“We Need All Members on the Floor. All Members on the Floor Please.”

The above statement is periodically voiced by the presiding officer during meetings of the full Assembly.

It is not an order for members of the lower house to swiftly flatten themselves against the green carpet of their ornate chamber.

Nor does it signal some medical emergency, security breach or impending natural disaster.    Read more »

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” A Century in the Life of a Lawyer by Joseph A. Ball”

California Western Law Review

Fall 1999 

 A CENTURY IN THE LIFE OF A LAWYER:

REFLECTIONS BY JOSEPH A. BALL 

Joseph A. Ball and Judith D. Fischer [FNa1] 

Copyright (c) 1999 California Western School of Law; Joseph A. Ball and Judith D. Fischer

 Joseph A. Ball’s life spans the Twentieth Century.

Born in a small town in Iowa, he studied law at Creighton University, received his law degree from the University of Southern California, and built a prominent law firm.    Read more »

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A Feisty 82, Joe Ball Speaks His Mind

Originally printed in the Long Beach News, Thursday, June 27, 1985 

Joseph A. Ball remembers when he first put out his shingle as a private attorney in 1928. There were 40 lawyers in Long Beach.

The Long Beach Bar Association met once a month at the Pacific Coast Club on Ocean Boulevard.    Read more »

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Legislators On Legislative Achievements

Here are some unedited press releases of measures approved by the Assembly and Senate this week. With the exception of Assemblyman Holden’s measure most are being volleyed from one house to the next where they will be analyzed further before returning for final approval in their house of origin in early September: 

Assemblymember Holden’s First Bill Heads to the Governor’s Desk

AB 72 Municipal Water District Start Dates

Sacramento – Assemblymember Chris Holden’s bill to standardize the start date of newly elected Municipal Water District Directors has been approved by the State Legislature and is now on its way to Governor Brown for signature.     Read more »

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More Acceptance Speeches Like This

I thank you kindly for this mark of your confidence. I hope I shall be able to meet your expectations but I fear that I will not for I bring with me to this position but little experience. To err I believe is the common lot; I cannot hope to escape it.    Read more »

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Wouldn’t News Be Seeking to Harm Struggling Homeowners?

 Senator Anderson Seeks to Protect Struggling Homeowners

Asking the Public’s Help to Take Action

For Immediate Release: May 23, 2013

SACRAMENTO – Sen. Joel Anderson, a San Diego Republican, is asking Californians to shine a light on the importance of the critical Mortgage Tax Relief Bill by sending letters to key legislators to pass the measure.    Read more »

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Three Openly Gay California Public Officials Honored by the White House

California Natural Resources Secretary John Laird, Sen. Ricardo Lara and Redondo Beach Mayor Michael Gin will be honored by the White House May 22 as “Harvey Milk Champions of Change.”  

The three are among 10 openly Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual and Transgender public officials across the country being recognized at an event that falls on Harvey Milk Day, which commemorates the civil rights leader’s birthday.      Read more »

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The “New” California Republican Party Asks the Same Old Question

While a new California Republican Party chair might have more moves and different priorities than his predecessor, there’s no way to avoid the fact that the primary focus of the job is to elect more Republicans. GOP Chair Jim Brulte makes that point in Item #1 of the May 1 electronically-sent missive  below.    Read more »

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Budget Maneuvering Begins Between Brown and Democrats

Republicans complimented the restraint exercised by Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown in the revised budget he presented May 14.

Several of Brown’s Democratic legislative allies criticized him for being too tight-fisted.

Ultimately, scattered GOP applause isn’t going to translate into budget “aye” votes and Democratic disgruntlement isn’t going to mean less than the 41 votes needed to send a budget back to Brown that looks quite similar to the one that spawned their initial complaints.    Read more »

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Public Schools Win in Brown’s Revised Budget

Saying the state’s “multi-billion dollar increase in current-year cash receipts” is “short-lived,” Gov. Jerry Brown unveiled an updated budget May 14 that gives $2.9 billion of those receipts to public schools.

The $137 billion spending plan also earmarks additional money to Medi-Cal, the state’s health care program fro the poor, whose rolls will expand by more than 1 million persons when the federal Affordable Care Act takes effect January 1, 2014.    Read more »

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