Wednesday, January 14, 2009

Californa News Roundup - January 14, 2009

Bills seek stronger liability shield for good Samaritans in California - Being a good Samaritan can land Californians in court – and cost them plenty, perhaps.

Crowd rallies to protect aid programs for California's 'working families' - Nearly 800 advocates for California's "working families" gathered in downtown Sacramento on Tuesday, and they had plenty to talk about.

California Assembly, Senate won't impose furloughs -The Assembly and Senate will not impose the mandatory furloughs required of most other state workers, but both legislative houses announced plans to cut spending Tuesday.

UC may admit 2,300 fewer freshmen -High school seniors hoping to attend the University of California next year could get more grim news by the end of today.

Florez backs felon in case before California gambling board - State Sen. Dean Florez is sticking up for a felon in the man's tussle with the state over his family's business – a Bay Area card room that has donated to the senator's political campaigns.

Dan Walters: Is Democratic tax-fee swap really legal? - One of the odder – and more interesting – aspects of the Capitol's budget stalemate has been a scheme by Democrats to increase revenue by billions of dollars without, or so they say, running afoul of the 31-year-old constitutional requirement that tax increases require two-thirds legislative votes.

Steinberg names full committee assignments - Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg named the full roster of committee members in all the upper house's committees on Tuesday.

Legislature announces 'share the pain' plan- Neither the Assembly nor the Senate is imposing the mandatory employee furloughs required of most other state workers, but both legislative houses announced plans to cut spending Tuesday.

Big labor backs overturn of Proposition 8- A coalition of labor unions announced Tuesday that it will file amicus briefs to urge the California Supreme Court to overturn Proposition 8, the 2008 ballot measure that banned gay marriage in the state.

Most targeted Republican gets tiniest office- Danny Gilmore was the only Republican to win a previously Democratic-held seat in the entire state Legislature in 2008.

Republicans shuffled on Calif. Senate committees - The state Senate leader is shuffling committee chairmanships and has removed a Republican who complained about lawmakers taking per diem payments during the budget crisis.

Calif. auditor to hold hearings on redistricting - California's state auditor will hold a series of public meetings starting Jan. 26 to get comments on regulations needed to implement Proposition 11, the redistricting reform measure approved by voters last November.

Daniel Weintraub: Suspend ballot-box budgeting measures - Anybody who watches the California Legislature up close probably understands the voters' impulse to pass measures tying the hands of lawmakers when it comes to managing the budget. When the Legislature's approval rating hovers around 15 percent, the public isn't going to trust the politicians to make important decisions.

Shared Sacrifice: CTA: Watchdogs for schools? Or... - As the largest dues-paying organization of public employees in the state, the California Teachers Association arguably is the most powerful of interests at the state Capitol. And it has become more powerful since the advent of legislative term limits.

Governor makes a grab for state school funds - Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, whose budget already makes dramatic cuts in education, is proposing to withhold billions of dollars from schools that were guaranteed by a measure approved by voters two decades ago.

Calif. health insurers must provide interpreters - Maribel Pantoja sat nervously on an examination table, awaiting word from her doctor about a painful wound on her left leg.

Cutting the school year is a bad idea -ONE OF THE LEAST promising proposals in Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's state budget is a plan to trim five days from the school year for grades K-12.

Green hypocrisy tarnishes Golden State - The anti-global-warming governor is backing away from regulations that stifle the economy. Even before Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, California staked its claim as an environmental darling. No regulation seemed beyond reach of the Golden State in search of a green legacy.

Californians more worried about their own budgets - Sacramento turmoil not big on public's radar. In insular Sacramento, where budget catastrophe is widely forecast, one might get the impression that what is so traumatic for 120 legislators and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is equally traumatic for 36 million other Californians.

Agriculture panel changes name, takes on wider role- Signaling that the Agriculture Committee will not be exclusively the domain of growers and food producers, new Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg on Tuesday gave the committee a new name, an expanded mission and a new chairman.

No Budget: Day 70 - It's been 70 days since the governor called the first special session of the Legislature to address the state's projected $42 billion budget shortfall.

State senator's bill calls for tax credits for homebuyers - California homebuyers would be eligible for a temporary tax credit of up to $10,000 under legislation introduced Tuesday by state Sen. Bob Dutton, R-Rancho Cucamonga.

Would-be California governors boot up for 2010 race - Silicon Valley rivals Meg Whitman and Steve Poizner have the personal fortunes to advertise their way to higher name recognition. Both are strangers to most Californians, and neither possesses the star power of the man whose job they covet, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Southern California officials draw up wish lists for federal stimulus money - Billions of dollars are sought for road and transportation projects, among others, to help jump-start the local economy. It is unclear how many jobs could be created. Los Angeles County supervisors urgently scrimmaged for federal stimulus money Tuesday, proposing $2.7 billion in projects they say would help jump-start the local economy.

There's no evidence Jessica's Law works, California officials say - A state board says tight residency limits on sex offenders have driven many to homelessness, which could propel them back into crime. The state spends $25 million housing some of the offenders. A state panel is urging the governor and legislators to change "Jessica's Law," saying its restrictions on where sex offenders can live are counterproductive and calling the nearly $25 million a year spent to house them a poor use of taxpayers' money.

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