Archives - September '07

The AM Alert

Published 6:15 pm PDT Thursday, September 13, 2007

The California Clean Money Campaign will open an office in the friendly confines of San Francisco this weekend - and Mayor Gavin Newsom, U.S. Sen. Barbara Boxer, state Sen. Carole Migden and Assemblyman Mark Leno are among the invitees.

That's the same Migden and Leno busy raising gobs of money to square off in the 2008 Senate primary.

Both the Democratic and Republican presidential front-runners have activities in California this weekend.

Today, Democratic Sen. Hillary Clinton is in Los Angeles for a meeting with Earvin "Magic" Johnson and community leaders. GOPer Rudy Giuliani's campaign on Saturday organizes a volunteer effort to phonebank in the state, with volunteers based in his new Glendale office and in Contra Costa County.

Finally, Lt. Gov. John Garamendi ends a busy week in which he issued statements commemorating the Jewish High Holy Days, the Holy Month of Ramadan, the new millennium in Ethiopia, 9/11 and Grandparent's Day.

Today, the lieutenant governor, joined by Secretary of State Debra Bowen, will help unveil a commemorative stamp celebrating the Mendez v. Westminster court case, which Garamendi reports helped "ensured higher education remained affordable for students."...(more)

A message to Romero?

Published 2:20 pm PDT Friday, September 7, 2007

By Shane Goldmacher - Capitol Bureau
After a long and impassioned debate, the Assembly took up Sen. Gloria Romero's bill to create a sentencing commission this morning. Though the concept has the support of majority Democrats, the bill flopped, garnering only 28 yes votes - 13 shy of the 41 necessary for passage....(more)

Take Initiative America donor revealed as top Giuliani fundraiser

Published 5:58 pm PDT Friday, September 28, 2007

By Shane Goldmacher -- Capitol Alert
The mystery donor who funneled $175,000 to an initiative to reapportion California's electoral votes revealed himself Friday as Paul Singer, a billionaire hedge fund investor, who serves as a top fundraiser for Republican presidential frontrunner Rudy Giuliani....(more)

Four Californians make list of top 10 richest Americans

Published 10:22 am PDT Friday, September 21, 2007

By Shane Goldmacher -- Capitol Alert
They may have a way to go before topping Bill Gates and Warren Buffett, but four Californians rank among the seven richest Americans, according to the annual Forbes 400....(more)

Howard Jarvis group to oppose term limits

Published 10:37 am PDT Thursday, September 13, 2007

By Capitol Alert Staff
The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association announced today that the taxpayer organization will oppose the term limits measure on the February ballot backed by Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez....(more)

Web site launched to fight canal

Published 3:28 pm PDT Thursday, September 27, 2007

By Judy Lin - Capitol Alert
Former Assemblyman Joe Canciamilla,. who is running for state Senate in 2008, is forming an organization to fight the construction of a peripheral canal at www.StopTheCanal.org. Calling it "manipulative and shortsighted," the Pittsburg Democrat says a new canal will only serve Southern California at the expense of the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta - the state's main waterway that provides fresh water to as many as two-thirds of its residents....(more)

Fun with YouTube: Migden and Schwarzenegger

Published 8:00 am PDT Thursday, September 20, 2007

By Shane Goldmacher -- Capitol Alert
So how was the news of Sen. Carole Migden getting her driver's license back relayed on television? Watch for yourself in the video below, from the newscast of the Sacramento CBS station, as posted on YouTube....(more)

FBI rumors nixed by Perata

Published 4:54 pm PDT Wednesday, September 12, 2007

By Shane Goldmacher Capitol Alert
With hundreds of lobbyists packing the halls in the last days of session, rumors can spread through the Capitol like wildfire.

And as session wound down, the rumor around the Capitol - that there was movement in the FBI investigation of Senate leader Don Perata - flared up again, so much so that Perata sent an e-mail to members of the Senate Democratic caucus to assure them that there was, in fact, no truth to the story....(more)

Steinberg To Leave Prop. 63 Commission

Published 12:41 pm PDT Wednesday, September 19, 2007

By Judy Lin - Capitol Alert
Sen. Darrell Steinberg, one of the the authors of Proposition 63, has announced he will step down as chair of the commission that oversees spending the mental health funds raised by the measure....(more)

