So in the wee hours, the DEMOCRAT budget passes, as does the controversial health trailer bill that contains the "poison pill" amongst other programs.

The budget, SB 77, required 54 votes (2/3) to pass the Assembly. One Democrat was absent which means seven GOP votes were needed for passage, and the following NINE Republicans voted for it: Adams, Aghazarian, Berryhill, Blakeslee, Emmerson, Horton, Keene, Niello, and Villines.

The Health Serves also required 54 votes, and it got 55. They were: Adams, Aghazarian, Berryhill, Blakeslee, Emmerson, Maze, Niello, and Villines went up on that.

Quick observations:

1) Due to the hard work of Mike Villines and his leadership team, this DEMOCRAT budget is better than it was before they insisted on some reforms. They should be recognized for some real impacts to take this from worse to bad. 2) Despite their best efforts, stepping back and looking at this DEMOCRAT budget, it is no where near what Republicans would have put forth if we had a majority. It is still a terrible fiscal plan for California. 3) This is demonstrated by the fact that the overwhelming majority of Republican… Read More

Last night the California State Assembly passed a budget and sent it over to the Senate for their approval or rejection. The budget came out of the lower house with the support of all Democrats present, and slightly over the minimum number of Republican votes to get to the two-thirds required.

Let me start this commentary by reminding FR readers that like almost all of you, I am a far-away spectator to what goes on under the Capitol dome — I am in Southern California myself. Not being a denizen of the State Capitol, one tends to have a better perspective, I think, of the big picture. So from here, I can tell you that the passage of this budget out of the Assembly is nothing that should excite taxpayers, and certainly it is not good news for Republican Party leaders, donors and activists. The budget that was passed this morning was not support by over two-thirds of GOP legislators for a reason — it is a vastly inferior budget to one that would have been passed if there was a Republican majority in the… Read More

Last night the California State Assembly passed a budget and sent it over to the Senate for their approval or rejection. The budget came out of the lower house with the support of all Democrats present, and slightly over the minimum number of Republican votes to get to the two-thirds required.

Let me start this commentary by reminding FR readers that like almost all of you, I am a far-away spectator to what goes on under the Capitol dome — I am in Southern California myself. Not being a denizen of the State Capitol, one tends to have a better perspective, I think, of the big picture. So from here, I can tell you that the passage of this budget out of the Assembly is nothing that should excite taxpayers, and certainly it is not good news for Republican Party leaders, donors and activists. The budget that was passed this morning was not support by over two-thirds of GOP legislators for a reason — it is a vastly inferior budget to one that would have been passed if there was a Republican majority in… Read More

It all began with a palm-tree caper – now the trustees of MiraCosta College have bestowed a lavish “prize package” on the outgoing president that seems more fitting of a television game show.

According to the San Diego Union Tribune (June 21, 2007), the MiraCosta College President’s “departure ends a year of turmoil that began in May 2006, when she announced an investigation into the illegal sale of palm trees from the campus’s Horticulture Department. Three months earlier, the college had authorized its lawyers to hire a private investigator to look into a whistle-blower’s allegations. The investigation centered on allegations that a college administrator and her fiance had struck a deal to nurture and sell thousands of palm trees donated to the college. Estimates of the investigation’s cost have ranged from $200,000 to $1 million.” The results were “underwhelming… conviction of a former administrator for felony grand theft involving $306.”… Read More

Illegal Immigration: Lately, our Republican leadership has been offering amendments on the floor to a number of bills that were clearly going to pass on the subject of illegal immigration. This is not surprising. What is surprising is that they almost always pass. Last week, an amendment to a Section 8 (government) subsidized housing bill would require that applicantsfor such housing show some proof of citizenship before they can obtain a subsidy. This clearly makes sense as we should not be giving such benefits to those who are here illegally. This amendment passed by a vote of 233-186 because virtually all Republicans and nearly 50 Democrats voted for it. We’ll see whether this amendment remains in the bill through the Senate and a conference committee. But, if there is a majority in the House for such measures, might there not be that same majority for a broader enforcement-first immigration bill? The problem is that no bill even… Read More

For those legislators thinking about voting for the 2007 – 2008 budget, I could spent a lot of time listing out programs in it that simply represent the worst of centralized state planning and control.

But today I was made aware of what would have to be the worst "poison pill" of the whole bunch.

In the budget is an increase of $18.9 million in funds from the General Fund for the "Medi-Cal Minor Consent Program." This money, and I am dead serious here, is to fund abortion services for the minor children of illegal aliens. The program specifically PROHIBITS contacting parents for consent, and has never asked for verification of citizenship.

As a matter of fact, this is not a new program, but the cost of it is shifting to the state because new federal guidelines require proof of citizenship.

So as you cast a budget vote, you are funding what we are called the "Trifecta" (no documentation, no notification, for abortion). I just couldn’t cast that vote. Just the thought of the program existing, quite frankly, makes me nauseous.… Read More

This just came over from State Senator Tom McClintock, pardon any odd formatting as I am posting it up from my Blackberry….

ASSEMBLY REPUBLICANS COLLAPSING ON BUDGET TONIGHT! THE VOTE IS SCHEDULED FOR 8:15 PM TONIGHT. PLEASE CONTACT ASSEMBLY AND SENATE REPUBLICAN OFFICES AND DEMAND THAT THEY HOLD FIRM FOR A BALANCED BUDGET. The Assembly is convening tonight to adopt another seriously out-of-balance state budget (SB 77). Worse, it sets in motion obligations that will cause a catastrophic shortfall for the following year. And worst of all, it plans on continuing the process of “escheat,” in which the state controller loots safe deposit boxes, retirement and college funds – any assets that are idle for just three years – to deposit in the general fund. Even though a federal court has ordered them temporarily to halt this practice, they are still counting on resuming it – or having taxpayers pick up the difference. Because it takes a 2/3 vote to adopt the budget, Republicans can hold firm to demand what they promised California – a state government that lives within its means. If this budget is adopted as it now stands, it will be due entirely to… Read More

An update for the night-owls, the Assembly Republican Caucus is now meeting and legislators are ‘locked in’ which means there is likely a budget vote immenent. We’ll see what happens..… Read More