Don't expect Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez to raise his voice during the budget fight -- he can't.
The Los Angeles Democrat said today that doctors have discovered a nodule in his vocal cord that will require laser surgery.
"If this thing bursts, I'm going to have permanent damage to my vocal cord, so I've got to be very careful not to extend or overuse my voice," Núñez told the Sacramento Press Club at a downtown lunch.
Once the nodule is removed, Núñez said he will not be able speak for three weeks while recovering.
"So I thought about it, and I said, 'Well, how bad can that be? -- A Democrat without a voice while, at the same time, we're dealing with Republicans without a vision.' I'd rather be without a voice."
Núñez said he will undergo surgery either after adoption of the budget or after the legislative session, which ends Aug. 31.
"I think I can keep it under control until then," he said.
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