California voters say no to budget measures -- As expected, California voters were rejecting a package of ballot measures in Tuesday's special election that would reduce the state's projected budget deficit of $21.3 billion to something slightly less overwhelming: $15.4 billion, early returns showed. Matthew Yi, Wyatt Buchanan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 5/19/09

Strange Bedfellows -- "No on 1A" and XXX crowd share digs -- The hottest place to be on Special Election Night in California may have be the Sheraton Universal in Los Angeles, where the anti-tax "No on 1A" crowd celebrated victory -- and honey, it sounded like a wild evening. Carla Marinucci Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 5/19/09

California legislator calls for repeal of Defense of Marriage Act -- Sponsored by Equality California, the resolution was introduced by Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, D-Santa Monica. Congress passed the Defense of Marriage Act, or DOMA, in 1996. The act forbids federal recognition of same-couples. Nicole C. Brambila in the Desert Sun -- 5/19/09

Schwarzenegger's next stop? -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's absence today from the special election he called was one thing, but he also skipped out on his speech to the California Chamber of Commerce's annual Host Breakfast. -- Dan Smith SacBee Capitol Alert -- 5/19/09

News analysis: What next? -- The expected defeat of five measures on a special election ballot Tuesday symbolizes more than just the next phase in California’s titanic budget struggles. It arguably marks the end of an era in California politics – the Schwarzenegger era. Anthony York in Capitol Weekly -- 5/19/09

Big Five scheduled for Wednesday -- Election? What election? Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's office is steering today's attention to two things: auto emissions and budget negotiations. Kevin Yamamura SacBee Capitol Alert -- 5/19/09

Auto emissions deal a win for California -- The state is the model for a compromise with U.S. carmakers and the federal government to curb greenhouse gases. Jim Tankersley and Richard Simon in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/19/09

Southland median home price falls to $247,000 in April -- The price drop drives homes sales up. April sales are at record or near-record levels in foreclosure-heavy inland areas; higher-priced coastal areas are seeing record or near-record lows in sales. Peter Hong in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/19/09

Same-sex marriage for 2010 or 2012 ballot? -- Equality California, a leading gay rights group, is surveying its members to gauge whether they support putting gay marriage on a 2010 state ballot or waiting until 2012. Susan Ferriss SacBee Capitol Alert -- 5/19/09

Whitman: Sacramento 'the most inward looking place I've ever seen' -- Star Republican Meg Whitman, who is considering a run for governor in 2010, is the subject of an enthusiastic cover story in the latest issue of The Weekly Standard. Andrew McIntosh SacBee Capitol Alert -- 5/19/09

Schwarzenegger Puts Legacy on the Line With Budget Vote -- With 20 months left in office, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to leave behind a state that's governable. "I came in here to fix what is broken in California," he said in an interview. JIM CARLTON and STU WOO in the Wall Street Journal -- 5/19/09

California voters decide slate of budget propositions -- Election Day returns to California for the 12th time in seven years Tuesday with voters focused on a complex slate of budget measures intended to fill a widening state deficit. JUDY LIN AP -- 5/19/09

Campaigning for budget measures ends in a whimper -- Conceding that passage by angry voters seems unlikely, the governor makes a final pitch before leaving to join President Obama at a White House news conference. Michael Finnegan and Michael Rothfeld in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/19/09

Governor looks for tax measure support in Industry -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Monday visited Industry to take a few last-minute shots at the "spendaholics" in the state legislature as he stumped for his budget reform laws. Jennifer McLain in the San Gabriel Tribune -- 5/19/09

Lawmakers gear up for new fight over budget deficit -- Even as California voters decide the fate today of measures to help ease the state's fiscal mess, lawmakers are bracing for a new fight over billions in red ink that threatens public services. Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee -- 5/19/09

Budget Conference Committee to Convene -- A special two-house conference committee will begin meeting May 21 to stitch together a revised budget designed to erase a gap between spending commitments and revenues of at least $15.4 billion and as much as $21.3 billion, if several budget-related ballot measures fail in the May 19 special election. Greg Lucas California's capitol weblog -- 5/19/09

