Signature Uncertain on Transportation Financing Proposal

The Legislature sent Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on March 4 a complicated transportation-financing scheme that eliminates the sales tax on gasoline but increases the excise tax on it.

A spokeswoman for the GOP governor said Schwarzenegger hadn’t decided to sign the measures because lawmakers sent no legislation to help create jobs.

“Two months ago in his State of the State (speech), the governor said job creation must be our Number One priority,” said Rachel Arrezola, Schwarzenegger’s chief deputy press secretary.    Read more »

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No Budget Solution But Importing Kangaroo Parts Is Preserved

California may face a dire fiscal emergency and struggles to close a $20 billion budget hole but legislation has been introduced to extend the state law allowing the importation of dead kangaroo parts.

Section 6530 of the Penal Code makes it illegal “to import into this state for commercial purposes, to possess with intent to sell, or to sell within the

state, the dead body, or any part or product thereof, of any polar bear, leopard, ocelot, tiger, cheetah, jaguar, sable antelope, wolf, zebra, whale, cobra, python, sea turtle, colobus monkey, kangaroo, vicuna, sea otter, free-roaming feral horse, dolphin or porpoise, Spanish lynx or elephant.    Read more »

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Assembly Committee Debates Costs of Open Primary Switch

Four county registrars of voters told an Assembly committee March 2 that their costs of printing and processing ballots would increase if Californians approve Proposition 14, the so-called “open primary” initiative on the June ballot.

The informational hearing of the Assembly Elections and Redistricting Committee was dominated by Assemblyman Sandre Swanson, an Oakland Democrat, who voted against placing the open primary measure on the ballot and has created a campaign committee – Swanson’s Ballot Measure Committee to Oppose Prop.    Read more »

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Savings in Recently Passed Budget Bill Lower Than Claimed

A budget measure on Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s desk that purports to save the state $2.3 billion likely saves far less – perhaps only half as much.

The bill, ABX8 2, predicts savings of nearly $1 billion by changing the way health care is delivered to California’s 167,000 prison inmates — $811 million – and commuting the sentence and then deporting illegal immigrant inmates, $182 million.    Read more »

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Up to $2.5 billion in State Payments to Public Schools Delayed

Over the objections of public schools, the Assembly narrowly passed a bill February 25 that would allow the state to postpone up to $2.5 billion in payments to kindergarten through Grade 12 districts between July 2010 and March 2011.

Public schools, which have shouldered $14 billion of the $35 billion in spending reductions approved by lawmakers and Gov.    Read more »

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Democrats Bad, Republicans Good or the Other Way Around

Democrats and Republicans continue to wrangle over scoring rhetorical points about whose legislation does more to create jobs.

The Republican minority issued a press release February 24 which, among other things said that several of the measures in their 22-bill “job creation” package  were “rejected” by Democrats, who hold comfortable majorities in both the Senate and the Assembly.    Read more »

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!*&#{%/@! — Can’t Even Curse and Swear in Peace Anymore

(Editor’s Note: This measure is authored by Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, a Pasadena Democrat, whose district includes South Pasadena. The Assembly is expected to approve the measure February 25. A media availability with the Assemblyman follows. Resolutions, unlike laws, are non-binding.) 

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST 

ACR 112, as amended, Portantino. Cuss Free Week.     Read more »

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Lawmakers Try to Increase Their Income Streams, Not State’s

February 23 and February 24 is set the 2010 record for fundraisers with 26 – 11 on the 23rd and 15 on the 24th.

Of the 11, there is one dinner, two lunches, seven cocktail receptions and, for $2,000, a luxury suite to watch the Sacramento Kings play the Detroit Pistons with Assemblyman Steve Knight, a Lancaster Republican.    Read more »

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Headline: Three Universities Seek Tuition Hikes of 16-31%

Not really news given the steep increases already imposed by the California State University system and the University of California.

Except these increases aren’t for California public higher education students, they’re for at least 130,000 public higher education students in Arizona.

The Arizona Republic reported recently that because of state budget gets and “an uncertain economy,”

Regents of the University of Arizona will vote in March on a 31 percent tuition increase – very close to the 32 percent increase approved by University of California regents in December – that would boost tuition by $2,130 to $8,972.    Read more »

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California and Arizona’s Budgets: Different Sizes, Same Woes

‘Imagine taking off in a plane after siphoning some gas from the tank.

“From a budgetary perspective, that’s about what Arizona has done. 

“For years the state managed to cut many of its taxes while taking on greater spending obligations. Rapid population growth and the housing and dot-com bubbles helped obscure the reality that Arizona had an unsustainable long-term strategy.    Read more »

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