Proud, powerful liberal who shaped politics in California for decades

John L. Burton, the proudly liberal and pro-labor lawmaker who shaped California politics and policy over six decades on topics as varied as welfare, foster care, auto emissions, guns and foie gras, has died. He was 92.

- DAN MORAIN

'A CHAMPION FOR THE POOR, THE BULLIED' John Burton, shown on his retirement day in 2004, shaped policy on many issues during his long career.

With his brother, Rep. Phillip Burton, and college buddy, former San Francisco Mayor Willie Brown, Burton was integral to the organization that dominated Democratic politics in San Francisco and the state starting in the 1960s.

Burton was elected to the Assembly in 1964 and Congress a decade later. Laid low by cocaine addiction, he did not seek reelection in 1982. But he returned to Sacramento after getting clean and became the Capitol’s most powerful legislator as Senate president pro tem from 1998 until term limits forced him to retire in 2004.

“I think government's there to help the people who can’t help themselves. And there’s a lot of people that can’t help themselves,” Burton said, describing his view of a politician's job in an oral history interview by the nonprofit Open California.

Burton's death was confirmed in a statement released by his family Sunday.

“He cared a lot,” said Kimiko Burton, his daughter. “He always instilled in me that we fight for the underdog. There are literally millions of people whose lives he helped over the years who have no idea who he is.”

California Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday praised Burton as a "champion for the poor, the bullied, the disabled, and forgotten Californians." "John devoted his life to public service with a candor, passion, and determination that were simply unmatched," Newsom said in a statement. "He breathed life into our democracy, built institutions that endure to this day, and never wavered in his fight for working people." An L.A. Times writer described Brown, always dapper and cool, as a piece of living art. In contrast, Burton was performance art-rumpled, often rude, too fidgety to sit in long policy meetings.

Some people sprinkle conversation with profanities.