How One Democratic Governor Responded to the Recession

Gov. Gregoire Suspends State Rule-Making Process

For Immediate Release: November 17, 2010

OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire today signed an executive order suspending and limiting the state rule making process to help small businesses and local governments as the state continues its economic recovery.

“State rules are essential to protecting the health, safety, welfare and quality of life for Washingtonians.    Read more »

More

First Eight Members of Redistricting Commission Are Selected

Using a wire cage and ping-pong style lottery balls, State Auditor Elaine Howle selected the first eight members of the 14-member Citizens Redistricting Commission, charged with drawing legislative district lines for the 2012 election.

The commission strips that power from state Senate and Assembly members and the state’s 53-member congressional delegation who opposed the initiatives creating the commission and appear to still be working to undermine the commission’s authority.    Read more »

More

Are Lawmakers Planning Redistricting Commission Lawsuit?

Unsuccessful in convincing voters to eliminate a commission charged with drawing new legislative and congressional districts lines, lawmakers appear to be preparing to mount a legal challenge.

The authority of the 14-member citizens commission, which was created by Proposition 11 on the November 2008 ballot, was expanded to include congressional districts by Proposition 20, approved by voters November 2.    Read more »

More

Beating a Dead Horse: Isn’t News Her Not Backing the Ban?

Author of Bag Ban Bill Hails Los Angeles County’s Approval of Bag Ban

LOS ANGELES—Assemblywoman Julia Brownley, D-Santa Monica, hailed today’s vote by Los Angeles County to ban single-use bags as a significant victory toward a statewide prohibition on one of the biggest sources of pollution in California.

“This is just the beginning of a wave of bans against single-use plastic bags across California,” Assemblymember Brownley said.    Read more »

More

Governor Calls 8th Special Session on Budget in Seven Years

SACRAMENTO  — Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced that he will call the legislature into Special Session to address a new projected budget deficit. The Special Session will convene on Monday, December 6th, the first day the new legislature is sworn in.

“While California’s economy appears to be showing signs of stabilizing, our job creation and revenues are still lagging.    Read more »

More

It’s Getting a Bit More Crowded in the Golden State Lifeboat

Often overlooked in what’s come to be the doom-and-gloom budget forecast of the Legislative Analyst’s Fiscal Outlook is the demographics data, which is on Page 22 of the PDF version of the report.

Demographics in the nation’s most populous state has a major impact on fiscal issues.

More Californians mean more people using state services, more people paying vehicle license fees, more people paying sales taxes or income taxes.    Read more »

More

As if the Legislative Analyst’s Report Wasn’t Grim Enough…

SACRAMENTO – State Controller John Chiang today released his monthly report covering California’s cash balance, receipts and disbursements in October.

Receipts for the month were $232.3 million, 4.6 percent above the recently enacted state budget estimates.

“The record 100-day budget stalemate pushed us past the point of having enough cash on hand to pay more than $8 billion in outstanding bills that came due when the budget was signed,” said  Chiang.    Read more »

More

How Ugly Will Next Year’s Budget Be? Find Out November 10

Recently, Assembly Speaker John Perez predicted the state might face a budget shortfall of between $12 billion and $15 billion during the fiscal year that begins July 1, 2011.

Hopefully, the Los Angeles Democrat is right — although evidence suggests otherwise.

Californians will know whether Perez is or not on Wednesday, November 10, when the Legislative Analyst publishes its 2010 fiscal outlook, which examines the state’s economy and projects the condition of California’s budget for the next five years.    Read more »

More

A Look at How Recent State Budgets Treat the Public Schools

Last June 22, California’s Capitol presented a comparison created by Michael Hulsizer, head of legislative affairs for the office of the Kern County Superintendent of Schools, of the state’s general fund revenue growth and public school spending from July 1, 1998 through the current fiscal year, which ends June 30, 2011.    Read more »

More

Speculation -Mainly Idle – On Members of Jerry Brown’s Team

With the election concluded, now begins one of the Sacramento insiders’ favorite parlor games, guessing who might be appointed to key posts in the new Jerry Brown administration.

Given the new governor’s mercurial nature, its hazardous to predict what he’ll do from one minute to the next, let alone appoint as chief of staff or cabinet secretaries.    Read more »

More