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Whitman slams lawmakers for leaving during crisis -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman said Tuesday lawmakers shouldn't leave Sacramento and return to their districts for a break in the midst of a $19 billion budget crisis. JULIET WILLIAMS AP -- 6/29/10 Talks may pull water bond off Nov. ballot -- Negotiations are under way to possibly delay the $11 billion state water bond from November’s ballot to 2012, according to numerous Capitol sources. E.J. Schultz in the Fresno Bee -- 6/29/10 Schwarzenegger wants water bond off November ballot -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger Tuesday asked the Legislature to take the $11 billion water bond off the November ballot. Anthony York in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/29/10 Supreme Court upholds 'soft money' contribution limits -- The justices vote 6 to 3 to reject a Republican National Committee bid to challenge the McCain-Feingold Act, which curbed gifts to political parties. David G. Savage in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/29/10 Maldonado 'lonely' but doesn't mind walking alone -- It's lonely at the second-to-the-top. So said Lt. Gov. Abel Maldonado on Tuesday, discussing his first two months in office and his coming months on the campaign trail. Josh Richman in the Contra Costa Times -- 6/29/10 Party leaders trade barbs -- If you listen closely to California's two party leaders, you'd think voters will be choosing between a political dinosaur and a phony media creation come November. Steven Harmon in the Contra Costa Times -- 6/29/10 Two California party chairmen are verbally challenged -- There was little agreement today when John Burton, the state Democratic Party chairman, and Ron Nehring, his Republican counterpart, made a joint appearance at the Sacramento Press Club. Dan Walters SacBee Capitol Alert -- 6/29/10 Democrats hold slight edge in California races: poll -- California Democratic candidates for the Senate and governor hold a narrow edge over their Republican opponents as voters worry about the economy with four months to go until the November elections, a Reuters/Ipsos poll found on Tuesday. Alistair Bell Reuters -- 6/29/10 Fiorina sees wedge between Feinstein, Boxer -- And she also continued a tradition of past Boxer opponents – she talked about how great senior Sen. Dianne Feinstein is and attempted to drive a wedge between the two. By the way, Feinstein is Boxer’s campaign chairman. Dena Bunis in the Orange County Register -- 6/29/10 Whitman says Brown is a failure -- Republican gubernatorial candidate Meg Whitman told a small crowd at a motorcycle dealership in Roseville this morning that her opponent, Democratic nominee Jerry Brown, is a failed politician and that she is the candidate who could create jobs and make government more efficient and accommodating of business. David Siders in the Sacramento Bee Shane Goldmacher in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/29/10 Record 174 school districts on fiscally troubled list -- A record 174 of California's school districts have been identified as financially troubled by the state Department of Education, 38 percent more than appeared on a January list. Dan Walters SacBee Capitol Alert -- 6/29/10 Audits find $200,000 in government waste and fraud -- Investigations have turned up more than $200,000 in waste and fraud involving state employees and facilities, including $70,105 paid to an inspector in the Department of Industrial Relations while she did private work during her state work hours, the state auditor reported Monday. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times Dan Walters SacBee Capitol Alert John Myers Capitol Notes weblog -- 6/29/10 Cruickshank: Austerity versus Safety -- For three years now California has embraced austerity budgets. As a result, we have record unemployment, a persistent and deep budget deficit, and have been slashing vital public services that will take years to fix, and risk the creation of much deeper social and economic problems. On those merits alone, budget cuts have been proven a failure. Robert Cruickshank (Calitics) Cal Progress Report -- 6/29/10 Fox: A Lesson about a November Ballot Measure from the Current Budget Debate -- The battle is on over the state budget due July 1 and the fireworks could shed light on an initiative measure on the November ballot. Designated as Proposition 25, the measure would reduce the legislative vote requirement to pass a budget from two-thirds to a simple majority. Joel Fox Fox & Hounds weblog -- 6/29/10 The Uncounted 12K could determine Senate outcome -- Thousands of uncounted Riverside County ballots could determine the outcome in the squeaker of a Democratic primary in California's 40th Senate District. Jim Miller in the Riverside Press -- 6/29/10 Villaraigosa's acceptance of free tickets comes under state scrutiny -- The Fair Political Practices Commission has begun an investigation to determine whether Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, who has accepted thousands of dollars in free tickets to sporting events, awards shows and concerts, was engaging in his "ceremonial role or duty" when he accepted those gifts, officials said Tuesday. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/29/10 Chamber of Commerce says bill isn't right approach to combating slavery -- Business groups including the California Chamber of Commerce found themselves in the awkward position Tuesday of opposing state legislation aimed at combating slavery. