Dumb bills

Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, D-La Cañada-Flintridge and a Republican from Santa Clarita have authored a bill to designated the first week of March "Cuss Free Week."

The legislation comes three years after McKay Hatch of South Pasadena launched his No Cussing Club. Apparently, Hatch and his legislative allies think cussing is a gateway to greater sins. From the Sacramento Bee:

"McKay reasoned that if pupils could say no to cussing it would be easier to stay away from drugs, violence and pornography, and to turn their focus to positive aspirations and goals," the Assembly proposal reads.

The once and future chairman

The Sacramento Bee reports that Anthony Portantino, assemblyman from La Canada-Flintridge, was reinstalled as chairman of the Higher Education Committee after a private discussion with Speaker Fabian Nunez.

Early last month, Nunez stripped Portantino of the title in what appeared to be retribution for his unauthorized campaign to succeed Nunez as speaker. Nunez favored Assemblywoman Karen Bass for the post and, well, she eventually won the nomination.

From the Bee: Portantino said he spoke with Núñez post-removal but didn't divulge any details of the discussion to Capitol Alert.

"I think the speaker did the right thing," he said. "I am happy to have my committee back to focus on the issues that I care about deeply, which is mainly helping to educate our children."

Portantino punished

Looks like I got it wrong when I predicted Anthony Portantino, the freshman Democratic assemblyman from La Canada Flintridge, might actually benefit from his short-lived run to become Assembly Speaker.

According to Shane Goldmacher at the Sacramento Bee, Portantino was stripped of his chairmanship on the Assembly Higher Education Committee on Thursday. He apparently angered Speaker Fabian Nunez - who is being termed out - by launching his bid for the leadership post. That seems to have screwed up Nunez's plans to hand the reins to Speaker-elect Karen Bass.

Sometimes these rebukes are temporary in nature, aimed at sending a message to the rank and file. We'll how long Portantino is made to stand in the corner.