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(Best tweet of the day) kyamamura: Looks like I'm going to miss this election; my wife Mackenzie & I welcomed our son Finnian Tysell Yamamura into the world today! Steve Poizner: I'll make sure state contractors don't hire illegal immigrants -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Steve Poizner said today in Upland that as governor he'll make sure state contractors and subcontractors aren't hiring illegal immigrants. Jack Chang SacBee Capitol Alert -- 6/2/10 Poizner blasts L.A. County officials for Arizona boycott vote -- Republican candidate for governor Steve Poizner blasted Los Angeles County officials Wednesday for voting to boycott the state of Arizona over its new crackdown on illegal immigration and pledged if elected to cut off state contracts with any company that cannot prove its workers are in this country legally. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/2/10 Fiorina fires off a new ad, Boxer bites back -- The primary election hasn’t happened yet, but U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer is starting to rise to some of the barbs leveled by the Republicans vying to challenge her in November. Josh Richman Political Blotter weblog -- 6/2/10 Labor group gearing up for early attacks on Whitman -- If Republican front-runner Meg Whitman holds onto her double-digit lead over Steve Poizner in next week's GOP gubernatorial primary election, she is widely expected to quickly pivot toward her next target: presumed Democratic nominee Jerry Brown. Steven Harmon in the Contra Costa Times -- 6/2/10 "The Worst Thing You Can Do Is Nothing" -- That's the stern message delivered today to the Legislature and Governor Schwarzenegger by the state's chief financial officer in hopes of avoiding a second straight year of too little cash to pay the bills. John Myers Capitol Notes weblog -- 6/2/10 Controller says state can pay bills through summer, warns of budget 'gimmicks' -- California is expected to be able to continue paying all its bills through the summer, relying on deferred payments and billions in internal borrowing, state Controller John Chiang said in a letter Wednesday to top lawmakers and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Shane Goldmacher in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/2/10 Lawmakers vote to raise kindergarten age -- Youngsters would have to turn 5 by Sept. 1 under the proposal, which would reduce the state’s kindergarten population by 100,000. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/2/10 California tries again for federal education money -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and California education leaders submitted an application Tuesday for the second round of a federal school-funding competition, hoping to capture as much as $700 million for the state's troubled public school system. JUDY LIN AP -- 6/2/10 Who's paying your legislators' way to Sacramento? Likely a business group -- A study released today, however, shows that business groups are the ones dominating political donations in California -- a staggering 40 percent of lamakers' campaign money came from business and trade associations over the past three years, according to the nonpartisan, nonprofit Maplight.org. Marisa Lagos in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/2/10 San Manuel Band-backed IE spends $185,000 for Alby -- An independent expenditure campaign financed by the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians has been spending big on behalf of Barbara Alby, a Republican candidate for the Board of Equalization (BOE). Some of that money is paying a robocall recorded by Alby’s former boss at the BOE, Bill Leonard. Malcolm Maclachlan in Capitol Weekly -- 6/2/10 DA candidate works around sign size woes -- And the award for most creative candidate goes to … drum roll please … District Attorney candidate Mark Peterson! Lisa Vorderbrueggen Political Blotter weblog -- 6/2/10 Afghan withdrawal date: Boxer yes, Feinstein no -- Most of the time, Barbara Boxer and Dianne Feinstein support President Obama from somewhat different directions -- Boxer on Obama's left, Feinstein perhaps slightly to his right. Every once in awhile, California's Democratic senators disagree, and the results can be illuminating. Bob Egelko Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 6/2/10 Boxer casts early primary vote in Riverside -- U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer was in Riverside Wednesday, where she cast an early vote in next week's primary election. Boxer, D-Calif, faces only nominal opposition in her bid for a fourth term as California's junior senator. David Olson in the Riverside Press -- 6/2/10 Pension placement agent bill fails to pass in Assembly -- A bill to clamp down on pension fund placement agents failed to get the required votes in the Assembly today, although the bill's author remained confident that the legislation will ultimately pass. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/2/10 Parole vigilance could have saved teens, report says -- San Diego County teenagers Chelsea King and Amber Dubois would probably be alive today if the state prisons agency had not repeatedly fumbled opportunities to put a convicted child molester back behind bars for violating parole, California’s inspector general concludes in a new report today. Michael Gardner in the San Diego Union-Trib Tony Perry in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/2/10 Balls fly as Schwarzenegger, others roast Steinberg -- The ballroom at the Radisson Sacramento was filled with raucous laughter -- and raunchy jokes -- as lawmakers and politicos gathered Tuesday night to roast Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg. Torey Van Oot SacBee Capitol Alert -- 6/2/10 State bill targets foreclosures -- A bill that would help homeowners avoid foreclosure while seeking a loan modification is scheduled to be heard on the state Senate floor this week, but it faces an uncertain future with opponents arguing it adds hurdles to an already-complex process and duplicates existing guidelines. Sue McAllister in the Contra Costa Times -- 6/2/10 Union Givebacks Could Restore BART, Muni Cuts -- The Municipal Transportation Agency plans to gradually roll back this year’s budget cuts by July 2011, and BART is still contemplating how it should use an unexpected operating budget surplus of $18.4 million. Erin Dage Bay Citizen -- 6/2/10 LAPD officers accused of clashing with bicyclists relieved of field duty during probe -- Police launched an internal investigation into the Friday night episode after a video circulated that appeared to show an officer kicking at a passing bicyclist during a protest ride against BP's role in the Gulf of Mexico oil spill, said Cmdr. Andrew Smith. Kate Linthicum in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/2/10 Bill targeting repeat DUI offenders passes Assembly -- AB 1601 would allow judges to revoke the license, for up to a decade, of anyone convicted of three or more DUIs in a 10-year span. Torey Van Oot SacBee Capitol Alert -- 6/2/10 Maria Shriver to honor Oprah, Sandra Day O'Connor with award -- Talk show titan Oprah Winfrey and retired Supreme Court Justice Sandra Day O'Connor will be honored with first lady Maria Shriver's Minerva Award. Torey Van Oot SacBee Capitol Alert -- 6/2/10 52 menus for eating fresh and local every week -- Joanne Neft has been eating local since before it was hip. As founder of the Placer County farmers market, it was just what she did. Daniel Weintraub HealthyCal.org -- 6/2/10 Fox: The Lure of Marijuana -- One question that jumped to mind in reading the latest two major independent polls was why the attention on the November marijuana initiative? Joel Fox Fox & Hounds weblog -- 6/2/10 Cruickshank: Assessing the USC/LA Times Poll -- But here's where drilling down into the poll numbers starts to pay off. 54% of voters want a US Senator who will support Obama, whereas only 35% want a Senator who will oppose him. DTS voters are +27 when it comes to "Senator who supports Obama." Robert Cruickshank (Calitics) Cal Progress Report -- 6/2/10
GOP candidate Tom Campbell pulls TV ads for U.S. Senate race in California -- The former congressman will rely on Internet appeals and phone calls as his chief rival, Carly Fiorina, shoots ahead in what once was a close contest to replace Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer. Maeve Reston in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/2/10 Campbell seeking crunch time TV money -- Senate hopeful Tom Campbell won’t be making his closing case to California GOP voters on television unless his campaign can find the money to go back up on the air. Dena Bunis in the Orange County Register -- 6/2/10 Steve Poizner fires up the base -- How did Poizner feel about an Assembly bill prohibiting people from carrying unloaded handguns in public? He said he was against it, adding, "People have the right to own and bear arms and I will fight for people's right to do that." He added that he would repeal AB 962, which would, among other things, require people buying ammunition be fingerprinted. Jack Chang SacBee Capitol Alert -- 6/2/10 Way down in the polls, Poizner and Campbell come out swinging -- Down dramatically in the polls with less than a week before Election Day, U.S. Senate hopeful Tom Campbell and gubernatorial candidate Steve Poizner are trying to reverse the strong tides pushing against them. Ken McLaughlin and Mike Zapler in the San Jose Mercury -- 6/2/10 Hahn turns to father as Newsom touts enviro record in TV spots -- Lieutenant governor hopefuls Janice Hahn and Gavin Newsom are bringing their SoCal vs. NorCal battle for the Democratic nomination for the post to the airwaves. Torey Van Oot SacBee Capitol Alert -- 6/2/10 Nurses protest Whitman in California governor campaign -- After spending more than $80 million and building a major lead in public opinion polls, Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman may finally have met her match Tuesday in the parking lot of the Asian Garden Mall. Jack Chang in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/2/10 Meg Whitman meets Queen Meg in Westminster -- "Take Back Sac" went mano a mano with "Meg for Queen" at high noon Tuesday, as about 50 protesters from the California Nurses Association and the California School Employees Association disrupted an outdoor rally by Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman. Jack Chang SacBee Capitol Alert -- 6/2/10 Protesters greet Whitman’s Little Saigon rally -- Republican governor candidate Meg Whitman made a play for the Little Saigon vote today, holding a Westminster rally that included speeches from two Vietnamese-American officials. But while the event attracted 200 to 300 supporters, Whitman also got a taste of what lies ahead if she beats Steve Poizner for the GOP nomination in the June 8 election. Martin Wisckol in the Orange County Register -- 6/2/10 California nurses target Whitman -- The California Nurses Association is launching an ad this week on Spanish-language radio featuring a clip from the commercial Meg Whitman’s campaign is running that touts her tough stance on illegal immigration and support from former Gov. Pete Wilson. JONATHAN MARTIN Politico -- 6/2/10 County parties raking in cash, including $55k from Lockyer -- It's still early, but according to last week's round of state campaign finance reports, dollars have already begun flowing by the thousands this year into county-level political parties around the state – organizations that, as we have discussed, are often used as conduits to route money into key races. Chase Davis California Watch -- 6/2/10 GOP Has Big Funding Edge in Race to Lead California -- California's presumptive Democratic nominee for governor, Jerry Brown, badly trails the leading Republican candidates on the fund-raising front. Oddly enough, though, he appears well-situated for the general election. STU WOO And JOHN R. EMSHWILLER in the Wall Street Journal -- 6/2/10 Walters: GOP women in California could have a breakout year -- The 1992 election became known as the "year of the woman" after female candidates won many California political offices, including both U.S. Senate seats. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/2/10 CalBuzz: Why Carly and eMeg Aren’t Like Thelma and Louise -- This just in – GOP admits women: Barring a political miracle, around 8:01 p.m. next Tuesday, Meg Whitman will be declared the California Republican party’s nominee for governor. Not long after, it appears today, Carly Fiorina will win the GOP slot in the Senate race against Barbara Boxer. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 6/2/10 Jerry Brown aims first volley at Meg Whitman -- Democrat's first online ad targets GOP frontrunner in governor's race as part of an effort to throw her off balance. Seema Mehta and Cathleen Decker in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/2/10 Lopez: Don't go looking for the truth in political advertising -- The positive messages are no more informative or less insulting than the negative ones. Steve Lopez in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/2/10 Prop. 16 fight highlights electric company's political power -- When it comes to political metaphors, “David vs. Goliath” doesn’t really serve to describe the power imbalance in the contest for Prop. 16, the public-energy initiative on the California ballot Tuesday. Lance Williams California Watch -- 6/2/10 Dan Schnur picked to head FPPC -- Dan Schnur, a veteran GOP political strategist who worked as communications director for John McCain’s 2000 presidential campaign and handled communications for former Gov. Pete Wilson, was appointed Tuesday as the new chairman of the Fair Political Practices Commission. The item is in Capitol Weekly Torey Van Oot SacBee Capitol Alert Anthony York in the Los Angeles Times Wyatt Buchanan Chronicle Politics Weblog Torey Van Oot in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/2/10 Gov. Schwarzenegger headlines roast of Senate Leader Darrell Steinberg -- Senate Leader Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) was the guest of honor -- make that the target -- at the 28th annual California Roast, but he wasn’t the only politician to come under fire in a raucous, ribald evening in Sacramento. John Howard in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/2/10 Democrats Hold Business-Backed Measures on Suspense File -- Most bills supported by the California Chamber of Commerce and other pro-business groups were held in the Senate and Assembly Appropriations committees during the recently completed suspense file process. Greg Lucas California's capitol weblog -- 6/2/10 Assembly passes ban on openly carrying handguns -- Lawmakers approved the bill as some gun rights