Fiedler Appointed to Lottery Commission

Gov. Pete Wilson on Friday announced the appointment of former U.S. Rep. Bobbi Fiedler to the state lottery commission in a move designed to strengthen the five-member oversight panel.

Fiedler’s appointment comes at a time when the California lottery is at a crossroads and the governor’s office is attempting to remake the commission into a more aggressive and active body.

In recent months, the commission, which sets policy for the lottery, has been accused by critics of rubber-stamping the wishes of former Director Sharon Sharp.

Sharp resigned last month after coming under fire for her handling of lucrative state contracts. At Sharp’s recommendation, the commission had awarded hundreds of millions of dollars in contracts without receiving competitive bids.

Fiedler, 56, a Northridge business consultant, said Friday her goal will be to “see that the lottery is managed as scrupulously as possible.”

She said that includes ensuring that the commission operates in the public interest and that qualified firms have the opportunity to bid for lottery contracts.

A conservative Republican who also serves on the city’s Community Redevelopment Agency, Fiedler replaces former lottery commission Chairman John Price, whose term expired in November. The governor is expected to make another appointment to fill the remaining vacancy on the commission in the next few weeks.

“When there is even the appearance of impropriety, it’s imperative to take whatever steps are necessary to correct that appearance,” said Dan Schnur, Wilson’s communications director.

Fiedler rose to prominence in San Fernando Valley politics in the late 1970s, when her stance against mandatory busing of students catapulted her to the Los Angeles Unified School District board. She served in the U.S. House of Representatives from 1981 to 1987 before running unsuccessfully for the Senate.