Redistricting reform dies

Published 4:54 pm PDT Tuesday, September 11, 2007

By Capitol Alert Staff
The Legislature's two top leaders gave up Tuesday on trying to place reform of legislative and congressional redistricting on the same Feb. 5 ballot with an overhaul of legislative term limits - which may make the latter more difficult to enact....(more)

Wilson for Giuliani

Published 9:44 am PDT Wednesday, September 26, 2007

By Shane Goldmacher - Capitol Alert
GOP presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani will receive the endorsement of former California Gov. Pete Wilson this Thursday, the AP is reporting, citing sources....(more)

Dymally goes his own way -- for Clinton

Published 3:07 pm PDT Tuesday, September 18, 2007

By Peter Hecht - Capitol Alert
When the California Legislative Black Caucus endorsed Illinois Sen. Barack Obama for president last Thursday, state Assembly Majority Leader Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles, declared that "it is imperative that we choose the candidate who is committed to addressing the disparity gaps that exist in our community."...(more)

Governor decries CCPOA pay hike

Published 12:08 pm PDT Tuesday, September 11, 2007

By Shane Goldmacher -- Capitol Alert
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has issued a statement criticizing the state's correctional officers' union efforts to get a pay raise pushed through the Legislature on the final day of session....(more)

Schwarzenegger signs San Manuel compact

Published 5:50 pm PDT Tuesday, September 25, 2007

By Shane Goldmacher - Capitol Alert
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation on Tuesday ratifying the compact he negotiated with the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians....(more)

Updates to the blogosphere: Mike Madrid, Fresno Bee and Matt Rexroad

Published 10:03 am PDT Tuesday, September 18, 2007

By Shane Goldmacher -- Capitol Alert
The California political blogosphere is a constantly evolving entity, with new contributors and new blogs popping up at a steady clip.

One notable new blog is from Mike Madrid, former political director for the California Republican Party and now with the California League of Cities....(more)

And the caption content winner is....

Published 4:39 pm PDT Monday, September 24, 2007

By Shane Goldmacher -- Capitol Alert
We should have known that putting President Bill Clinton, of Monica Lewinsky fame, and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, of Pumping Iron and Gigi Goyette fame, in the same picture would result in some adult-only captions.
...(more)

New Senate Office of Research director named

Published 12:20 pm PDT Monday, September 17, 2007

By Shane Goldmacher -- Capitol Alert
The Senate Office of Research has a new director as of Monday. Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata announced the elevation of former deputy director Agnes Lee, who replaces Don Moulds, who quit to take a job in the private sector, according to Perata's office....(more)

GOP Opposes Term Limits Initiative

Published 1:45 pm PDT Monday, September 10, 2007

By Capitol Alert Staff
The Republican Party has voted to oppose a term limits imitative backed by the Legislature's Democratic leaders, Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata and Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez....(more)

California judiciary releases annual report

Published 1:11 pm PDT Monday, September 24, 2007

By Shane Goldmacher - Capitol Alert
The Judicial Council of California has released its annual report on the goings-on in the judicial branch in 2006. Read the upbeat document in its 40-page entirety here....(more)

Villines names his working groups

Published 3:25 pm PDT Friday, September 14, 2007

By Shane Goldmacher - Capitol Alert
One day after the speaker named working groups to study the water and health issues, Assembly Republican leader Mike Villines has done the same. Overall, almost two-thirds of the GOP caucus is in one of the two working groups....(more)

Governor to veto health bill; call special session

Published 10:58 am PDT Monday, September 10, 2007

By Capitol Alert Staff
The Legislature's dominant Democrats vowed today to put their health insurance bill on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk today, even though he has said he'll veto it and indicated that he'll call the Legislature back to Sacramento after this week's adjournment to deal with the issue, and perhaps some others....(more)

Laird talks water in Q&A

Published 12:43 pm PDT Friday, September 21, 2007

By Shane Goldmacher -- Capitol Alert
"Some people hold their position in water as a religious belief," said John Laird, the Assembly Democrats' lead water negotiator in the Legislature's special session. "There is not an ability to worship at somebody else's altar."

The Santa Cruz Democrat spoke with Capitol Alert this week about the special session, the sticking points on dams and a canal and the chances for a deal. In order to strike a compromise, he said all parties involved will have to give up something - and floated the idea of postponing any decision on a canal until after a water storage bond deal is crafted....(more)

Schwarzenegger: Six bills signed

Published 7:47 pm PDT Friday, September 21, 2007

By Shane Goldmacher -- Capitol Alert
It's bill-signing time. And as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announces his decisions on legislation, we will post a list of bills signed -- and vetoed -- on Capitol Alert....(more)

Media Weather: Ousters draw media attention

Published 5:21 am PDT Friday, September 14, 2007

The ouster of two officials is generating the most political media attention today.