activists celebrate their constitutional right to bear firearms by walking the streets with pistols strapped to their hips, like gunslingers from the Wild West. Should the bill become law, that practice would become a crime. Jack Dolan in the Los Angeles Times Marisa Lagos in the San Francisco Chronicle Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/2/10 Sac Metro Chamber opposes Proposition 16 -- The Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce has come out in opposition to Proposition 16, a measure that would require two-thirds voter approval to create or expand public utilities. Cathy Locke in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/2/10 Police unions give over $100,000 to Cooper's (Sacramento) sheriff campaign -- The race for Sacramento County sheriff has gone into high gear in the waning days of the campaign, with the two leading candidates releasing radio ads, flooding mailboxes with fliers and spending nearly $500,000 between them. Sam Stanton in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/2/10 Clint Reilly: The Death of Newspapers? -- A recent Atlantic Monthly article by James Fallows titled, “How to Save the News” offers a fascinating glimpse into the future of an industry currently beset by technological upheaval and rapidly evolving information consumption patterns. Clint Reilly Cal Progress Report -- 6/2/10
Senate passes bill aimed at curbing pension abuses -- California lawmakers moved Tuesday to address controversy over cases of pension-spiking and double-dipping in which workers retire from one state job on a Friday and start another state job the next Monday. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/2/10 As HP downsizes in capital, will tech startups create new jobs? -- The big layoff announced Tuesday by Hewlett-Packard Co. shows that Sacramento and other communities can no longer rely on mainstay technology firms to create new jobs. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/2/10 Sebastopol avoids budget anguish facing other cities -- Sebastopol has avoided the problems plaguing most cities and is projecting a balanced budget for this next fiscal year. BOB NORBERG in the Santa Rosa Press -- 6/2/10 Goldman silence on SEC probe irks CalPERS -- Goldman Sachs Group, already facing a big Securities and Exchange Commission lawsuit, may be in hot water with CalPERS. Dale Kasler in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/2/10 Steve Jobs: The idea for the iPad came before the iPhone -- The idea to ditch the keyboard for what Jobs calls a multi-touch display came about in the early 2000s, although the company was working on a telephone at the time, he said. That's when a prototype came to him that used the device's now-famous scrolling mechanism. Associated Press -- 6/2/10
California applies again for federal school-reform grant -- "Race to the Top" funds would help the state link teacher evaluations to student performance and better use data to improve teaching. Lack of union support could hurt the state's chances. Howard Blume in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/2/10 'Race to Top' fizzles out in Orange County -- One district in Orange County – Santa Ana Unified – will join the 300 others statewide in applying for the second phase of a federal Race to the Top Funds. FERMIN LEAL in the Orange County Register -- 6/2/10 Fensterwald: Schwarzenegger: We’re too big to ignore -- In their Race to the Top applications, some states have downplayed the lack of union support for their reforms. You have read deep into the applications to get the real numbers. Not California. John Fensterwald educatedguess.org -- 6/2/10 English as a second language program being trimmed -- But she won't be going to those classes in the near future because Modesto City Schools is cutting its funding of the program as it struggles with a $24 million budget shortfall. Rosalio Ahumada in the Modesto Bee -- 6/2/10 Cuts lead to smaller Fresno State freshman class -- This fall, Fresno State expects to enroll its smallest freshman class in years -- and anyone waiting in the wings is out of luck. Cyndee Fontana in the Fresno Bee -- 6/2/10
L.A. water rates could rise by 8% this year, DWP manager says -- Customers of the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power could see water rate hikes of up to 8% in the coming year, the utility’s top executive said Tuesday. David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/2/10 Do wet winters mean bad summer fire seasons in California? Not usually, according to history -- Regardless of how wet the winter, fire officials often broadcast the same warning as summer begins: "Prepare for a bad fire season." Paul Rogers in the San Jose Mercury -- 6/2/10 State poised to OK supertoxic pesticide -- The California Department of Pesticide Regulation has proposed registering methyl iodide as a pesticide in California to the dismay of scientists and environmental groups, who say it is so toxic that even chemists are reluctant to handle it. Peter Fimrite in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/2/10
