As part of my job, I’ve spent the entire week reading through and analyzing the hundreds of new bills introduced in the Assembly and Senate last week. As you can imagine, there are some doozies this year. If it weren’t so sad for the future of our state, it would be funny. Next week I’ll post some of the highlights (and lowlights) of this session’s potential laws. You’ll probably laugh, but you’ll most likely cry when you read what some lawmakers want to make law.

Last week there was media coverage of a bill Assemblyman John Benoit introduced that requires all welfare recipients be subject to random drug testing. It’s a great idea, but the subject of the media coverage was the bill idea’s source: a sixteen-year-old high school student in Benoit’s district. The student, R.J. Field, won an essay contest sponsored by Assemblyman Benoit called “There Ought to be a Law.” You may be surprised to learn that many lawmakers sponsor similar contests in their districts—including many Republicans.

Last year the product of one such contest was a bill that would have mandated community… Read More

Gabriella Holt is a Republican candidate for State Assembly in the 54th Assembly District. She was recently endorsed by the Lincoln Clubs of Los Angeles Countyaz. Lincoln Clubs Chairman Bob Virtue sent this over about his organization’s support of Holt:

Yesterday was one of those really crazy days, where blogging, doing some consulting work, being a dad and heading up to U.S.C. to speak to a class of graduate students had me on the run.

As such, when I reflected on my "FYI" post relative to Chuck Quackenbush and being in an officer-involved-shooting in Florida, I realize that I probably did Chuck a disservice, and I really have no excuse other than being on the run.

You see, for over five years, I worked in media relations for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department. And on many occasions (countless, actually) I would roll my eyes as some COPS beat reporter would pen something for their paper that seemed to paint one of our deputies in the worst possible light.

As that post said, our former Insurance Commissioner these days is a Sheriff’s Deputy in Florida’s Lee County, where is has been putting… Read More

In what is the clearest sign yet that conservative icon and FR friend State Senator Tom McClintock is just days away from formally declaring a candidates for the United States House of Representatives, District 4, the Senator has sent out an e-mail to his sizable list of supporters, entitled "Potential Campaign for Congress" in which he shares with his team that he is "seriously considering runng" for the seat, announces the formation of an official Congressional Exploratory Committee, and urge folks to make contributions.

My intel gathering tells me that when Tom McClintock gets IN to the race for Congress, that his fellow conservative, Rico Oller, gets OUT (as does also-ran Eric Egland, who has been campaigning for the better part of a year but has failed to gain traction).

The real question will be whether or not wealthy Sacramento business tycoon Doug Ose, a moderate Republican who has announced his candidacy for the same seat, would stay in the race. Recent polling data released shows it would be a long, uphill battle for Ose — especially when you consider that McClintock will be able to raise a considerable amount of money here… Read More

You remember Chuck Quackenbush, right? He was the California State Insurance Commissioner who resigned his office amidst a developing scandal in his office (one that sent folks to jail). After his resignation, Quackenbush, a wealthy man from his wife’s success in business. Anyways, the Quackenbush family moved first to Honolulu, and then to Florida where, believe it or not, Quackenbush is a Deputy Sheriff. Although, right now, it would be more accurate to say that he is a Deputy Sheriff on administrative leave after shooting a suspect…with an investigation underway. Check out the story in the local Florida paper here.

(H/T to Capitol Alert on this one, and they have more to add.)… Read More

In politics, it seems like people like to put "labels" on things to make them appear to be other than what they are… The latest attempt to "linquistically twist" reality is one that is commonly used by the left, and was recently used by the state’s Legislative Analyst, and now, apparently, by Arnold Schwarzenegger.

The phrase that is being used is "closing a tax loophole" — but when put through the free translation services available to anyone who understands English, that translates to "raise taxes."

In her proposed "alternative budget" the Legislative Analyst, Elizabeth Hill, proposes increasingly the amount of money that taxpayers are forced to pay into the coffers of state government by BILLIONS of dollars. But never once is this called a tax increase, instead the language "closing tax loopholes" is used.

What Hill refers to as a "loophole" was a specific decision by California lawmakers to either not tax a certain area, or perhaps to give a tax credit in a certain area. Using the phrase "loophole" makes it sound like some sort of technical error… Read More

Over a year ago I wrote about the "Assault" that took place at a city council meeting in Carson. A recall proponent of the mayor swiped some papers at an opponent and shazaam there is an assault case. Now this is going to trial. The youtube Video says it all and the winner is….… Read More

Sources in Placer County are reporting that early this morning Tom McClintock pulled papers for the 4th congressional race. An official announcement from the McClintock for Congress campaign will probably come next week. This congressional race is just starting…… Read More