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/29/10 Prop 13 Reform's New Approach -- In Lenny Goldberg's 30-year lobbying crusade to change Proposition 13, the 1978 initiative that rolled back property taxes in California, he's watched a sad dance of one-step-forward, two-steps-back. Meghan McCarty Bay Citizen -- 6/29/10 Feinstein grills Kagan on guns, abortion -- Following three consecutive intense grillings from her colleagues, Sen. Dianne Feinstein opened her questioning of Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan on Tuesday morning by letting the nominee know the California senator would be using a more supportive tone. Brian Rosenthal in the Orange County Register -- 6/29/10 Mayor Johnson still pushing his strong-mayor proposal for the November ballot -- Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson, soundly thrashed in his recent bid to seek language for a charter reform measure, said today he still has time to return the issue to the City Council in time to qualify a measure for the November ballot. Loretta Kalb in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/29/10 ICE agents raid manufacturer in Fullerton -- Agents from U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement raided a manufacturing plant Tuesday morning and took 43 people into custody, officials said. GREG HARDESTY and CINDY CARCAMO in the Orange County Register -- 6/29/10 California salivates as Obama administration offers $2.3 billion for high-speed rail -- The Obama administration will award $2.3 billion in high-speed rail money this year, a boost to California's dream of capturing annual funds to build a bullet-train project that critics say the state cannot afford. Mike Rosenberg in the Oakland Tribune -- 6/29/10 Tesla shares soar 40.5% to $23.89 on first day of trading -- On their first trading day, shares of Tesla Motor Co. rocketed $6.89, or 40.5%, to $23.89. The gain was all the more impressive because it came as the overall stock market plummeted. Tiffany Hsu in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/29/10 'Happy Cow' bill would require publicly funded commercials for California products to be made in state -- The state Legislature is weighing the measure introduced in response to a decision last year by the California Milk Advisory Board to shoot some commercials in New Zealand. Richard Verrier in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/29/10 Citing high black arrests, NAACP endorses pot legalization -- On Monday, the California State Conference of the NAACP announced its “unconditional endorsement” of a November initiative that would legalize the recreational use of marijuana. Malcolm Maclachlan in Capitol Weekly -- 6/29/10 Report: African-Americans disproportionately targeted for pot -- An analysis of arrest data in major California counties shows that African-Americans are far more likely to be booked for marijuuana possession - even though pot use is lower among blacks than whites. Peter Hecht in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/29/10
New campaign disclosure rules sought for budget season -- Lawmakers would have to immediately disclose money raised during peak legislative deadlines under a measure approved by the state Senate on Monday. Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/29/10 Catch 22: California Lawmakers to head home without budget deal -- With California set to begin a new fiscal year Thursday with no budget, the Legislature had to decide between taking a scheduled recess throughout July or staying in Sacramento and collecting per diem with no deal to vote on. Verdict? Pack your bags. Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/29/10 Walters: Fight over California's enterprise zones moves to new arena -- A few weeks ago, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa proudly announced that the city and the state had designated a 1,078-acre "enterprise zone" near Los Angeles International Airport. Dan Walters in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/29/10 Schwarzenegger stops by Steinberg’s office -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger made a rare trip upstairs in the Capitol on Monday afternoon, meeting with Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) three days before the new fiscal year begins. Shane Goldmacher in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/29/10 State bets against higher prices -- The gas-tax swap installed to help save the state budget in March will take effect Thursday, and probably no one will notice –– unless gas prices change. ERIC WOLFF in the North County Times -- 6/29/10 Whitman accused of faking anti-Brown screen shot in latest ad -- A humor blog's founder accused Meg Whitman’s campaign of faking a screen shot of its website to impugn rival Jerry Brown in Whitman’s newest television ad and demanded that the footage be excised from the video that is in heavy rotation on television stations across the state. Seema Mehta in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/29/10 CalBuzz: Wannabe Gov eMeg: No Truth, No Consequences -- Meg Whitman’s shape shifting versions of exactly what happened when she angrily forced a subordinate out of a conference room at eBay in 2007 reflects an increasingly clear and familiar pattern in her bid for governor: she just can’t keep her stories straight. Jerry Roberts and Phil Trounstine CalBuzz -- 6/29/10 Brown up for 10 debates, Whitman just one -- Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown today announced that he had accepted 10 invitations for town hall meetings and debates with his opponent, Republican