State Senate passes GOP colleague's immigration resolution -- With bipartisan support, the California Senate approved a resolution today urging President Barack Obama and Congress to "exhibit responsible leadership by enacting comprehensive immigration reform." Susan Ferriss SacBee Capitol Alert -- 6/2/10 On a California ranch, signs of a slowdown in illegal immigration -- Stretches of California's border are relatively quiet, thanks to new barriers and stepped up efforts by the Border Patrol, but a California rancher is keeping his guard up. Richard Marosi in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/2/10 Man shot with Taser in fight at border dies -- A man who died after being shot with a Taser stun gun Friday night by federal border officers had lived in the U.S. for 27 years, had five children and worked in construction, his wife said. Leslie Berestein and Kristina Davis in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 6/2/10 L.A. County supervisors vote to boycott Arizona over immigration law -- After hours of emotionally charged debate Tuesday, the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors narrowly agreed to an economic boycott of Arizona over the state's passage of an immigration law that critics argue unfairly targets Latin Americans. Melissa Evans in the Long Beach Press Garrett Therolf in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/2/10
El Cerrito Man Beaten, Jailed in Israel, Wife Says -- An El Cerrito man aboard a ship headed for the Gaza Strip Monday was beaten to the point of hospitalization and is being detained in an Israeli prison for refusing to sign deportation orders, according to his wife. Richard Parks Bay Citizen -- 6/2/10 4 local pro-Palestine activists reported safe -- Four Bay Area activists aboard ships intercepted by Israeli commandos while trying to run a blockade of Gaza are healthy and should return home within a few days, the Israeli consul general in San Francisco said Tuesday. Israel was publicly silent on the condition of a fifth local activist, retired linguistics Professor Paul Larudee, 64. Justin Berton in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/2/10 Villaraigosa contacts ethics officials for possible review after accepting free tickets -- Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has "voluntarily initiated contact" with the city Ethics Commission and City Attorney for a possible review of the way the mayor accepted free tickets to dozens of sporting events, awards shows and concerts since 2005, a Villaraigosa spokeswoman said Tuesday. Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/2/10 State Senate passes grand jury measure for Trutanich -- State lawmakers moved Tuesday to vastly expand the powers of the Los Angeles city attorney by supporting a measure that would give him his own grand jury. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/2/10 Supreme Court backs off strict enforcement of Miranda rights -- Once a suspect has been informed of his rights, he has the duty to invoke them, the justices say. The decision reinstates a murder conviction based largely on a suspect's one-word answer to police. David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/2/10 Compton City Council votes to create new police department -- A split Compton City Council voted Tuesday night to reestablish the city’s police department, a decade after the force was disbanded amid high crime rates and political infighting between police commanders and city leaders. Robert Faturechi in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/2/10 State senate passes red light camera reform bill -- The state Senate gave its blessing Tuesday to a bill that would establish statewide standards for the installation and operation of traffic enforcement cameras. The item is in in the Oakland Tribune Jessica Bernstein-Wax in the San Jose Mercury -- 6/2/10 Justice Department 'totally unprepared' for WMD attack, report finds -- The department and most of its law enforcement components are not ready to ensure public safety in the aftermath of an attack on the U.S. using weapons of mass destruction, the inspector general reports. Ken Dilanian in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/2/10 Fresno Fair group seeks Palin -- The Big Fresno Fair's nonprofit fundraising arm is working to bring former vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin to this year's fair. But officials say they're unlikely to tell the public what the visit will cost. John Ellis in the Fresno Bee -- 6/2/10
Alabama congressman who opposed healthcare law loses gubernatorial primary -- A congressman seeking to become Alabama's first black governor lost to a white Democratic primary opponent who had garnered support from the state's four major black political groups. Phillip Rawls AP -- 6/2/10 |
