REEPS READY TO PLAY HOOKIE

SOME GOP LAWMAKERS TO SKIP TOWN FOR ST. PAUL

California is now 64 days without a budget, but Senator Abel Maldonado (R) Santa Maria is still planning to fly to Minnesota after the Senate ends its session tonight in Sacramento.  As we first reported last week, the McCain campaign asked Maldonado to deliver a nationwide television speech to the GOP convention on Wednesday,  September 3. You can see the speech on TV around 5:45pm California time Wednesday evening.

In an interview last week, Maldonado told me, “I plan on giving a good speech for Senator McCain. Obviously it’s important. It’s great to be able to go to a convention, number one and number two to be asked by obviously a nominee of a party.”

But in the tense political climate around the Capitol, critics charge that leaving Sacramento for a political convention simply reinforces the perception that politicians are more interested in advancing their own agendas ahead of the people they serve.

ONE ASSEMBLYMEMBER ALREADY THERE

I’ve been receiving good information from my sources in Minnesota that at least one Republican Assemblyman is already in St. Paul for the convention and I received confirmation today from the office of Assemblyman Van Tran (R) Costa Mesa. The Assembly has been in recess Monday and Tuesday, but Van Tran apparently plans to stay put for the final two days of the convention on Wednesday and Thursday.

Van Tran’s office sent me a written statement saying, “Serving as a delegate to the Republican National Convention is a responsibility I take seriously.”

But what about his responsibilities to reach a budget deal? Well in his written statement, Van Tran says, “I am following developments in Sacramento closely and trust in Republican Leader Mike Villines to negotiate a budget compromise that is fair for California…I am in regular contact with both the leader’s office and my office and am ready to return to Sacramento at any time.”

But now that California lawmakers have set the record for the latest date ever for a budget agreement, you can bet that Van Tran and other Republicans will be criticized for leaving town…just as Assembly Democrats Fabian Nunez of  Los Angeles, Lori Saldana of San Diego,  Dave Jones of Sacramento  and Budget Chair John Laird of Santa Cruz were blasted last week when they abandoned the Capitol and took off for Denver.

GOV MAKES NBA BET

Riding Kobe to Victory: Will the Lakers beat the Celtics in the NBA finals? Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger thinks so…in fact he’s betting on it. California’s Governor is making a friendly wager with his cross-country rival, Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts. Schwarzenegger is so confident that Kobe, Lamar and Luke will beat up the Celts, he’s expecting to receive 17 pounds of clam chowder from the Bay State, which he will then donate to a charity of his choosing.

But if the Lakers should lose, Schwarzenegger will provide a shipment of California-grown fruit, vegetables, nuts, cheese and wine to Governor Patrick’s favorite charity. 

“The Lakers in five.”  Aaron McLear told me today. But when I reminded Governor Schwarzenegger’s press secretary the Lakers are down 1-0 and would have to win four in a row for that to come true he replied, “Unlike John Kerry, I’m not gonna flip flop. When I make a prediction, I stick with it.”

Game two is Sunday night.

 

CA WANTS TO PROPOSITION YOU

FOUR MEASURES ON NOVEMBER BALLOT

Secretary of State Debra Bowen made it official today, announcing that at least four measures have now qualified for the November ballot. The newest one requires a waiting period and parental notification before an underage teenager can have an abortion.  This proposition would prohibit teens under 18 from getting an abortion until 48 hours after a physician notifies the girl’s parents or legal guardian. The parental notification measure received nearly 700,000 valid signatures to make the ballot…and is very similar to another proposition that failed at the ballot just two years ago.

The other three items we’ll be voting on include a high-speed rail bond, a measure on the treatment of farm animals and a children’s hospital bond.