Meg Whitman. Drew Joseph Chronicle Politics Weblog -- 6/29/10 NAACP signs onto pot legalization measure -- The state NAACP is expressing "unconditional support" for the November ballot measure to legalize marijuana, continuing proponents' framing of it as a civil rights issue. Josh Richman in the Contra Costa Times -- 6/29/10 Wyman concedes state Senate race -- The result hasn't been too much in doubt for days, but Phil Wyman on Monday finally conceded to Tim Thiesen in the GOP primary for the 16th state Senate district. EJ Schultz Fresno Bee News Blog -- 6/29/10 Ashburn ready to support gay rights -- Roy Ashburn had just spent the night in jail. Now he was cowering in the dark, wondering if his political career was over. E.J. Schultz in the Fresno Bee -- 6/29/10 State gun owner restrictions to be challenged -- California could end up facing a slew of challenges to gun control laws following Monday's Supreme Court ruling recognizing the second amendment as a fundamental right in state and local jurisdictions, experts say. TONY SAAVEDRA in the Orange County Register -- 6/29/10
East Bay retail sites attract buyers -- Some retail sites in the East Bay, many of them long empty, are starting to entice buyers and tenants — but the price has to be right. George Avalos in the Contra Costa Times -- 6/29/10 Fighting for Independence and Jobs -- John Sargent, 44, is a former Fairmont Hotel security guard, who stands an imposing 6-feet-2-inches tall. On a blazing hot day on the lawn near the steps of the state Capitol, he choked back tears. Katharine Mieszkowski Bay Citizen -- 6/29/10 Fewer jobs doesn't equal more crime -- Based on figures released last week in Crime in California 2009 report, state Attorney General Jerry Brown’s office found that virtually all manner of criminal offenses are in decline. Ryan Gabrielson California Watch -- 6/29/10 Thunder Valley Casino lauded by officials at hotel event -- As Thunder Valley Casino celebrated the completion of its new 300-room hotel, spa, pool and amphitheater at a ribbon-cutting event Monday, area leaders went "all in" voicing their support. Ed Fletcher in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/29/10 Two more California state unions reach tentative deals -- California's labor chain reaction continued Monday with the announcement that two more state employee unions have reached tentative labor agreements with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger. Jon Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee Judy Lin AP -- 6/29/10 A nonprofit takes over an iconic nature preserve from a cash-poor county Effie Yeaw enters new era -- The approach appears to be unique to Sacramento County, a spokeswoman for the California State Association of Counties said, adding that she is unaware of any other counties making similar moves. Robert Lewis in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/29/10 Electric car maker Tesla prices IPO at $17 a share -- Tesla Motors Inc., the Silicon Valley-based electric sports-car maker, got a warm welcome from investors in the company’s initial public stock offering late Monday. Tom Petruno in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/29/10
Higher ed lobbies gubernatorial candidates -- A higher education nonprofit organization, The Campaign for College Opportunity, is asking California’s 2010 gubernatorial candidates to sign a pledge of support for improved access to higher education and higher graduation rates. Lisa Vorderbrueggen Political Blotter weblog -- 6/29/10 Fensterwald: State declines leadership role in designing new standardized tests -- California will be a passenger, not a driver, among states moving forward with the next generation of standardized tests that will likely replace California Standards Tests and other states’ exams. John Fensterwald educatedguess.org -- 6/29/10 Could $416 million push school districts to reform by Friday? -- After months of budget cuts, layoffs and an embarrassing poor showing in the Obama administration's reform contest, California finally got a nearly $416 million break. Corey G. Johnson California Watch -- 6/29/10 Court backs UC law school's refusal to recognize Christian student group -- Public universities can refuse to recognize student groups that discriminate in their membership, the United States Supreme Court ruled Monday in a case between a University of California law school and a Christian student group that bars those who engage in "unrepentant homosexual conduct" or fail to sign a pledge of faith. John Simerman in the San Jose Mercury Erica Perez California Watch -- 6/29/10 Fresno State students build unmanned flying drones -- The 30-pound aircraft looks like an overgrown toy -- until Fresno State engineering students start describing the onboard sensors, video feed, high-power laser and more. Cyndee Fontana in the Fresno Bee -- 6/29/10
Cellphone industry attacks San Francisco's ruling on radiation -- San Francisco, a city that banned the plastic bag, now has waded into the muddy territory of cellphone radiation, setting off a call to arms in the $153 billion wireless industry. Cecilia Kang in the Washington Post -- 6/29/10 Assembly OKs expansion of carpool perk -- State lawmakers reached a major compromise Monday that would allow up to 40,000 solo drivers in electric and alternative fuel vehicles to use California's carpool lanes through 2015. Gary Richards in the Oakland Tribune -- 6/29/10 Carpool toll threatens popular practice -- Three days before their free ride to work was scheduled to end, casual carpoolers were unhappy but resigned about the new Bay Bridge carpool toll, hoping it wouldn't destroy a long-standing practice both drivers and riders said had benefited them greatly. Janis Mara in the Contra Costa Times -- 6/29/10
