On Dec. 22, Nick Garcia announced that Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata (D-Alameda) had appointed Sen. Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria) as chairman of the Senate Agricultural Committee.
In a statement, Maldonado said that he looks forward to "working on bipartisan solutions for the benefit of everyone whose livelihoods depend upon a robust agriculture industry here in California, including ranchers, farmers, and farm workers."