Copyright© 1999 by School Services of California, Inc.

September 17, 1999


By The Way. . .


Senate President Pro Tem Suffers Heart Attack. State Senator John Burton (D-San Francisco), leader of the State Senate as President Pro Tem, suffered a mild heart attack while in Lake Tahoe to receive an award as "man of the year" from the Laborer's International Union. According to doctor reports in Sacramento, Senator Burton is expected to make a full recovery after blocked blood vessels had been cleared.

In his job as leader of the Senate, which some in Sacramento now view as the most powerful person in the Legislature, Burton was the point person on many intricate last-minute deals as the Legislature closed out its 1999 session on September 10.

According to a Sacramento Bee article, the Senator's staff is attempting to put a light touch on Burton's condition. While updating the press, reporters were cautioned not to confuse the process of angioplasty with Angie O'Plasty, "a dancer John claims to remember from North Beach in the '50s." SSC wishes the Senator a speedy recovery.