Contra Costa County expects 40 percent voter turnout -- About 40 percent of Contra Costa County's voters are expected to cast ballots in today's special election, a light turnout for a contest that will have a huge impact on California's fiscal future. And state turnout may be lower. Matthias Gafni in the Contra Costa Times -- 5/19/09

Poll shows 'no' votes lead among 5 of 6 propositions -- The polls open at 7 a.m. today as Californians — a few of them, at least -— vote on a series of measures that aim to fix some of the state’s multi-billion-dollar budget problems. Tony Biasotti in the Ventura Star -- 5/19/09

Propositions unlikely to be big draw at polls -- Today's special election will determine whether California's budget has a huge hole in it, or an even bigger one. John Marelius in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 5/19/09

Walters: Big costs loom for state beyond deficit -- When the governor and legislators talk about balancing the state budget, they're talking about closing the gap between revenues and required expenditures, either by increasing the former or reducing the latter. The task becomes more difficult by the minute. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 5/19/09

Governor to be in D.C. as state votes on measures -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will skip special-election day campaigning so he can be in Washington to join President Barack Obama when he announces new vehicle-emissions and fuel-efficiency standards. Samantha Young AP -- 5/19/09

Poizner, Campbell clash over ballot measures, budget remedies -- As two Republican gubernatorial candidates clashed over remedies to California's fiscal crisis Monday, former Rep. Tom Campbell called for a 15 percent salary "give-back" for all state employees and said he would impose furloughs as governor if public employee unions didn't agree to the cuts. Peter Hecht in the Sacramento Bee -- 5/19/09

Protesting future taxes in Ontario -- The big tea party at the Ontario Mills got off to a slow but enthusiastic start with about half a dozen die-hard tax protesters on the Mills side by the Olive Garden and another six or eight on the El Pollo Loco corner of Milliken. Wesley G. Hughes in the San Bernardino Sun -- 5/19/09

Pelosi Biographer: Why I Believe Her On the CIA and Waterboarding -- House Speaker Nancy Pelosi’s much-ridiculed explanation of her CIA briefings on waterboarding is entirely plausible. Marc Sandalow CalBuzz -- 5/19/09

U.S. keeps California waiting on plea for debt backstop -- The Obama administration seems in no rush to decide on California's request for a federal guarantee on billions in short-term borrowing the state must undertake this summer. Tom Petruno in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/19/09

With Jobs Scarce, Age Becomes an Issue -- Age discrimination in the workplace has long been a concern for the 55-and-older set. In this downturn, however, younger workers may have as much to fear as their more-mature colleagues. DANA MATTIOLI in the Wall Street Journal -- 5/19/09

Unions slow to agree to concessions with cash-strapped Sacramento County -- Sacramento County officials are hoping to extract more than $42 million in concessions from labor groups in an effort to shrink a projected $180 million general fund shortfall for the fiscal year starting July 1. Robert Lewis in the Sacramento Bee -- 5/19/09

Pacific Ethanol plants seek bankruptcy protection -- Pacific Ethanol Inc.'s dream of a West Coast biofuels empire has landed in bankruptcy court. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee -- 5/19/09

Labor unions find themselves card-checkmated -- Business groups have outmaneuvered workers groups, jeopardizing key components of a congressional proposal that has been unions' top priority. Labor supporters say their side has gotten disorganized. Tom Hamburger in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/19/09

Sign of optimism: Home prices rise -- The median home price in San Diego County rose slightly to $290,000 last month, MDA DataQuick reported yesterday, offering the latest indication that prices might have bottomed out. Roger Showley in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 5/19/09

Obama Avoids Test on Gays in Military -- The Obama administration has decided to accept an appeals-court ruling that could undermine the military's ban on service members found to be gay. JESS BRAVIN and LAURA MECKLER in the Wall Street Journal -- 5/19/09

Pool of teachers being depleted -- Even with thousands of teachers statewide facing layoffs, recruitment experts are warning of an impending teacher shortage. Chris Moran in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 5/19/09

