Former California State Senator Bob Dutton Dies at 71

“He was elected to California’s 63rd State Assembly District in 2002, and two years later captured a seat in the 31st state Senate District — which includes portions of San Bernardino and Riverside counties,” the Press Enterprise reported. “He arranged for a sales-tax deal between former Gov. Jerry Brown and Amazon that kept the company from cutting off its 10,000 small-business affiliates in the state; devised a transportation bond measure; and led a movement to return LA/Ontario International Airport to local control.”

“Dutton won a second term in 2008 and became Senate Republican Leader-elect in early 2010.”

Dutton is remembered fondly by long time Capitol staffers, not just for being a principled legislator, but for being a principled and good person.

“Bob was a great boss, but a better person,” said Larry Venus, who served as Dutton’s Communications Director from 2004-12. “When he was leader, Washington Post Columnist George Will came to Sacramento to do a profile on Bob and Senate Republicans who were in the middle of a budget battle with then-Gov. Jerry Brown in 2011. What Will said in the story best epitomized Bob, how he handled people and leadership. Will said, ‘Bob Dutton is an island of calm in the eye of the storm – which should agitate Gov. Jerry Brown.’”

Long time Capitol Chief of Staff Kevin Bassett forwarded a few memorable emails and press statements from Sen. Dutton. The 2011 Amazon deal statement was exemplary of his unflappable, calm demeanor.

“We have achieved peace with this delicate compromise.

Assembly Bill 155 is supported by the California Retailers Association and Amazon.  It is also supported by the California Business Properties Association and a very long list of retailers and employers of California workers.

I want to thank all the parties involved for their hard work in reaching this landmark agreement.

I also want to thank the members of the Senate for their patience as we worked out this compromise.”

At Dutton’s urging, on August 30, representatives from the retailers and Amazon met in person for the first time anywhere in the country to begin the process of working out a win-win-win compromise for retailers, Amazon and the people of California.

That initial meeting was the genesis of the compromise THAT resulted in AB 155.

“He truly felt his legacy was being called to serve,” said former state Sen. Dennis Hollingsworth, the Press Enterprise reported. “He understood how a government that left its rightful role would negatively impact its community, and was an expert at dialing down into the details of how legislation would impact the people.”

Classic Bob Dutton can be seen in this press statement on budget negotiations with Gov. Jerry Brown.

Senator Republican Leader Bob Dutton and Senate Budget Committee Vice Chair Bob Huff issued the following statement regarding state budget discussions:

Governor Brown challenged Republicans to be engaged in the budget process.  Republicans have been engaged for months.  Today he was presented with a thorough outline, which reiterates our priorities, including: getting our state back on track by reining in runaway spending; controlling unsustainable public employee pensions; getting people back to work; protecting and improving our state’s public education system; and making critical adjustments to the governor’s flawed budget.

Republicans were accused of being the party of “no” and now Republicans are accused of being the party of “too much yes.”