Cameron Smyth is the newly elected State Assemblyman who succeeds outgoing Assemblyman Keith Richman in the 38th Assembly District, which covers all of Santa Clarita Valley and portions of Simi Valley, Los Angeles, Glendale and some northern communities of the San Fernando Valley. Twice elected to Santa Clarita city council and appointed mayor for two years, Smyth rode to higher aspirations easily this past election season.
Gossip around the city talked of how he would be a pussy-whipped freshman Republican who would follow marching orders in Sacramento while not doing much for the residents in his district. For the denizens of Santa Clarita at least, five days in Sacramento gave Smyth the time to introduce AB 47, "a blank slate aimed at fighting the proposed sand and gravel mine near Canyon Country," according to the Daily News.
The problem with the sand and gravel mine, according to the city of Santa Clarita, where Smyth was councilman and mayor, is the environmental and traffic impacts of 1,000 truck trips daily on the 14 freeway among other quality of life issues that could last 20 years, not to mention the pollution.
Republican or not, Smyth has taken his first step to being known in Sacramento with a bill that has environmental tones mixed in it. Will he keep it up or just fall back in line with his party?
