Ross Johnson

Ross Johnson’s 26 year legislative career began in 1978 – the same year Proposition 13 was approved. He was the leader of both the Assembly Republicans and the Senate Republicans, the first person in state history to be a leader in both houses.

But now, Johnson, who turns 69 in September, has put aside partisan politics.    Read more »

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Health Care, Health Care

The big deal this week is the January 23 hearing of the Senate Health Committee on Governor Schwarzenegger and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez’s overhaul of California’s health care system.

Sen. Sheila Kuehl, D-Santa Monica, chair of the 11- member committee, opposes the legislation. All the Republicans on the committee are expected to vote, “no” although Abel Maldonado of Santa Maria has broken ranks with his team in the past at the governor’s behest.    Read more »

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Dede Alpert

During her 14 years as a state lawmaker, Dede Alpert tried to tackle two of California’s most vexing problems – improving public education and legalizing ferret ownership.

California’s public schools are improving, in part thanks to landmark bills Alpert carried as an Assemblywoman to integrate phonics, spelling and math skills into school curriculum and improve assessment of academic performance.    Read more »

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Senate Republicans Block Schwarzenegger appointee over illegal immigration vote

Republican opposition to financial aid to children of illegal immigrants cost Kay Albiani her seat on the California Community Colleges Board of Governors Monday.

 A long-time Elk Grove educator, Albiani voted along with the rest of the board of governors to endorse legislation that would allow fee waivers and student loans for the children of illegal immigrants.    Read more »

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Jerry Waldie – Former Congressman, Gubernatorial Candidate

Jerry Waldie was elected to the state Assembly in 1958 – a liberal Democrat swept into a Republican-leaning East Bay district by Pat Brown’s big coattails.

The Legislature met only one year for seven months and three the next to put together a budget. Lawmakers were paid around $500 for their trouble.    Read more »

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Budget Schmudget

There isn’t going to be a whole lot of reporting here on the governor’s budget proposal until it starts being dissected by the Legislature, a process that will stretch out for – just a shot in the dark – at least six months. 

The governor said in his speech he was submitting his $101 billion general fund spending blueprint to the Legislature whose responsibility is to muck with it.    Read more »

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Shasta Dam Politics

The battle over the future of Shasta Dam surfaced this afternoon in the Assembly Governmental Organization committee in the form of joint resolution urging the federal government to reaffirm recognition of an Indian tribe along the McCloud River. 

The Winnemem Wintu tribe, a dozen of whose members attended the hearing in native garb, opposes raising the dam on Lake Shasta which would inundate more of their holy places along the middle fork of the McCloud River, many of which were lost when the dam was completed in 1945.     Read more »

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Perfect Timing

This is a great moment that requires a somewhat windy preamble.

When I started at the Chronicle in August 1988, two things happened that made me go, “Whoa, I’m somebody.”

The first was on the Assembly floor when I was asked what was going on by Ruth Ashton Taylor of KCBS, an idol of mine from my youth in Southern California.    Read more »

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