Well-known liberal legal scholar Erwin Chemerinsky was hired to be the founding dean of UC Irvine's new law school and then abruptly fired by UC Irvine's chancellor, touching off a furor in legal, academic and political circles and a spate of articles, editorials and other commentary, including pieces by two protagonists in the Los Angeles Times.

Meanwhile, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration asked a fish and game commissioner, R. Judd Hanna, to step down after Republican legislators and others complained about his opposition to lead bullets in hunting.

Most of the other political media coverage in the state deals with the aftermath of the just-concluded legislative session....(more)

Steinberg appointed chair emeritus of Prop.63 commission

Published 11:19 am PDT Friday, September 28, 2007

By Judy Lin -- Capitol Alert
Sen. Darrell Steinberg won't be voting anymore as a commissioner of a state mental health commission but he'll still have a seat at the table.

The Sacramento Democrat stepped down Friday as chair of the Mental Health Services Oversight and Accountability Commission, but was given the title of chair emeritus. Steinberg was a co-author of Proposition 63, which established the commission to spend mental health money from a 1 percent tax on Californians earning over $1 million. He said it was time to focus on his Senate job after two and a half years on the commission....(more)

The AM Alert

Published 6:35 pm PDT Thursday, September 20, 2007

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will continue his public appearances with a luncheon speech at the Republican Western States Leadership Conference in San Diego. Before that, Schwarzenegger is scheduled to stop at Sony Pictures Studios to promote the company's new "green" sound stage.

This Saturday, summer officially turns to fall, though Sacramento temperatures have already turned south.

On the first day of autumn, Rep. Laura Richardson will host a swearing-in ceremony for her congressional seat in Los Angeles. Richardson holds the distinction of going from a local elected (Long Beach city council) to state elected (assemblywoman) to federal official (congresswoman) in less than a year.

The race to replace her has already started, with the special election primary set for Dec. 11. If no candidate wins a majority of the votes, the run-off is scheduled to be consolidated with the Feb. 5 ballot.

Organized labor, which helped propel Richardson into the House of Representatives, is circulating a poll showing Mike Gipson, the favored candidate of the California Legislative Black Caucus, leading Warren Furutani, the 2006 primary challenger to Richardson, 27 percent to 14 percent. The poll was paid for by the United Long-Term Care Workers' Union.

Furutani is backed by Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez, on whose staff he has served....(more)

AM Alert

Published 5:50 am PDT Thursday, September 13, 2007

At a signing ceremony in Redwood City, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will sign Sen. Joe Simitian's bill to ban teens from using cell phones and other electronic devices while driving.

The California Air Resources Board staff will meet today to discuss standards for low-carbon fuels, part of the mix for meeting greenhouse-gas emission targets set in AB 32.

And the governor, who has touted a low-carbon fuel standard, must decide what to do with Senate Bill 210, authored by Sen. Christine Kehoe, which would put a low-carbon standard into state law.

Democrats continue to use the proposed initiative to shift California’s Electoral College votes from winner-take-all system to mobilize its base. Today, Party Chair Art Torres hosts a teleconference outlining party strategy to block the measure.

Finally, the State Lands Commission meets in Oakland to consider terminating a lease allowing the South Bay Yacht Club to moor boats on the Guadalupe River in Santa Clara County.

Where is Dick Ackerman when you need him?...(more)

New GOP platform?

Published 10:04 am PDT Thursday, September 6, 2007

By Kevin Yamamura -- Capitol Alert
Heading into this weekend's California Republican Party convention, the state's top four Republican leaders, including Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, are circulating a letter asking delegates to support a slimmed down version of a new party platform limited to one or two pages....(more)

Assembly Dems announce water 'principles'

Published 10:06 am PDT Thursday, September 27, 2007

By Shane Goldmacher - Capitol Alert
The Assembly Democrats unveiled three water bills for the special session, AB 2X 1, AB 2X 2 and AB 2X 3 on Thursday morning, though the legislation does not have any specifics of how big a potential water bond should be, what exactly should be in it and when it should go on the ballot....(more)