Sen. Roy Ashburn arrested on suspicion of drunk driving

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State Sen. Roy Ashburn (R-Bakersfield) was arrested early Wednesday morning on suspicion of drunk driving.

Ashburn was arrested just before 4 a.m. by California Highway Patrol officers in Sacramento, according to public records and law enforcement officials. The arrest was confirmed by Sacramento County sheriff’s spokeswoman Sharon Chow.

Online arrest records show Ashburn was arrested at 3:56 a.m. and released later in the morning. Ashburn was scheduled to appear Wednesday morning at a press conference advocating his bill to allow rural hospitals to directly employ physicians.

The press conference was canceled due to a ‘personal emergency,’ according to press conference organizers. Ashburn has served in the Legislature since 1996. He is barred by the state term limits law from seeking reelection this year.

An aide at his Capitol office said no one was immediately available for comment.

--John Howard and Anthony York in Sacramento