Stanford iTunes U class at 1 million downloads -- Turns out applications aren't the only iPhone-related content flying off the shelves of Apple's iTunes store. Ryan Kim in the Wall Street Journal -- 5/19/09

English-only testing appeal back in court -- Lawyers returned to court Monday to try to compel California to test English learner students in their native language, rather than in English. Nanette Asimov in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 5/19/09

Vallejo school district to pay $25,000 to lesbian student over discrimination claims -- A lesbian student's complaint that teachers harassed her over her sexual orientation has led to a Vallejo school district agreement to pay her $25,000 and revamp anti-discrimination policies, it was announced Monday. Shauntel Lowe in the Contra Costa Times -- 5/19/09

Obama wants tougher tailpipe emissions law -- President Obama today will announce a national standard for tailpipe emissions patterned after California's pending rule requiring automakers to build more fuel-sipping vehicles and make drastic cuts in greenhouse gases, a senior administration official said Monday. Matthew Yi in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 5/19/09

Warming Skeptics Get Heard on the Hill -- After the decade they've had, Capitol Hill's climate-change skeptics might well feel like polar bears on a shrinking ice floe. David A. Fahrenthold in the Washington Post -- 5/19/09

Cost of Cigarette Litter May Fall on San Francisco’s Smokers -- In what he casts as an attack on litterbugs and nicotine addiction alike, Mayor Gavin Newsom wants to impose a fee on an age-old inhabitant of city streets: the cigarette butt. JESSE McKINLEY in the New York Times -- 5/19/09

U.S. to Expand Immigration Checks to All Local Jails -- The Obama administration is expanding a program initiated by President George W. Bush aimed at checking the immigration status of virtually every person booked into local jails. Spencer S. Hsu in the Washington Post -- 5/19/09

Authorities say Briant's captors have been illegal residents of SB County -- Two fugitives suspected of kidnapping Briant Rodriguez have been living in San Bernardino County illegally and are possibly hiding out in Mexico, investigators said Monday. Stacia Glenn in the San Bernardino Sun -- 5/19/09

Supreme Court upholds California medical pot law -- Justices turn down appeals from San Diego and San Bernardino counties seeking to throw out the state's 13-year-old medical marijuana law. David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times Bob Egelko in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 5/19/09

California top court revives class action against tobacco industry -- State Supreme Court's 4-3 decision involving a deceptive advertising case surprises those who thought Prop. 64 had essentially ended consumer lawsuits. Maura Dolan in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/19/09

Old rules for lighting up in Contra Costa may be up in smoke -- Apartment landlords would have to alert prospective tenants of which neighbors smoke and how they handle cigarette complaints under an updated secondhand smoking ordinance Contra Costa supervisors will discuss today. Matthias Gafni in the Contra Costa Times -- 5/19/09

Mosquitoes with West Nile found in Fresno Co. -- Insects are the first to carry the disease this year in county. Jim Guy in the Fresno Bee -- 5/19/09

Cigarette Design May Boost Risks -- It may be riskier to smoke cigarettes today than it was a few decades ago -- at least in the U.S. -- says new research that blames changes in cigarette design for fueling a certain type of lung cancer. AP -- 5/19/09

Sutter Health cuts 121 information technology jobs -- Citing the economic downturn, Sacramento-based Sutter Health said Monday that it has cut 121 information technology positions in its Rancho Cordova facility. Mark Glover in the Sacramento Bee -- 5/19/09

Orange County budget faces tough times, expenditures down $1 billion -- Get ready for the mother of all budget cycles, one that hasn’t been seen by insiders since the dark days of the 1994 Orange County bankruptcy. NORBERTO SANTANA JR. in the Orange County Register -- 5/19/09

LAPD improves its image -- Bratton hopes a new Harvard study, which he requested, will protect the department from deep cuts and end an 8-year-old federal consent decree. Joel Rubin in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/19/09

Lawsuit alleges L.A. County improperly withheld pay to reservists -- Deputy district attorney says the county counted weekends and holidays -- when he wouldn't normally be working -- against his 30-day allowance of paid military leave. Alexandra Zavis in the Los Angeles Times -- 5/19/09