SACRAMENTO, Calif.

California senators too drunk to drive can turn to a 24-hour ride service funded by taxpayers, a local newspaper reports.

State records show that the California Senate hired in February two part-time employees whose duties include "ground transportation for Senate members." The employees are paid $2,532 per month, the Sacramento Bee reported (http://bit.ly/1PTPRBj) Friday.

The service comes after high-profile arrests of lawmakers on suspicion of drunken driving. Four lawmakers in the last five years have been accused of drunk driving, including three on streets around the Capitol.

The office of Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de Leon declined to discuss the details or rationale of the program.

"We're not going to provide comment, because it's a security issue," spokesman Anthony Reyes said.

The California Assembly also offers transportation services late at night, but not overnight.

One man who turned down the job told the newspaper that Senate officials approached him about working overnight to drive senators home upon request. One legislative chief of staff confirmed that the service is intended to prevent drunk driving by legislators.

www.sacbee.com

The Democrats are at it again, this time in their home base of California. Maybe Californians will realize they are getting screwed over by the Democrat's and stop voting for those clowns!

They won't discuss the issue because it's a 'security issue' ? LOL

So what happened to personal responsibility? These people are SO HAMMERED they can't call a cab? I think that's an alcohol problem, not a taxpayer problem.

I also noticed that there were TWO part time positions required for hauling these lushes around. There are so many of them that during the work day their own staff can't drive them home, or call them a cab or a commercial car service?

While I can appreciate the cost of about $60k a year is far less than the costs of a drunk driving accident, I've NEVER worked for anyone who made drivers available for me 24/7 so I can get falling off my a$$ drunk, and get home in style.

The obvious and only reason to have internally hired drivers, is to protect the politicians from having the rest of us KNOW that they got so plastered that they needed to call for transport.