Speaker Fabian Núñez, Juan Arambula find common ground.

The best thing about the political spat between Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez and Assembly Member Juan Arambula , D-Fresno, is that it didn’t careen into an angry feud with no resolution possible. Instead, the Assembly leader and the Valley legislator found common ground that will benefit both lawmakers.

Núñez, who stripped Arambula of the chairmanship of a key Assembly committee for failing to back the state infrastructure bond package earlier this month, on Friday reinstated Arambula as chairman of the jobs and economic development committee.

Núñez made his point about party loyalty and Arambula made his point about the need for funding for a dam at Temperance Flat. It was time to patch things up and fortunately they did.

Núñez issued this statement: “Assembly Member Arambula and I have mutually agreed that he is the best qualified person to chair the Assembly Committee on Jobs, Economic Development and the Economy.”

Arambula was his usual gracious self: “My sense is that the speaker wants to include me in significant policy discussions and would like for me to play a role in helping him after the election.”

Núñez, a Los Angeles Democrat, found out how popular Arambula was after he punished him, which included banishing him to a tiny Capitol office. The speaker was quickly bombarded by complaints from the Valley, and the possibility of protests at his office from angry Arambula constituents. We urged a quick resolution before positions hardened, and talks soon began.

Arambula said Núñez offered to give him his larger office back. But he declined. Arambula said he didn’t want to inconvenience the current occupant, Assembly Member Sam Blakeslee, by making him move again.

That’s one reason Arambula has been effective in Sacramento. Some members can be bought off with fancy offices. But Arambula’s only goal is to represent the Valley the best way possible. It doesn’t take a big office. But it does take passion, commitment and persistence.

That’s Arambula, and that’s why the speaker had to give him his chairmanship back. Núñez wasn’t dealing with a typical politician. He was dealing with a statesman.