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Sacramento Bee Columnist Daniel Weintraub

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November 06, 2003

Chamber lobbyist to be legislative secretary

Look for Schwarzenegger to name his legislative secretary on Friday: Richard Costigan, a longtime aide to Assembly Republicans who has been working this year as lead legislative lobbyist for the California Chamber of Commerce. Costigan was policy director for the Assembly Republican Caucus and chief of staff to two Republican leaders before leaving the Legislature to work with the law and consulting firm of Manatt, Phelps & Phillips. He has been with the chamber since earlier this year. The legislative secretary can be a crucial position on the governor's staff. If the secretary has the confidence of the governor and gets to know him well, he can effectively represent him in the Legislature and cut tentative deals that stand up when reviewed by the chief executive. On the other hand, negotiations have been known to break down because representations made to lawmakers by the legislative secretary are reversed by the governor. Costigan is a pro but has no pre-existing relationship with Schwarzenegger. It will undoubtedly take some time for him to build that crucial bond. I would love to listen in the first time EPA director Terry Tamminen and Costigan go at it over an environmental regulation opposed by business....