It’s turned out to be a lot closer than anyone thought, but Proposition 93, the Fabian Nunez Term Limits Weakening Initiative, The Big Lie, has been defeated.

Currently there are 62.2% of precincts reporting, and the margin for the NO side is approaching 300,000 votes. It has been trending slowly all night away from 93, with the NO margin growing steadily.

Right now, it is 2,189,417 (46.9%) YES and 2,469,696 (53.1%) NO.

This is great news — more on this later this morning, after I get some shut-eye.… Read More

Just off the transom, State GOP Chairman Ron Nehring issued a hearty "congrats" to Senator McCain for his big win here in the Golden State:

If one was going to make a list of winners looking at the results of last night’s results in California — the BIG list is short — John McCain, Hillary Clinton, the Indian Tribes whose compacts were upheld, and last but certainly not least, STEVE POIZNER, because he led the successful effort to stop Proposition 93 from passing.

Night owl that he is, Insurance Commissioner Poizner sent over the following for FR readers:

Yesterday, the voters of California sent a resounding message to the politicians in Sacramento — stop trying to fool us, stop insulting our intelligence and stop putting your own careers ahead of the job we elected you to do.

Voters from virtually every age group, political party and geographic region saw through this… Read More

Congratulations are due in Newport Beach to political consultant Scott Taylor and proponents Bill Ficker, Marion Bergeson, and Jack Crowl on their victory last night with the Charter Amendment known as the "City Hall in the Park" Initiative, which will site a new City Hall in Newport Center near the main library and save taxpayers millions. I was pleased to write the proposed law for them and successfully defend it in court. The 5.5% margin of victory must have made for a sweet night, Bill Ficker!

That said, theCity of Newport Beach hasone of the most threatening and unconstitutional campaign ordinances on its books I have ever seen, and thefree-speech loving Republicans on that council need to repeal this law before the next municipal elections to avoid getting slapped with a civil rights suit they are certain to lose, and certain to pay for. The law, which can be found on the City’s website at Municipal Code section 1.30, criminalizes all "writings," direct-mail and flyers distributed to 200 or more people in Newport Beach within 14 days of an election, unlesscopies are filed with the City Clerk within 2 hours of… Read More

Let me start off my commentary this morning with a congratulatory message for United States Senator John McCain. Senator, your win here in California was impressive, and your overall performance around the country gives you bragging rights to be able to say that in 2008, it was Super McCain Tuesday. Congrats on your big win! A lot of folks were working hard on the McCain efforts in the final push, and so I also want to congratulate all of them.

Tomorrow I will be devoting my column to sharing more thoughts with FR readers about a John McCain nomination, but for today, I want to devote the rest of my column to a very important victory — THE DEFEAT OF PROPOSITION 93!! As FR readers well know, since I have devoted so much ‘cyber ink’ to Proposition 93, it was a terrible measure constructed out of the hubris of now-retiring Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez. The entire campaign to pass the measure, which contained a specific provision to allow dozens of termed-out California State Legislators to serve well beyond even the new terms articulated in 93, was constructed around what had been labeled, THE BIG LIE. Attorney General Jerry… Read More

For nearly a decade, Corona Mayor Jeff Miller has been working to build out the 91 freeway. He has been successful by targeting projects that use existing tax dollars, that fit on the existing pavement, and can be done with a minimum of permitting, regulatory backlog, etc.

Sounds like a good idea right?

Man is it ever.

These projects have added lanes now on both sides of the freeway cutting some commute times by half without disturbing any of the birds, pocket mice, and fairy shrimp that turn out herds of environmentalists to stall and stop other transportation projects all over California.

Now to the really interesting part.

Jeff not only serves as an elected official in Riverside County – he is a Chairman of the 91 Toll Road Advisory Committee for the ORANGE County Transportation Authority.

Last year he testified for ORANGE County in their pursuit of money from the flawed transportation bonds. And you know what happened? His testimony, bringing together Riverside and Orange County talked the state into spending another $20 million or so in ORANGE County.

Today, Jeff joined a legion of ORANGE County electeds in… Read More

Let me start off my commentary this morning with a congratulatory message for United States Senator John McCain. Senator, your win here in California was impressive, and your overall performance around the country gives you bragging rights to be able to say that in 2008, it was Super McCain Tuesday. Congrats on your big win! A lot of folks were working hard on the McCain efforts in the final push, and so I also want to congratulate all of them.

Tomorrow I will be devoting my column to sharing more thoughts with FR readers about a John McCain nomination, but for today, I want to devote the rest of my column to a very important victory — THE DEFEAT OF PROPOSITION 93!! As FR readers well know, since I have devoted so much ‘cyber ink’ to Proposition 93, it was a terrible measure constructed out of the hubris of now-retiring Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez. The entire campaign to pass the measure, which contained a specific provision to allow dozens of termed-out California State Legislators to serve well beyond even the new terms articulated in 93, was constructed around what had been labeled, THE BIG LIE. Attorney General Jerry… Read More

Gov. Schwarzenegger today issued the following statement in recognition of President Ronald Reagan’s birthday: PROCLAMATION Ronald Reagan was a man who kept his word. Whether the promise was to protect swimmers as a young lifeguard or defend the Constitution of the United States as President, he always delivered. In 1966, Californians gave him a chance to govern a state facing challenges in education and infrastructure, skyrocketing taxes and deep social unrest. It was Reagan’s characteristic optimism and can-do attitude that helped meet those challenges, and eight years later, he left office as one of California’s greatest governors. As the 1970’s came to a close, our nation was… Read More