Florez adept at attracting media spotlight
Posted at 10:32 PM on Monday, Feb. 22, 2010
By E.J. Schultz / Bee Capitol Bureau

SACRAMENTO -- First he said he wants to tax soft drinks to curb obesity. Now he wants to tax pet food to stop animal abuse.

Valley state senator Dean Florez is gaining national notice from the pair of high-profile bills, which likely face long odds in the Legislature but could help him get much-needed attention as he runs for lieutenant governor.

His latest bill would create a state registry of animal abusers -- akin to what exists for sex offenders -- with the names and photographs of felons posted on the Internet by 2012.

To pay for the measure, consumers buying pet food would be charged an "unspecified charge" per pound.

Florez, D-Shafter, promoted the bill in front of TV cameras at a Monday morning news conference in the Capitol, the same day The New York Times ran a story on the legislation. Not long after, he plugged his soda pop bill on the MSNBC cable television network. The bill would impose a 1-cent tax for every teaspoon of sugar added to sweetened beverages, with proceeds going to childhood obesity prevention programs.

To be sure, Florez is not the first lawmaker to relentlessly seek media attention. But he's one of the best at it -- an advantage that could help him in his underdog bid for lieutenant governor, said Steve Maviglio, a Democratic strategist who's not affiliated with any of the campaigns.

"When you don't have the resources to mount an advertising campaign, the next best thing is earned media," Maviglio said. "And he excels at it. He's able to combine being a workhorse and also a showhorse, and he gets headlines."

Florez's campaign is hardly broke. He recently reported nearly $1 million on hand, more than his Democratic opponent, Janice Hahn. But Hahn, a Los Angeles City Council member, only recently started raising money and she enjoys high-name recognition in voter-rich Southern California. San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom, who is even better known than Hahn, also is pondering a bid.

Florez, on the other hand, comes from the less-populated San Joaquin Valley, a much smaller player than the Bay Area in Democratic primaries. Yet the more his name appears statewide in newspapers and on TV, it can only help, Maviglio said.

Florez said he is only after good policy -- not a political boost.

"We try to work on issues that really matter," he said. "We want to bring attention to this."

Indeed, he has operated this way most of his 12-year legislative career, often staging events to promote his latest bill, or sending out press releases to criticize an opponent. In the Valley, constituents either love him or hate him.

"If you agree with his positions, he's a responsive legislator. If you disagree, he's pandering," said Phoebe Wall Howard, a media consultant with offices in Fresno and the Bay Area and a former political columnist with The Bee.

Earlier in his Senate tenure, Florez grabbed the spotlight by pushing legislation ending agriculture's historical exemption from air-pollution controls. Critics accused him of grandstanding in advance of a possible run in 2006 for state treasurer, which he never launched. But the bills made it into law in 2003 and have been highly praised by environmentalists.

He's had his share of failures, too. A couple of years ago, he waged a high-profile battle against the leafy green industry, seeking new regulations aimed at food safety. But the bill never made it out of the Legislature. Around the same time, he got attention by pushing a bill on behalf of the raw milk industry that would have treated the product like pasteurized milk. Gov. Schwarzenegger vetoed the legislation.

His latest bills are likely to face uphill battles because they require at least a few votes from Republicans -- and the signature of Schwarzenegger, who has not shown a willingness to approve new taxes this year.

"There is not an appetite for tax increases among Assembly Republicans, whether for a soda-pop tax or a pet-food tax," said Assembly Republican Leader Martin Garrick.

Even so, just by introducing the animal abuse bill, Florez could win the support of pet lovers. And they are a force to be reckoned with politically, said a former lawmaker.

"The most active and organized constituency are animal lovers," said Nicole Parra, who held a South Valley Assembly seat from 2002 to 2008. "Any smart politician will introduce legislation that deals with this constituency."

Florez knows their passion. Last year, he pursued legislation that would require dog and cat owners to spay or neuter their pets. The bill was backed by animal shelters and celebrities such as former "Price is Right" host Bob Barker. But breeders strongly objected.

The bill failed, but Florez is trying again this year.

http://www.fresnobee.com/2010/02/22/1832865/bill-puts-florez-in-national-spotlight.html