Cancer Keeps Assemblyman Tucker Home

Assemblyman Curtis R. Tucker, who is receiving treatment for liver cancer, has missed the last four weeks of the legislative session, and his colleagues say they do not expect the veteran lawmaker to return to the Capitol until after the November general election.

Tucker, 70, could not be reached for comment Wednesday, but Paul Press, chief consultant to the Assembly Health Committee, which is chaired by Tucker, said the assemblyman is “not feeling well” because of chemotherapy treatment.

Press said he has been told that Tucker is “responding to treatment” for liver cancer. The legislator first disclosed that he had the disease in June after he was hospitalized for eight days because of chest pains and shortness of breath.

Tucker returned to the Capitol in late June just before the Assembly took its summer holiday. The Assembly chief clerk’s office said Tucker has been excused because of illness since lawmakers reconvened Aug. 1.

As a way to cheer up Tucker, Assemblyman Bruce Bronzan (D-Fresno) urged his colleagues Monday to sign the back of a photograph of a smiling Tucker. The inscription on the back of the photo, to be presented to Tucker, read: “Curtis--We Love You.”

Bronzan said Tucker’s family has sought to keep him quiet and undisturbed.

“He’s fighting and he’s maintaining a real good attitude,” said Bronzan, who sits on Tucker’s committee.

Inquiries to Tucker’s Capitol office about his condition and whereabouts were referred to his Inglewood office, where aides said they would attempt to contact the assemblyman and his family. Neither Tucker nor any member of his family returned calls, but in a telephone interview two weeks ago, Tucker expressed optimism that he would return to Sacramento before the session ends next Wednesday.

“I’m walking,” Tucker said then. “I’m doing everything I could be doing if I was back to work. I’m almost back to normal, but I’m not going to rush it. I’m not going to overdo it.” He said he planned to take it easy until the end of the year.

Tucker said that in his absence, colleagues would handle his legislation. He also discounted the importance of his presence on the floor of the Assembly during the hectic final days of the session.

“Almost all the bills at the end of the session are turkeys,” Tucker declared. “They are bills you couldn’t get out during the main session.”

Before he entered the hospital, Tucker won a landslide victory in the June Democratic primary in the 50th Assembly District, which includes Inglewood, El Segundo, Westchester, Lennox and parts of South Los Angeles. In the November general election, Tucker faces Republican Michael Davis.

Tucker is a loyal supporter of Assembly Speaker Willie Brown (D-San Francisco). In the Assembly, Democrats outnumber Republicans 44-36, and Tucker’s vote could be crucial if Brown’s leadership continues to be challenged by five dissident Democrats.

Brown on Wednesday voiced confidence that Tucker will be reelected and will return to Sacramento to be sworn in for an eighth term.

“He’ll be back in December, absolutely,” said Brown, who added that he had spoken to Tucker on Tuesday.

“He’s doing reasonably well. . . . He’s doing as well as you can,” Brown said.

In the interview earlier this month, Tucker declared that Brown and other Democratic lawmakers “know damn well (that) if they are in any kind of trouble, I’ll be there.”