Ridley-Thomas back after absence
L.A. assemblyman was away from Sacramento for more than two weeks.
SACRAMENTO — After more than two weeks away from the state Capitol, Assemblyman Sebastian Ridley-Thomas (D-Los Angeles) was back at work Monday, with his staff blaming the absence on unspecified medical reasons.
“I’m not going to comment on what the illness was,” said his chief of staff, Darryl Lucien, who added that the legislator was “feeling better” Monday.
Ridley-Thomas, 29, was not available for an interview to discuss his absence.
He originally went on leave March 7. At the time, he did not specify an illness and so Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon’s office considered him to be on personal leave. Under legislative rules, those absences did not allow him to receive per diem payments — a subsidy intended to offset the costs of traveling and living in Sacramento.
On March 21, he informed Rendon’s office that he was on medical leave, thus becoming eligible for the $183 per diem. Lucien said that the original personal leave request was an error and that all of Ridley-Thomas’ time away from work was for health reasons.
“It’s medical leave,” Lucien said. “He has a doctor’s note that was submitted, excusing him for the time he was out.”
Ridley-Thomas was not entirely absent from legislative work during that time. While on leave, he yanked one high-profile piece of legislation — a measure that would exempt tampons and other feminine hygiene products from sales tax — from a hearing in the Assembly Revenue and Taxation committee, which he chairs.
The bill’s author, Assemblywoman Cristina Garcia (D-Bell Gardens), said she spoke directly to RidleyThomas about a request to amend her bill days before that committee hearing.
Lucien said RidleyThomas was working “on a very limited basis,” fielding calls from members “to the extent he was able to speak with them.”