What’s in a Name? Depends if It’s In the File or On the Ballot

A terrific resource for those interested in California’s Assembly or Senate is the Daily File each house publishes, not surprisingly, every day.

Among the information to be gleaned is how many pieces of legislation have been introduced – 1,427 in the Assembly through March 22 and 939 in the Senate.

The files contain compendiums of legislative committees and their membership, committee meeting times and bills slated for consideration as well as important deadlines and holidays such as Spring Recess – April 14 through April 25 — and June 3, the last day to pass bills out of their house of origin.    Read more »

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Textbook Grassroots Canvassing — at the School District Level

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No Election June 7, Says Jerry Brown at Budget Bills Signing

Governor Jerry Brown said March 24 that it is too late to call an election for June 7 to vote on his proposed five-year extension of more than $12 billion in taxes set to expire this year.

Brown made the remark at a Capitol ceremony in which he rapidly signed 13 budget-related bills aimed at reducing what the Democratic governor says is a $26.6 billion gap between revenue and state spending commitments.    Read more »

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Political Sightings at Sacramento’s March 23 Lady Gaga Show

Despite a population of more than 400,000, Sacramento still seems like a small town.

Consider the sold-out show at Power Balance Pavillion, formerly Arco Arena.

Among the political denizens sighted were several lobbyists, none in short skirts or high heels or otherwise costumed in outfits mimnicking Lady Gaga, as anumber of audience members were.    Read more »

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Do Four Budget-Related Tax Law Changes Save $335 million?

The package of budget-related measures the Democratic majority Legislature sent to Gov. Jerry Brown March 17 contains a bill lawmakers say “includes changes that result in $335 million of budget solutions.”

That much savings appears elusive, at least from reading the analysis of the bill, SB 86.

At the conclusion of the five-page analysis, which guided lawmakers in understanding the bill’s contents, appears this paragraph:

“The total combined fiscal impact of all the provisions in this bill results in additional general fund revenues of $280 million in 2010-11 and $56.5 million in 2011-12.”    Read more »

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See Fred Run. Fred Wants to Be the President. Run, Fred, Run

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Bit of History Found During Rainy Afternoon Garage Cleaning

17th Century Nun’s Prayer

“As we grow O Lord, and we are getting older, keep us from getting talkative and the awful habit of thinking that we must say something on every subject and on every occasion.

“Keep us from the recital of endless details. Help us to get to the point.    Read more »

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Assembly Bill Total This Year Is Much Smaller Than Past Years

As of March 21, the 80-member Assembly has introduced 1,415 pieces of legislation.

Many are placeholders that state the “intent” to change state law in some way or offer “technical, nonsubstantive changes” to existing law.

By any measure, this seems like scads of legislation, particularly for the first year of a two-year legislative session.    Read more »

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It’s Hard Sometimes to Distinguish Between Truth and Fiction

(Editor’s Note: It was Kevin Brett’s rather endearing custom to pen spoof press releases upon the ocassion of the birthdays of selected Capitol Press Corps reporters. In this case, 22 years ago, if was for the spouse of the governor’s deputy press secretary.)    Read more »

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Would it Be a Level of Threat Like, Say, Spraying Malathion?

Governor Brown and Director of Public Health Issue Statements on Radiation Safety

SACRAMENTO – Governor Jerry Brown and the interim director of the California Department of Public Health, Dr. Howard Backer, today assured Californians that public health and safety do not face any threat from radiation released at nuclear facilities in Japan this week.    Read more »

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