AU REVOIR, CHICAGO; HELLO, SACRAMENTO.

Byline: Richard Katz

I'm now back in the state Capitol after three days at the Democratic National Convention in Chicago. It has been an exhausting and exhilarating week so far. With hundreds of bills remaining for our consideration in the Assembly, it looks like we're in for a bumpy ride until Saturday's end of session.

But it was important for me personally and professionally to do both. I had to go and spend time with my friends and colleagues at the convention, speaking on behalf of other Democratic Assembly members who couldn't go, as well as participate as fully as possible in this last week of session.

I am actually looking forward, in a weird way, to the intense pace and all-night sessions.

I would not give up the experience of the convention for anything. One of the most significant aspects for me during the time I was in Chicago was the activity on the floor. It was amazing to me that there was such a melting pot of people.

There were national leaders of government sitting next to volunteers. Students cheering and chanting along with teachers. Construction workers chatting with U.S. senators. All of us mingling together, from all walks of life was, for me, distinctly representative of the Democratic Party.

During the course of the three days, I spoke to many people, some of them delegates from the San Fernando Valley.

Velma McClinton from Van Nuys experienced a similar feeling to mine on the floor of the convention.

``I've been to state conventions before but this is my first national one,'' she said. ``It's great to see and sit next to the people you phone-bank for and help get elected.''

Tal Finney, who lives in Chatsworth and is the California Democratic Party treasurer, also was at his first national convention.

``The convention has been terrific in its planning and execution,'' Finney said. ``It's been exciting and moving, especially Christopher Reeve's speech. This is a much more unified feeling behind this election than I've ever seen before. We have a singular purpose - to re-elect the president and the vice president.''

Throughout the time I was in Chicago, I kept running into Jennifer Stein, who at 18 was the youngest California delegate. Jennifer, who lives in Encino, is bright, compassionate, opinionated and certainly not bashful. I personally watched her elbow her way past older and taller people in order to meet CBS anchor Dan Rather.

Jennifer is the future of the Democratic Party. As I wind down my tenure as a member of the state Assembly, I look to Jennifer and others like her to take my place.

I believe she carries the passion that we saw all week at the convention - Hillary Clinton's passion about a united party, Christopher Reeve's passionate belief that family values is about valuing our families and the passion of Sarah and Jim Brady to keep guns away from our families.

This is who we are and this is what the convention was for me.

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Photo: KATZ