There are three ways legislators can attempt to prevent a law from taking effect – and they vary in terms of transparency to the public. The first, most obvious way is that they can vote against it, and hope to persuade enough colleagues on board to vote with them. But once passed into law, a legislator can attempt to defund the measure. This can be done in a public fashion, as we are witnessing in the current Obamacare debates in Washington.

But it is the third way that should concern us all as Californians: the use of budget trailer bills that quietly have tucked within them the poison pills intended to kill particular programs. What is so insidious about this last strategy as that these bills rarely carry titles that would indicate their intended targets, and are often so complex that a few lines of text defunding a mandated program squirreled into 400-500 page trailers can easily pass the notice of even the most exacting observer, at least until it’s too late.

Well, if it happened once, it would be an event, and two times a trend. But do three instances of this practice constitute a strategy for the Legislative Democrats and Governor Brown in using budget… Read More

“Just as the overseer of Detroit lied to the public about Detroit’s unfunded pension liability, these extremists are likewise lying to the taxpayers of Orange County, and they’re following his playbook.” – Jennifer Muir, Communications Director, Orange County Employees Association

We’re not lying, Jennifer. We’re not even stretching the truth.

What government union spokesperson Muir is referring to is an analysis released last week by the California Public Policy Center entitled “Are Annual Contributions Into Orange County’s Employee Pension Plan Adequate?”

They aren’t adequate. They aren’t even close to adequate. No lie.

The problem with pensions, unfortunately, as Teri Sforza aptly put it in her coverage of the CPPC study on September 10th in the Orange County Register, is“the nature of America’s public pension systems is to peer 20 to 30 years into the future – and the crystal ball can get a bit… Read More

Criminals don’t register their guns with authorities. Despite this indisputable fact, the California Legislature recently passed 14 gun control bills, taking aim at citizens who legally own guns.

California lawmakers are ignoring the historic recall last week of two Colorado state legislators who backed new gun restrictions. And they are ignoring the Bill of Rights. Second Amendment

“A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed,” says the Second Amendment within the Bill of Rights of the U.S. Constitution.

The gun control debate waged during the last eight months in the California Legislature has been an attack on the Second Amendment. Democratic lawmakers claim the… Read More

As first reported by San Diego Rostra on Saturday and covered by John Hrabe on FlashReport today, Assemblywoman Diane Harkey is suing fellow Republican and Senator Mark Wyland in response to comments he is said to have made in July (the links provide the details; a copy of the lawsuit is reposted here).

As readers may know, Harkey and Wyland are vying to follow Michelle Steel on the State Board of Equalization when she terms out next year.

The number of times I’ve heard candidates say they’re going to sue an opponent? Probably during just about every campaign in which I’ve been involved. Dozens of times, at least. In the heat of the campaign, at some point the reaction to a mail piece, or a commercial, or an opponent’s public statement of some kind, inevitably includes, “I’m going to sue that (fill in the… Read More

[Publisher’s Note: Below is a commentary from Kirk Jorgensen, who is running against Carl DeMaio for Congress.– Flash]

Through the prism of the civil war in Syria, history is asking this generation of Americans to decide what level of violence we find acceptable.

Chemical weapons were used in Syria, resulting in the deaths of 1,400 civilians, including 400 children.

Chemical weapons are taboo to those of us who’ve served on the battlefield. They are simply barbaric, and innocent civilians are usually the victims of these weapons of mass destruction.

As a U.S. Marine, I spent years living in the Middle East and in other countries where chaos and violence were often the norm. The more time I spent away from home, the more I realized America is a special place. And, we as Americans have a special responsibility in the world.

Before the September 11th attacks, I worked with a unique group of men and women from our U.S. Intelligence Community who served in clandestine operations across Europe. We identified and apprehended those accused of war crimes and… Read More

Some years ago, at a meeting of the California State Council on Developmental Disabilities, a controversial suggestion by one of the council members resulted in startled murmurs from the audience. Annoyed by this unsolicited feedback, the council member blurted out “No comments from the Peanut Gallery.”

For those younger than the baby boom generation, it should probably be mentioned that the “Peanut Gallery” was what the audience of preschoolers was called on the 1950s Howdy Doody TV show. This was a disrespectful and demeaning comment by a public official, and no doubt the perpetrator quickly regretted his honesty because it confirmed what anyone who has spent time around government insiders know: This is precisely how most bureaucrats and elected officials regard the public. Citizens are like children and thus “should be seen and not heard.”

This attitude of superiority and disdain for the public helps explain politicians’ extreme hostility to the initiative process. As I have written before, government insiders find it annoying that average citizens have the option to place measures on the ballot which can run counter to their plans.

It… Read More

The California Legislature ended the 2013 legislative session Thursday by passing hundreds of new bills. Most of the controversial bills were passed along party lines. However a bill from Sen. Pres. Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, granting a Sacramento arena development an exemption from the state’s strict environmental laws, had plenty of help from state Republicans.

Reform or worsen?

Steinberg insists he’s only trying to reform the California Environmental Quality Act. SB 743, is a gut-and-amend bill by Steinberg is titled, “Environmental quality: transit oriented infill projects, judicial review streamlining for environmental leadership development projects, and entertainment and sports center in the City of Sacramento.”

That’s the long way of saying this is not really a CEQA reform bill. It’s a face-saving way out for Steinberg who has been awkwardly intertwined for more than 13 years with the haphazard development of a new sports arena in downtown Sacramento.

On its way to the Gov

This isn’t a one-off bill. Exemptions from the California Environmental Quality Act were granted… Read More

[Publisher’s Note: Last night the California legislature adjourned for the rest of the year. Below is a post-session column penned by Assembly Republican Leader Connie Conway – Flash]

Just after midnight on Friday, the Legislature adjourned for the year having completed its business for the 2013 legislative session.

Obviously, our job was more challenging this session facing the Democrat supermajority and their big government agenda. But as Republicans showed on the softball field a few weeks ago when we beat the Democrats in the annual legislative softball game, we can overcome long odds and achieve real victories when we stand united together.

Our most immediate victory will ensure that thousands of dangerous criminals remain locked up behind bars where they belong.

Since it was first enacted two years ago, Republicans have fought hard to protect Californians from the dangers of public safety realignment. But under a looming federal court order that will take effect at the end of the year, upwards of 10,000 inmates could be granted early release to comply with a court-ordered prison… Read More