Political Stories Top stories Senate Republican priority bills shelved on deadline day — Senate Republican Leader Jean Fuller, R-Bakersfield, had characterized the GOP effort as “a very positive agenda that gives voice to Californians being left behind by their own Capitol.” But like so many GOP-introduced bills, eight of the priorities met a bitter fate last […]
Political Stories Top stories Assembly, Senate move state budget plans to conference committee — Lawmakers have approved Gov. Jerry Brown‘s effort to stash away an extra $2 billion in budget reserves, but Democratic leaders are gearing up for a showdown with the governor over spending levels for welfare and child assistance programs. LA Times article Connecting the donor dots in […]
Political Stories Top stories House moves on California water bills, but toward what end? — The House of Representatives passed yet another set of controversial California water provisions Wednesday, sending a political signal and, perhaps, putting pressure on the Senate. Important differences, though, still split the state, and lawmakers have yet to show they can get […]
Political Stories Top stories California water bill has three possible paths for passage — House Republicans this week are adding a controversial California water bill to an unrelated Senate energy package, opening a new front in a fight that’s already put Democrats on the defensive. The unexpected energy bill maneuver gives San Joaquin Valley lawmakers a […]
Political Stories Top stories Dan Walters: California housing shortage sets up battle over land-use control — This month, Brown proposed that “in-fill” housing projects meeting certain criteria, including density, closeness to transit and serving low- and moderate-income families, be exempted from local control. The Legislature’s budget analyst says the need is highest in coastal areas, and […]
Political Stories Top stories Dan Walters: Jerry Brown hopes to leave on a high note, but fears downturn — Obliquely and perhaps unwittingly, Jerry Brown has acknowledged that as his remarkable political career nears an end, he’s concerned with how history will remember him. Walters column in Sacramento Bee Rep. Jeff Denham walks the line in San […]
Political Stories Top stories Gov. Brown turns in signatures on parole ballot measure — Gov. Jerry Brown, still awaiting word on the legality of his plan to revamp the state’s parole laws, nonetheless submitted petition signatures on Friday to earn the measure a spot on the Nov. 8 ballot. LA Times article; Sacramento Bee article; AP article Analyst rejects […]
Political Stories Top stories California Senate approves broad new gun restrictions — The California Senate on Thursday passed 11 bills aimed at strengthening the state’s firearms regulations, already some of the strictest in the nation, and giving the Legislature leverage to negotiate with backers of a proposed gun-safety ballot initiative. Sacramento Bee article; LA Times article; San Jose Mercury […]
Political Stories Top stories Education fight over ‘shades of Democrat’ — A group that lobbies to change public education is pouring money into a handful of Northern California legislative races ahead of the June 7 election, aiming to influence the kind of Democrats who hold power in the state Capitol. CALmatters article Democrats rally behind gun control […]
Political Stories Top stories California water bill: Here’s why it’s so hard for Congress to pass — Five years into California’s latest drought, a major water bill compromise can seem as far away as ever. The perennial conflict, often summed up as fish vs. farms, subtly surfaced again Tuesday at a key Senate hearing. A Western […]
