"Anti-Gay Lawmaker At Gay Club "," was the headline on Thursday morning CBS 13 Web site. As we have been told, State Sen. Roy Ashburn (R-Calif.) who has an antigay voting record was driving drunk, with an unidentified man, after leaving a gay club and was pulled over by the state highway patrol and charged with two misdemeanors: driving under the influence and driving with a blood alcohol level higher than .08% or higher. Shelly Orio, a spokeswoman for the Sacramento County District Attorney's Office, said the senator had a blood-alcohol level of 0.14 percent, well above the 0.08 percent legal limit.Ashburn, a Bakersfield Republican who represents California's 18th Senate Distric, missed work at the Capitol on Thursday, failed to vote on four bills.
According to Project Vote Smart, Ashburn's has repeated voted against gay rights legislation including no on recognizing out of state same-sex marriages, no on creating a state recognized Harvey Milk Day, and no on expanding anti-discrimination laws.
The manager of Faces, the gay club allegedly frequented by Ashburn did not confirm whether Ashburn was at the club that night.
Ashburn, who is married with four children, has not spoken publicly about the incident except to issue the following apology:"I am deeply sorry for my actions and offer no excuse for my poor judgment. I accept complete responsibility for my conduct and am prepared to accept the consequences for what I did. I am also truly sorry for the impact this incident will have on those who support and trust me - my family, my constituents, my friends, and my colleagues in the Senate."
* The Associated Press contributed to this report.