Political notes
Yuba County Sheriff Steve Durfor has added his name to the list of Yuba-Sutter region endorsements of state Sen. George Runner's bid for the state Board of Equalization.
Runner, R-Antelope Valley, included Durfor on a list of his endorsees Thursday, along with that of former Butte County Sheriff Perry Reniff and interim Oroville police chief.
The state Board of Equalization oversees state tax policy and is headed by the state controller, currently Democrat John Chiang. Runner is running in the June 8 primary against former Assemblymembers Alan Nakanishi, R-Lodi, and Barbara Alby, R-Fair Oaks, for the Republican nomination.
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The California Rifle and Pistol Association has named state Sen. Sam Aanestad California Legislator of the Year for his votes in favor of gun rights. Aanestad, R-Penn Valley, received the honor over the weekend at the association's annual gala in Irvine.
CRPA Director John Fields said in a press release from Aanestad's office he couldn't think of anyone more deserving of the award. "He's a Senator who has consistently rolled up his sleeves and slugged it out in the trenches on behalf of all rifle and pistol enthusiasts in California," Fields said in the release.
Aanestad was singled out for getting passage last of year of his bill SB175, which clarified what activities gunsmiths can do, to help them remain part of the state's centralized list of exempt firearms licensees.
Termed out of the state Senate this year, Aanestad is seeking the Republican nomination for lieutenant governor.
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Assemblyman Ted Gaines, R-Roseville, is backing former Assemblyman Rick Keene's bid to win a state Senate seat this year.
Gaines, who served with Keene of Chico in the state Assembly before Keene was termed out, cited Keene's work on a worker's compensation reform bill as a reason for his endorsement.
Keene is vying with former Assemblyman Doug LaMalfa of Richvale for the GOP nomination for the 4th State Senate District seat in the June 8 primary.
