OXNARD : Takasugi Defends Record in Office

Assemblyman Nao Takasugi (R-Oxnard) on Friday defended his legislative record in the wake of accusations by Dorothy Maron, a Democrat and former member of the Oxnard City Council who is seeking the 37th Assembly District seat, that he has little to show for his term in Sacramento.

“She doesn’t seem to have the foggiest idea about what goes on up in Sacramento,” Takasugi said. “All she has to do is look at my legislative record.”

Takasugi said he has earned a reputation for integrity among other lawmakers in the state Capitol and that he is considered a consensus-builder on bipartisan issues.

Maron made the charges Thursday while officially launching her bid to challenge incumbent Takasugi in the general election. She is running unopposed Tuesday in the Democratic primary.

Takasugi is running unopposed Tuesday in the Republican primary in the 37th District, which covers most of Thousand Oaks, Moorpark, Port Hueneme and Oxnard. He was elected to the Assembly in November, 1992.

“I had a heavy part in adopting six pieces of legislation,” he said in an interview Friday. “I helped reform workers’ compensation, and in my own bills I addressed crime issues, education issues and business recovery issues.

“I was also very instrumental, I feel, in helping to get last year’s budget out on time,” he added. “That was the first time in seven years that this was done.”