BAKERSFIELD, Calif. -- Republican state Sen. Roy Ashburn of Bakersfield said he is gay.

The conservative lawmaker came out Monday on KERN radio in Bakersfield, saying he felt compelled to address rumors that he had visited a gay nightclub near the Capitol before his arrest last week on suspicion of driving under the influence.

The 55-year-old father of four said he broke the law, putting people at risk, so he owes the public an explanation.

Ashburn has consistently voted against gay rights measures since he was elected to the state Assembly in 1996.

While talking to Inga Barks on KERN radio, Ashburn said his voting record reflects his constituency and not his personal life.

Ashburn also apologized to his constituents for the DUI and said he expects to suffer the consequences, as any citizen would.

Sen. Roy Ashburn's raw interview on Kern News Talk AM 1180
Interview Part - #1

Roy Ashburn Raw Interview (Part 1)

Interview Part - #2

Roy Ashburn Raw Interview (Part 2)

Ashburn was has been on personal leave in the senate since last week's arrest.

He is expected to return Monday.

The Sacramento County district attorney said Ashburn's blood-alcohol level was .14 percent when he was arrested on suspicion of drunken driving near the Capitol. The California Highway Patrol said the Bakersfield lawmaker was arrested early March 3, after he was spotted driving erratically. Ashburn was taken to the Sacramento County Jail, booked and then released.

A spokeswoman for the district attorney's office, Shelly Orio, said March 4, that a breath test showed Ashburn's blood alcohol level was .06 percent above the legal limit.

The lawmaker was a no-show on the Senate floor March 4.

The state-owned vehicle he was driving when he was arrested has been impounded at the Capitol, Senate sergeant-at-arms Tony Beard Jr. said.

The California Highway Patrol arrested Ashburn March 3, and he was booked just before 4 a.m.

Ashburn was stopped at L and 13th streets, right next to the Capitol building, at 2:10 a.m, the CHP told ABC23.

The officer conducted a field sobriety test and noticed that Ashburn had symptoms of intoxication, the CHP said.

The officer said that Ashburn was very cooperative.

Ashburn was arrested on charges of driving under the influence of alcohol and driving with a blood alcohol content of 0.08 or more.

He was released on a citation Wednesday morning and is due back in court in Sacramento on April 14.

The following is a statement from Senator Roy Ashburn:

“I am deeply sorry for my actions and offer no excuse for my poor judgment. I accept complete responsibility for my conduct and am prepared to accept the consequences for what I did.

I am also truly sorry for the impact this incident will have on those who support and trust me – my family, my constituents, my friends, and my colleagues in the Senate.”

The case will be submitted to the Sacramento district attorney's office, and the district attorney will decide whether or not to file charges.

On May 16, 2006, Ashburn announced a grant award of over $500,000 to the Bakersfield Police Department from the state Office of Traffic Safety for its DUI Enforcement and Awareness program.

The program was slated to begin Oct. 1, 2006 and operate through Dec. 31, 2008.

Ashburn represents the 18th Senate District, which spreads over Kern, Tulare, Inyo, and San Bernardino Counties.