Passing off of the Assembly floor again was the idea of microstamping an ID number on every bullet shell casing as it is discharged by a gun. This as an idea to solve crimes. Never mind that a conviction could never be upheld by finding a shell casing with your ID number on itat a crime scene…I hope.… Read More

Update: AB 8 passes tonight by a vote of 45-31…heading for the Guv’s guillotine. [After terms like health care being "a right" were used in the debate.] I wonder who has "the right" to then pay for that "right", the children of parents who have to spend even more time at work to pay for this "right" conferred by goverment to others?Does government have the answer when it is only willing to add to the mandatesthat drive upcosts, nottackle the cost drivers, the litigation, thediscouragement of competitition, the illegal immigrants receiving benefits not playing by the immigration rules? We are a compassionate people that will help the deserving. This isn’t the answer.

After passing out of the Senate earlier 22-17, with 2 Dem "no" votes, the discussion is now on our floor, of taxing businesses to pay for health care for all. The Guv has sent a memo out promising a veto on this measure. This discussion could go for an hour or two, with a known outcome. Maybe we can come back later and address what drives… Read More

Last weekend, about a thousand members, alternates and guests gathered at the California Republican Party Convention at the Renaissance Esmerelda Hotel in Indian Wells in the Coachella Valley/Palm Springs area. As is typically the case, we’ll be sharing some stories and happenings from this event over the next few days. First and foremost, we’re pleased to announce the return of our highly-acclaimed, caddy and pithy "Winners & Losers of the CRP Convention" column, which we should be featuring at the end of this week. While your trusted FR team had many of our team members on the ground, looking over the convention for nominees, we typically get some of our best suggestions from FR readers. If you have a nomination, you can e-mail us here. As always, we ensure the confidentiality of anyone who contacts us. I’ll start by fast forwarding to a couple of results from the weekend that I want especially emphasize. The first is that convention delegates unanimously put the party on record as opposing… Read More

The fact that Sen. Don Perata is under FBI investigation is not news. However, I have had two contacts with folks in Sacramento that are teling methat rumors are swirling that he will be indicted in a week. Just after this week’s session is over.

If true, Perata becomes the main face of the ant-term limits campaign. Time will tell.… Read More

For those curious – the California Republican Party has just taken positions on state ballots measures: the delegates unanimously opposed the Nunez-Perata Term Limits end-run! Delegates also voted unanimously to support the Jarvis-backed CA Property Owners and Farmland Protection Act. They – equally as important – opposed ACA 8, the legislative attempt to stop real eminent romain (both a legislative attemot and a potential initiative attempt). Also they supported an initiative to allow development of Nuclear Power plants, they supported a measure to allocate California’s Presidential Electors on a Congressional District basis, support for negotiated Indian Gaming Compacts (and opposition to a potential referendum to undo them), and support the Citizens Fair Districts Initiative.

Delegates unanimously opposed a measure to change funding for community colleges.… Read More

FR Publisher Jon Fleischman is at the California Republican Party’s Fall Convention, and so there is no commentary for today, Sunday. But look back in this spot for a new commentary Monday morning.

Care to read comments, or make your own about today’s Daily Commentary?

Just click here to go to the FR Weblog, where this Commentary has its own blog post, and where you can read and make comments.… Read More

It isn’t every day you can save $23 billion. But Republicans in the House, in combination with the President, can do it in the next 60 days, if we stay resolved to hold our ground.

The Democrat majority in the House has passed 11 appropriations bills (I voted for one of them) which together spend $23 billion more than the President requested in his budget. The President’s budget request is $22 billion more than last year’s spending amount so it’s not as though he proposed some draconian cut. I led the effort to obtain 146 signatures on a letter assuring President Bush that Republicans in the House would uphold his veto of any appropriations bill that exceeded his budget request. That is the minimum number of signatures needed to sustain a Presidential veto. We obtained 147 signatures on that letter. The president then issued a statement that he would veto the overspending. The Pelosi-led House Democrats, as has been their pattern, ignored the realities of other meaningful opinions and defiantly passed the bills anyway.

But the Senate has passed only 1 of the 11 bills. However, the well- known “cloture” rule requiring 60… Read More

For all you Capitol watchers out there, soon there will be a lot less to watch. Tomorrow could be our last full day legislatin’ plus a half day Tuesday. That’s the best guess floating around "the building." One bit had us coming back for Friday, which is the drop-dead last day for the ’07 portion of this2 year session, but I doubt it.

And then there is the possibility of the Guv calling for a special session to tackle perhaps health care reform [or, a majority couldjust cram an ultimate reformbillthrough during the last 40 hours from now!] or maybe a session tolook at a solution for water storage/Delta problems.

But then the legislature can just show up for the special session call, convene the applicable committee for a few minutes, adjourn, see you in January…we’ll see.

Then in January, in addition to new bill intro’s, all the 2 year bills will be back on the front burner, including stuff you thought was dead, [bills are like Jason-Friday the 13th, they just keep coming back, even after the end of a 2 year session, even when the author is termed out, they rise up and haunt you… Read More