last day to pass a house of origin bill still in the house of
origin was January 30 of the even-numbered year and later corrected to
January 31. (Old Article IV Sec. 10 (a)) Remember, 30 days has September,
April, June and November. 3. Senator Bill Green. 4. Bill Lockyer
5. “The
Sergeant of Arms will lock the doors and bring in the absentees” 6. He
crouched on the toilet seat in the member’s bathroom and listened to
conversations of other members in the bathroom. 7. A loss of revenue you
were never going to get in the first place. 8. Room 5202 9. Department of
finance. 10. “If it’s not there, they won’t notice that it’s missing.”
11. “Equalize” the treatment like property by county assessors.