Senate passes bills to create high-risk pool -- The state Senate has passed legislation to create a high-risk insurance pool for people who have been denied private coverage because of previous medical conditions. Dan Weintraub HealthyCal.org -- 6/29/10 CA lawmakers OK bills to get $761M for health care -- The Legislature narrowly passed two bills Monday that will enable the state to obtain $761 million in federal subsidies to help thousands of uninsured Californians obtain health insurance, but the program will reach only a fraction of those who have been denied coverage. CATHY BUSSEWITZ AP -- 6/29/10 Pot Proposal Leaves Some Feeling Left Out -- Berkeley City Council members will consider new rules for medical marijuana Tuesday, but some cannabis activists are disappointed that some groups would get fewer benefits under the proposed regulations. Kate McLean Bay Citizen -- 6/29/10 Lazarus: Junk food and obesity: Taking a cue from tobacco control -- That means strict measures to reduce consumption of what's bad for us, and aggressive public education campaigns. David Lazarus in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/29/10
Calvert amendment would force offending firms to use E-Verify -- Companies found to have knowingly hired illegal immigrants would be required to use a computerized system to verify the worker and immigration status of all hires under an amendment penned by Inland Rep. Ken Calvert. Ben Goad in the Riverside Press -- 6/29/10 Obama still pressing immigration -- Even with Washington distracted by the oil spill, a change in generals in Afghanistan and a Supreme Court nomination, President Barack Obama and his congressional allies are stoking the immigration debate, ignoring signals that the issue is dead for the year. SCOTT WONG Politico -- 6/29/10 Orange County's take on tool to screen for illegal workers -- The U.S. Supreme Court announced Monday that it will hear a challenge to an Arizona law that cracks down on employers who knowingly hire people who are working in the country illegally. CINDY CARCAMO and BRITTANY LEVINE in the Orange County Register -- 6/29/10
CEO pay outpaces charity care spending at 11 nonprofit hospitals -- The chief executives of nonprofit hospitals in California earn an average of $732,000 per year and 16 of them pulled in more than a million dollars, according to a study by the trade publication Payers & Providers. Christina Jewett California Watch -- 6/29/10 Villaraigosa's acceptance of tickets raises political issues -- Can the mayor drive a hard bargain with entities like AEG, the Dodgers and the motion picture academy if he has also been the recipient of tickets? David Zahniser in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/29/10 California NAACP backing of pot legalization outrages minister -- The state chapter of the NAACP is endorsing a November ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana use – and Sacramento minister Ron Allen is furious. Peter Hecht in the Sacramento Bee -- 6/29/10 Sen. Arnold Schwarzenegger? From Illinois? Let's see what Oprah's up to first -- If it took a while to get used to seeing "Gov." before Arnold Schwarzenegger's name, imagine how weird this appellation would look: "Illinois Senator." Denis C. Theriault in the San Jose Mercury -- 6/29/10 Ex-Caltrans spokesman killed in head-on crash -- Jim Larson, 70, who worked for the agency for decades, came up with the “Avoid the Cone Zone” campaign, a public relations effort designed to enhance worker safety, said Gary Gallegos, former Caltrans district director who is the head of SANDAG, the regional planning agency. Debbi Baker in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 6/29/10 Assembly advances bill creating special Ronald Reagan day -- The state Assembly has approved a bill that would honor Ronald Reagan with a special day of recognition, but not before Democrats tried to score a few political points. AP -- 6/29/10 California lawmakers consider license plates that flash ads -- Electronic license plates may bring in advertising revenue and help make emergency alerts more effective, some officials suggest. Bob Pool in the Los Angeles Times -- 6/29/10
Saunders: The Disclose Act seeks to stifle -- Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives passed HR5175, also known as the Disclose Act, by a 219-206 vote. "Disclose," you see, is an acronym for "Democracy Is Strengthened by Casting Light on Spending in Elections." Debra J. Saunders in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 6/29/10 Supreme Court affirms fundamental right to bear arms -- The Second Amendment provides Americans a fundamental right to bear arms that cannot be violated by state and local governments, the Supreme Court ruled Monday in a long-sought victory for gun rights advocates. Robert Barnes and Dan Eggen in the Washington Post -- 6/29/10 Feinstein: Kagan 'unquestionably qualified' -- As the confirmation hearings for U.S. Supreme Court nominee Elena Kagan get under way in Washington, Republicans are questioning the current U.S. Solicitor General's resume. Ben Goad in the Riverside Press -- 6/29/10 Kagan may get confirmed, but Thurgood Marshall can forget it -- Oppo researchers digging into Elena Kagan's past didn't get the goods on the Supreme Court nominee -- but they did get the Thurgood. Dana Milbank in the Washington Post -- 6/29/10 |
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