LAWMAKERS VOTE TO PROTECT THEIR PAYCHECKS

DON’T CUT MY SALARY: State Senators just voted down a constitutional amendment that would have prevented them from getting a pay raise whenever there’s a budget deficit. The final tally was three to one, with only Senate President Don Perata (D) Oakland, voting in favor of the measure that could have opened the door to possible pay cuts – not only for lawmakers – but also for Constitutional officers…everyone from the Governor on down.  Although Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger does not take a pay check, future Governors could have seen a change in the $212, 179 salary.

The bill’s sponsor, Senator Abel Maldonado (R), Santa Maria was clearly peeved when I talked to him just moments ago, telling me, “I don’t think it’s right,” then adding, “In three weeks we’re cutting everybody and everybody else gets a raise.” Last year, the Legislature received a 2.75% increase with most members making a base salary of  $116,208, while Assembly and Senate leaders make even more.

Those voting to preserve their salaries were Democrats Gilbert Cedillo and Alex Padilla, both of Los Angeles. Republican Senator Jim Battin of La Quinta also voted no, while Republican Bob Dutton of Rancho Cucamonga took the easy way out and decided not to vote on the matter.

 

BAY AREA POWER

TORRICO TAPPED AS MAJORITY FLOOR LEADER

Newly sworn in Assembly Speaker Karen Bass may be from Los Angeles, but she’s tapped Assemblyman Alberto Torrico of Newark to be her Majority Floor Leader to help drum up votes from Democrats on the Assembly floor. Torrico’s job will be to streamline legislation and make sure Democrats vote for key bills that are important to the new leadership.

Torrico is in his second term in the Assembly and represents portions of Alameda and Santa Clara Counties.  He is the son of immigrants from Bolivia and his mother is of Japanese heritage. He is the first Assemblymember to belong to both the Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus and the Latino Caucus.

CHICKEN WARS

ACTIVISTS SCRAMBLE OVER EGGS

It’s coming to the ballot in California this November, but the battle for votes has already begun. Animal rights activists intend to release a video in Sacramento on Tuesday, showing “hidden camera footage revealing shocking animal abuse.” The footage was shot by an undercover activist who worked at a California chicken farm for several months, according to Nathan Runkle of Mercy for Animals.

The activists have identified the farm as Gamperle Enterprises in Merced County, which they say is a supplier to NuCal Foods – one of the largest distributors of eggs in the Western U.S.  All this to advance a ballot measure Californians will be voting on this fall that would essentially ban farms from keeping chickens in cages and promoting instead, free range chickens.

However free range chickens actually suffer more injuries than those in cages–according to traditional chicken farmers are scratching back. And they say the price of eggs will go sky high if the measure is approved by voters. We’ll get a preview tomorrow of what the fighting is all about.

PORN STARS AT THE CAPITOL

FREE SPEECH COALTION

Porn stars Mary Carey and Nina Hartley are at the State Capitol today to lobby their  lawmakers on behalf of the Free Speech Coalition.  The group of more than a dozen adult entertainers, as they like to be called, are trying to kill Assembly Bill 2914.  The measure by Charles Calderon (D) Whittier Assemblyman, would levy an 8% tax on the adult entertainment industry. The tax is designed to counteract the negative “secondary effects” of porn movies, adult video stores and strip clubs.

The porn star lobby says the claims of adverse effects are fictitious with little or no evidence to back them up.  Lobbyist Matt Gray says “the industry has amassed dozens of independently researched studies which are peer reviewed and published in academic journals showing lower than normal adverse secondary effects.”  Mary Carey, the adult film star who ran against Arnold Schwarzenegger for Governor in 2003,  will be arguing you are safer having an adult business in your neighborhood than you are in a public school, gas station or convenience store.

 

DEADBEATS DELIVERED ONLINE

TOP 250 TAX CHEATS REVEALED

The Franchise Tax Board came out with a list today you don’t want to be on.  It’s the top 250 tax debtors in California – the deadbeats who owe more than $123 million in unpaid income taxes.  California law requires the state to post a list of names on the Internet of anyone owing more than $100,000  in back taxes. Topping the list this year is something called Pinehill Investment of Rye, New York, which owes $6.1 million, according to the FTB.

