Greene Applauded Upon His Return to Senate Floor

SACRAMENTO — State Sen. Bill Greene (D-Los Angeles) on Monday was given a standing ovation by his colleagues as he returned to the Senate floor for his first public appearance of the year in the Capitol.

After a two-month absence due to illness, Greene said the Lord urged him to resume his duties in the Capitol.

“I was almost gone, but the Father and I talked it over and He said: ‘Bill, go back and give them a little more hell,’ ” Greene declared in brief remarks to his colleagues.

Greene also said, “I’m not 100% yet, but I’m good enough to be here.”

Greene, whose 27th Senate District includes most of Compton, Huntington Park, Cudahy, Bell and South Gate, had missed each public session of the Senate since the chamber convened Jan. 7.

Last week, a Greene aide said that the veteran lawmaker has been suffering from pneumonia, the senator’s third major illness in the past two years.

In the summer of 1989, Greene, 59, acknowledged that he had an alcoholism problem and left Sacramento for treatment. Then in 1990, he suffered a heart attack.

Partly because of his health problems, Greene missed 58% of the Senate votes during the 1989-90 legislative session, according to Legi-Tech, a computerized information service.

Greene’s absences and missed votes have prompted speculation that the lawmaker would not run for reelection when his term ends next year. Greene was first elected to the Assembly in 1967 and moved up to the Senate in 1975.

Assemblywoman Teresa Hughes (D-Los Angeles) said last week that Greene had told her he probably would not seek reelection.

But on Monday, Greene refused to answer any questions about his political plans or his health. As he left the Senate chamber, Greene said: “I’m not making any public statements on anything.”