This morning the Senate Education Committee passed Mark Leno’s SB 572, legislation that will require the governor to declare every May 22 Harvey Milk Day. The bill specifies that school children should participate in activities commemorating the life of Harvey Milk during their school day. Those familiar with California politics will remember Harvey Milk as the San Francisco County Supervisor who was gunned down by a fellow supervisor following a political dispute. Earlier this year a biopic on Milk won several Academy Awards, thus bringing more attention to Leno’s controversial bill.

The fact that SB 572 is sailing through the legislature isn’t shocking. In fact, the bill passed the legislature last year and was justly vetoed by Governor Schwarzenegger who explained that Milk should be honored in the community where he had the most impact: San Francisco. The problem is the behavior of Republican turncoat Abel Maldonado during the hearing this morning.

My boss, Karen England,was testifying against the bill when Maldonado decided to go after… Read More

Instead of a written commentary, today we offer you a special FlashReport video… Enjoy!

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When voters reject the ill-conceived ballot measures in a couple of weeks, there will be an immediate need to work through yet another massive overspending-created budget shortfall of close to $15 billion (give or take).

First and foremost, the rejection of the measures by the voters should be seen as a rejection of the idea that in a recession, taxpayers should be forced to pay more.

Beyond that, I believe it should be seen as a rejection of the “Big 5” system of budget negotiations that delegates to a small number of people all of the responsibility to come up with a budget solution. On top of it, Big 5 clearly ends up being focused on wheeling and dealing, and literal back-room politics.

I will let others give advice to Democrats, but I would strongly counsel Senate and Assembly Republicans to reject the “Big 5” budget process as a failure, and offer to facilitate public meetings with their selected budget team (note that I suggest that each Caucus be represented by a group of conferees).

Frankly, the budget committee process would be useful and helpful as a vehicle for ongoing dialogue and decision making… Read More

Assembly Republicans are to be commended for withholding their votes yesterday to ratify a new contract for state workers in SEIU 1000, the largest state public employees union. The Schwarzenegger Administration came to terms with union officials on this deal – but a 30,000 foot view of the contract makes it a head scratcher. This is not a “severe recession” contract that gives the state the kind of flexibility it needs to potentially implement workforce reductions as part of reducing state spending down to a level that reflects plummeting state revenues.

So that FR readers are clear, in order for the State of California to approve a union contract, it must be approved by the State Legislature. So in that regard, the Governor and union negotiators have to “bring back terms” to get approved – the union by its membership, and the state by the legislature.

This contract was negotiated with a hope and expectation on the part of the Governor and union leaders that the May 19 “burrito” package of special election measures, including 1A with its trigger of $16 billion in new taxes, would be passed by the electorate. That outcome is looking… Read More

Assembly Republicans are to be commended for withholding their votes yesterday to ratify a new contract for state workers in SEIU 1000, the largest state public employees union. The Schwarzenegger Administration came to terms with union officials on this deal – but a 30,000 foot view of the contract makes it a head scratcher. This is not a “severe recession” contract that gives the state the kind of flexibility it needs to potentially implement workforce reductions as part of reducing state spending down to a level that reflects plummeting state revenues.

So that FR readers are clear, in order for the State of California to approve a union contract, it must be approved by the State Legislature. So in that regard, the Governor and union negotiators have to “bring back terms” to get approved – the union by its membership, and the state by the legislature.

This contract was negotiated with a hope and expectation on the part of the Governor and union leaders that the May 19 “burrito” package of special election measures, including 1A with its trigger of $16 billion in new taxes, would be passed by the electorate. That outcome is looking… Read More

Over on our favorite hard-left blog, the California Progress Report, they featured an interview with Democrat State Senate Majority Leader Dean Florez.

If readers of the FlashReport didn’t already have enough reason to vote down the ballot measures on the May 19th ballot, look at what Flores sees coming down the pike…

CPR: "What happens on May 20?"

FLORES: "May 20 is really clear to me, it’s an all-cuts budget, period. There’s not one more Republican in that house that is going to vote for a tax increase. We lose twenty billion dollars plus in taxes. May 20 is an all-cuts budget, period. I expect it to be a quick budget because we’re not going to have to convince a Republican to vote for this one because there will not be a tax increase in it. It will be the most painful quick budget in California history.

I… Read More

This just in from conservative icon Tom McClintock:

Prop 1A: Extend the Tax Increases. NO. This is the fig leaf that hides certain deficiencies suffered by the legislators who caved into pressure for the biggest tax increase in California’s history. This measure EXTENDS the tax increases for up to two ADDITIONAL years in exchange for a spending limit that doesn’t limit spending. The "spending limit" is laughable – it requires placing "unanticipated revenues" into a special fund that is then to be spent for a variety of additional purposes including education, debt service and health care. And since all funds are interchangeable, this merely allows funds spent for one purpose to be shifted for another. The bottom line: If you were against the tax increase, you’re against Prop. 1A.

Prop… Read More

**FR EXCLUSIVE** This just in from Jon Coupal of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association…

Right on cue, our Hollywood Governor is trotting out the firefighters and threatening Californians with burning homes unless he gets his way. Voters can absolutely be assured that, next week, he and the California Teachers Association will be threatening public education and school closures.

But these threats – reflecting little more than simple extortion – should not be taken seriously. First, the Governor’s own Director of Finance recently testified that the… Read More