Gloria Romero Says Southern California Transportation Officials Richard Katz And Curt Pringle Are Breaking The Law

Gloria Romero says Richard Katz and Curt Pringle should quit one of their two transportation gigs.

Eastside state Sen. Gloria Romero, who wrote the law, says yes. The pair sits on two government boards -- at L.A.'s Metropolitan Transportation Authority and California's High Speed Rail Authority.

The senator sent a sober if not scathing letter to both (with a cc to Governor Arnold to boot) urging them to quit one of the boards.

Romero cites state law section 1099, which she writes "expressly prohibits public officials from holding incompatible offices." She continues:

"I authored the legislation which created this statute specifically to address the problems that arise when public officials maintain two positions that have inherent conflicts, attempting to, in essence, serve two masters."

She says the law states that two seats cannot be occupied if "there is a possibility of a significant clash of duties or loyalties between the offices" or if "[p]ublic policy considerations make it improper for one person to hold both offices."

Is that the case here?

Romero sure thinks so.

She tells Katz and Pringle to "resign one of these inherently incompatible offices."