Sometimes it pays to have a governor who was born in another country.
The Vienna Boys Choir is making a swing through the United States. That's Vienna as in Austria, from whence Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger emerged to make his fame and fortune.
Last night the choir was set to stop in Chico. Friday evening, the boys sing at the UC Davis Mondavi Center. Today, at Schwarzenegger's request, they perform free in the state Capitol rotunda from noon to 12:45 p.m.
Their repertoire ranges these days from Mozart to Talking Heads. Schwarzenegger's campaign theme song back in 2003 was Twisted Sister's "We're Not Gonna Take It." Think they can learn it by noon?
Meanwhile, Monday is the Secretary of State's deadline for changing measures on the June ballot. That means all of the many lawsuits over ballot arguments and proposition language have to be settled by then.
That includes Proposition 14, the open-primary measure that the Legislature placed on the ballot last year in return for Republican Sen. Abel Maldonado's "yes" vote on the budget.
The California School Employees Association has sued the Legislature because the union wants to change the ballot title and summary by striking language that says the measure "gives voters increased options" and "encourages increased participation."
Last week, Proposition 14's proponents learned that CSEA had presented the Legislative Counsel with a draft settlement agreement to change the language. They cried foul.
Tuesday, over the CSEA's objections, Sacramento Superior Court Judge Allen H. Sumner allowed lawyers for Maldonado and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to intervene in the case.
Another hearing is set today, and Sumner is expected to decide the case.
LEGISLATURE: Both the Assembly and the Senate have floor sessions today, and four Senate budget subcommittees work through the governor's budget proposals on K-12 education, transportation, mental health and state administration. All of the meetings start at 9:30 a.m. or after the session adjourns.
NEWS CONFERENCE: Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez, Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, representatives of California Forward and others announce "a major package of reforms" this morning. Click here to find Jim Sander's story on Capitol Alert about the proposals.
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