Santa Rosa state senator needs to step down for health reasons

You didn't have to be present for state Sen. Pat Wiggins' outburst during a legislative committee hearing last week to understand the seriousness of the problem.

Wiggins, 69, who has served the North Coast honorably for nearly 16 years - from Santa Rosa City Council member to state legislator - is not well. And it's time for her to step down.

Her manner during the Feb. 17 committee hearing in Sacramento is further evidence of an ongoing health concern that has limited Wiggins' ability to engage in public discussions and interact with her constituents, colleagues and the news media in any meaningful way.

For whatever reason, many in Sacramento have refused to address it directly or put a name to it. But it seems clear to us and to some who have gone through similar experiences with loved ones, the short-term memory loss, the disorientation, the inability to focus and, now, the disruptive behavior have all the appearances of dementia or something similar.

We wish we understood more of what was happening, but the senator, her staff and her colleagues have not been very forthcoming with the public.

After Wiggins' unfortunate outburst toward a Sacramento minister in 2008, an episode that appeared on YouTube, the response from her staff and legislative leaders was silence. The only tangible outcome was that some committee hearings in which Wiggins was involved were no longer televised.

Now comes the latest incident: During a hearing of the Joint Legislative Audit Committee, Wiggins blew up over an unfilled water container and reportedly made a threatening move toward state Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis.

As a result, the Sacramento wall of silence is up again, and a week later there is still no clear explanation for what happened or, more significantly, what will happen going forward.

It's time to end the charade.

There is no dishonor in having a health problem. What is shameful is how she is being sequestered, hushed-up and hidden by a protective staff and a complicit state Legislature that seems to be more concerned about Wiggins' votes than her health.

There's no question that if the Wiggins steps down now with 10 months to go in her term, the situation will get complicated. But it needs to happen.

Wiggins announced in August that she would not be seeking re-election. According to the secretary of state's office, if she steps down now, it's possible that a special election could be called to coincide with the state primary on June 8, avoiding the complications and cost of having a separate vote.

There are political concerns involved in losing Wiggins' vote over the next 10 months, but none are more important than the greater need to do what is best for the senator and for her constituents who are left to speculate about the extent to which the senator really understands how she is voting.

No more silence. No more denials. No more putting Wiggins in a position to make these kinds of outbursts, providing further evidence of a health issue that's beyond her control.

She deserves better.