California Apiary Commission Would Help Protect Honey Bees

Legislature Sends Governor Bill to Protect Honey Bees

(SACRAMENTO, CA) – The State Legislature approved a bill authored by Assemblymember Noreen Evans (D-Santa Rosa) establishing the California Apiary Research Commission (Commission) tasked with protecting the health of honey bees, which have been dying in alarming numbers in recent years.

Assembly Bill (AB) 1912 passed the Assembly today (August 16) with a 57-15 concurrence vote on amendments taken in the Senate, following a 26-8 Senate vote last Wednesday.     Read more »

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If Proposition 23 is Approved in November, California’s Global Warming Law Will be Suspended At Least Five Years

If voters approve Proposition 23 in November, which would “suspend” AB 32, California’s landmark greenhouse gas reduction law, recent economic forecasts suggest it will be at least five years before the law becomes operable again.

Three recent forecasts say that while California’s recession has bottomed, unemployment will remain at or above 12 percent for the remainder of 2010 and in double digits through at least 2011.    Read more »

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Voluntary Tax Check-Off For Police Activities League OK’d

The California Police Activities League would be the beneficiary of new voluntary state income tax check-of under legislation approved August 12 by the California state Senate.

It’s one of six such measures pending in the Legislature this year allowing taxpayers to help pay for everything from the YMCA Model Legislature to National Guard Education Assistance to the “Morale, Welfare and Recreation” funds at California’s veterans’ homes.    Read more »

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State Senate Makes It Easier to Feed Carrion to Wild Condors

Non-profit groups helping feed California’s condors would no longer be prohibited from hauling dead animal carcasses to the giant carrion-eaters under legislation approved August 12 by the state Senate.

As lawmakers approach the final two weeks of the 2010 legislative session, both the Assembly and Senate are voting on dozens of bills daily, a number that will increase sharply as the August 31 deadline gets closer.    Read more »

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This Just In from the Department of Personnel Administration

Sent August 12 to State Employees:

Earlier this week, the Alameda County Superior Court issued a Temporary Restraining Order (TRO) suspending the new furlough program that began in August 2010 pending an additional hearing on September 13, 2010.

DPA (the Department of Personnel Administration) filed an appeal of this suspension with the First District Court of Appeal on August 10, 2010 and an emergency petition seeking an order allowing the furloughs to go forward as planned.    Read more »

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California’s Housing Market Is Performing Better This June

In a positive sign for California’s economy, nearly 44,000 houses and condominiums were sold statewide in June, Southern California sales volume was the highest since June of 2006 and mortgage defaults hit a three-year low, according to MDA DataQuick, a La Jolla-based monitor of real estate activity nationwide.

Statewide sales in June were up 7.3 percent from May and down 0.5 percent from June 2009’s 44,167 sales.    Read more »

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Are At Least 79 Fundraisers in August Alone Really Necessary?

There are 11 fundraisers scheduled for August 10 in Sacramento, mostly by legislative candidates or incumbent lawmakers.

On August 11, another 21 events are scheduled – a number representing more than half the members of the state Senate.

The following week, August 16 has five events, August 17 has 12 and August 18, 16 more.    Read more »

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An Interesting Internal Memo Obtained By California’s Capitol

MEMBER BULLETIN

From: California Restaurant Association

To: Central Valley, Fresno, Los Angeles, North State, Orange County and San Diego County chapters

These have been hard times for restaurant owners. Even though California’s more than 61,000 restaurants employ more than 1 million people, the current economic slump has hurt business and caused closures throughout the state, particularly those areas hardest hit by the housing market meltdown.    Read more »

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Consider What Tonight — 8/9/10 — Will Be at 11:12 PM

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Jerry Brown Goes Green on His Not-So-New Job Creation Plan

Several media outlets published articles August 8 about Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown “unveiling” a new job creation proposal.

According to the Los Angeles Times, the “10-page plan was released with no fanfare on the candidate’s website.”

The Sacramento Bee’s take:

“Democratic gubernatorial candidate Jerry Brown released a beefed-up jobs plan Sunday (August 8), expanding on an existing clean-energy jobs plan that was widely panned for its lack of detail.”    Read more »

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