Wednesday.

The Senators were in earlier, looking at a new proposal to try to settle up the budget, to be heard in their next session tomorrow, so that the Dems get 24 hours of review. This is a first in my five years. Usually a package is sent over to us in the Assembly to either put out, or agonize over for a few more weeks. This time around the lower house got one out first.

I’ve an idea of issuing legislators special calendars for all their offices, homes and Crackberry phones that have April and May ripped out of them so that, at the end of March, June… Read More

Below is the text of a letter sent this evening from Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman to President Pro-Tem and all around big spender Don Perata. It is a response to a letter from Perata to Ackerman (also reprinted down below, for context). At some point, perhaps Perata will stop playing games and get back to negotiating on the budget. If he doesn’t hurry, voters might reject his term-limits extension measure, and Perata might have to return to the private sector next year…

July 25, 2007 The Honorable Don Perata Senate President pro Tempore State Capitol, Room 205… Read More

Here is an exclusive commentary from State Senator Roy Ashburn for FR readers…

Senate Republicans – Standing United Last week fifteen Republican State Senators faced down a political freight train and brought it to a grinding halt. By remaining united just fifteen of the one hundred and twenty California Legislators were able to draw a line in the sand and say “No” to an irresponsible State budget. To compare our ordeal to that of the 300 Spartans at Thermopylae might be a bit of a stretch, but there have been times this week when it certainly felt like it. … Read More

Presidential candidate Rudy Giuliani made a campaign stop at the Coffee Depot in Riverside earlier today, and loyal FR reader Allen Wilson, who serves as Chairman of Rudy’s efforts in the City of Diamond Bar, was there. He sent over this account of the event, that I thought we would share with FR readers…

The coffee house was huge, not your conventional Starbucks, but big enough to get enough supporters to fill in to hear the former New York City Mayor running for President. The room was packed! Shoulder to Shoulder of supporters for Rudy! Roughly 100 was in… Read More

The main page (www.flashreport.org) will be updated around 8:30am, but I wanted to give the early morning blog readers early access to our lead column this morning, which is my State Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman, Senate Republicans Meet the Budget Challenge. It goes over the proposal coming from Senate Republicans this morning.… Read More

Over at the Orange County Register, Dena Bunis is reporting that Barbara Boxer is headed for Greenland. We can only hope that it is a one way ticket… Hmmm, I wonder if Arnold can run for President of Greenland? … Read More

In advance of tomorrow’s picking up of the Senate Budget dance, State Senator Tom McClintock has posted up a fairly lengthy list of suggested places where the State of California could inhale, and then tighten up the belt a little bit. Below is the Senator’s blog post from his Citizens for the California Republican website (lifted with permission) and at the bottom of his comments is a link over to the CFCR website where he has posted up a letter from McClintock to Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman, with 40 suggested reforms for the California budget.

THE NEXT STEP By Senator Tom McClintock … Read More

This just over the transom from the office of State Senator Jeff Denham…

Assembly’s Proposed Budget Only Intensifies California’s Fiscal Problems By Senator Jeff Denham, 12th District As a State Senator, I took an oath to uphold the State Constitution. That means a budget that balances every year. I understand that the decisions I make, and the way I vote, doesn’t just impact me. It also doesn’t just affect the 850,000 constituents in the 12th Senate District that I represent. My votes impact everyone one of us who lives in this glorious… Read More