Hill’s No-Fault Vote Cost $3,600--But It Isn’t Worth Two Cents

How much is one vote worth at the state Capitol?

In the case of Assemblyman Frank Hill (R-Whittier) on Wednesday, the answer was more than $3,600.

That’s how much one Democratic assemblymen paid to rent a private plane so that Hill could show up to vote at the state Capitol on a controversial no-fault auto insurance measure.

At the expense of Assemblyman Patrick Johnston of Stockton, Hill was whisked Wednesday morning from an El Monte airport in a twin-turboprop plane to a landing strip 30 miles east of Sacramento--a location selected to avoid the low-lying winter fog. Once on the ground, Hill was greeted by a legislative sergeant-at-arms, who promptly drove him to an Assembly committee meeting to cast a vote for Johnston’s no-fault bill.

Hill quickly left the room, was driven back to the foothill airstrip and hopped the plane back to Southern California, where he is running to fill a vacancy in the 31st Senate district, which covers portions of Orange County. Then, Hill delivered a noontime speech, got on a commercial airplane and once again flew to Sacramento late Wednesday afternoon.

Despite Hill’s extraordinary trip, Johnston’s no-fault insurance bill was defeated by one vote.

Johnston said he decided to fly Hill up to Sacramento because a preliminary head count showed the vote on the bill would be close. Johnston said he wanted to make sure all his supporters--including Hill--were present.

The cost: $3,645, paid out of Johnston’s campaign fund.

“It was painful to expend the money, I assure you. But it was in the pursuit of a governmental purpose,” said Johnston.

Hill conceded that his morning flight on Wednesday was “unusual” but it was for a good cause.

“It was a big bill,” he said.