Second on the list is another New Yorker – Michael S. Fitzsimmons, who owes $4.4 million, says the FTB.  A San Franciscan is 4th on the list – Xin Mian Pan.  State records indicate he’s behind by $2.8 million on his taxes.

NO JUICE FOR THE JUICE

O.J. Simpson is on the list again, as he has been for every year since 1999. State officials have thrown a yellow flag against him for being delinquent on $1.5 million worth of back taxes, according to the latest list. California’s practice of playing the Shame Game to get deadbeats to pay up seems to be working…State Controller John Chiang says the Franchise Tax Board received approximately $4.2 million in payments since January, from taxpayers trying desperately to keep their names off the list.

To see the entire list of the Top 250 Income Tax Debts….click here..

http://www.ftb.ca.gov/individuals/txdlnqnt.shtml

MIGDEN TAKES ON TOXIC TOYS

CONSUMER PROTECTION OR JUNK SCIENCE ?:

On Monday, Senate Democrats will unveil their plans to eliminate what they believe to be poisonous products sold in California.  Senator Carole Migden (D), San Francisco will introduce her Toxin-Free Toddlers and Baby Act that would ban lead and other chemicals found in baby bibs, lunch boxes and toys.

The supporters of SB 1713 include a Washington State University professor who has studied reproductive problems associated with BPA…a phthalate chemical that’s said to be present in sippy cups and other children’s products. But opponents from the American Chemistry Council and others insist Migden is waging a fear-mongering campaign that is based on junk science.  Should be an interesting showdown on Monday before the Senate Environmental Quality Committee.

RIFT OVER MA LEGISLATION

Assemblywoman Fiona Ma (D), San Francisco wants to create a government Web site listing those convicted of domestic violence.  If you think the measure has universal support from women’s groups – think again.

The California Partnership to End Domestic Violence is opposing the Ma measure, saying it could harm victims and their families.  Marivic Mabanag, the group’s Executive Director has issued a statement saying Ma’s bill “does not address domestic violence victims wrongly convicted of a domestic violence offense, it would become a mechanism to further victimize an already vulnerable population.”

Fiona Ma tells me she has the support of other women’s groups and hopes to prevail when her bill comes up before the Assembly Public Safety Committee on Tuesday, April 8th.

 

 

 

Communists in the Classroom

BETTER RED THAN DEAD?

Democrats at the Capitol will be fanning the flames of controversy this week by introducing a bill allowing Communits to teach in California public schools. Senate Bill  1322 (see below)

http://info.sen.ca.gov/pub/07-08/bill/sen/sb_1301-1350/sb_1322_bill_20080324_amended_sen_v98.html

by Senator Alan Lowenthal of Long Beach would change California law which currently requires school employees to be fired for being a member of the Communist Party. That law has been on the books since the Cold War and Lowenthal has been quoted as saying Communists “are not a danger to our liberty, and the courts have uniformly said that.”

FIGHT BACK,  FIGHT AHEAD

Conservative groups are gearing up for a big fight before the Senate Education Committee this Wednesday.  Karen England of Capitol Resource Institute told me in an interview today, “We don’t want to promote Communism in schools. His bill does that.” “We’ve got kids,” she added, “who can’t even pass the high school exit exam and now he wants to bring communists into the classroom.” England says her group will be protesting the bill on Wednesday by bringing a Romanian immigrant who was imprisoned by Communists in Romania for exercising free speech. She says, “Instead of promoting Communism in our schools, lawmakers should be focused on actually teaching students to read, write and think for themselves.”

Lowenthal could not be reached today due to the Cesar Chavez holiday, but we’ll be anxious to get his comments.

WHY NOW?

Democrats have been leading the charge against Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed  budget cuts for education…and their protests seemed to resonate with the public. So why would party leaders tolerate this major distraction that sets them up to be criticized as Communist sympathizers? We’ll find out this week.