SACRAMENTO, Calif. — State senators are receiving a refresher in ethics as part of the fallout from a series of legal cases involving Democratic lawmakers this year.
Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg canceled committee hearings Wednesday and ordered senators and their top aides to devote the day to ethics training.
He says the purpose of the closed-door sessions is to reflect on existing practices and prevent compromising situations.
The Senate suspended Sens. Ronald Calderon of Montebello and Leland Yee of San Francisco after they were indicted on federal criminal charges involving bribery. Yee also was charged with trying to orchestrate weapons trafficking.
A third Democrat, Sen. Rod Wright of Los Angeles, was convicted earlier this year of voter fraud and perjury for lying about his legal residence.
