Sen. Hueso arrested for DUI in Sacramento

State Sen. Ben Hueso, a San Diego Democrat and the chair of the Senate Labor Committee, was arrested early Friday morning for suspicion of drunken driving after going the wrong way on a one-way street near downtown Sacramento.

Hueso, 44, was pulled over by the Highway Patrol near 15^th and X at about 2:30 a.m. and booked into the Sacramento County Jail about an hour later with a blood alcohol level of at least .08 percent. He spent about eight hours in custody and was released late Friday morning after posting bail, authorities said.

Hueso had attended a dinner of the Legislative Latino Caucus earlier in the evening, an event that ended several hours before his traffic arrest, a caucus spokesman said. He returned to the Capitol after the caucus dinner and was seen drinking with colleagues on the Capitol balcony.

Sen. Ben Hueso, D-San Diego.

Hueso, a former member of the San Diego City Council and the California Coastal Commission, was elected to the Senate last year, following a term in the Assembly. He is married with four children.

In a written statement distributed later Friday, Hueso said he was “truly and profoundly sorry for the unacceptably poor personal judgment which I demonstrated last night” and that “I accept complete personal responsibility for my actions and any punishments that ultimately come my way as a result of this incident.”

Hueso also chairs the Veterans Affairs Committee and a select committee on the state’s energy independence.