Update: The bill passed 42-33.

:With several speakers for and against AB 2747 by Asm. Patty Berg, the Assemblytook upthe Senate’s amended version of what is known as the ‘end-of life care’ bill.It did not pass on the first ballot,by a vote of 38-31. It is on call and will be taken up for another vote later today.… Read More

I am sitting in the airport, waiting to return to the Philippines, where I hope to earn enough money to become a profit center for the state instead of a cost of doing business. On my way to the airport, I heard the Governor slam the Republican borrowing plan really hard, calling it "bad" and "how the state got into this trouble in the first place." First, he is wrong on how the state got into this trouble. This Governor got into this mess the same way the last Governor did, by refusing to stand up to a spendthrift majority in the Legislature. What is worse, he was warned, by me and by others, who saw this doom coming, and whom he dismissed as irrelevant. While it is true that we were irrelevant in those negotiations, it was only because he refused to listen to the prophets forecasting his impending doom. He now wants to shoot the messengers (to mix the metaphors), and cover up his failures and his lack of discipline by punishing the taxpayers of the state of California, instead of the tax receivers. Big government bureaucrats and government unions live off the taxpayer. They pushed the majority to enact the out-of-control spending over the… Read More

While a number of names are floating around out there as potential GOP candidates for California Governor in 2010, including former HP CEO Carly Fiorina, former eBay CEO Meg Whitman, former Congressman Tom Campbell and Ventura County Supervisor Peter Foy, there has only been one individual who is taking the actions that demonstrate his interest has moved well beyond that of punditry. Not too long ago, we broke the news on this blog that Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner was actively in dialogue with top-flight GOP consultant Mike Murphy to play a lead strategy role in a run for Governor.

Well, this afternoon we have confirmed that Team Poizner has now brought on board the GOP powerhouse firm of Meridian Pacific to aide in these beginning stages of Poizner’s run.… Read More

Multiple people have told me that former Speaker Fabian Nunez is having to step in and take a leadership role in the budget negotiations because Speaker Bass and her staff don’t seem capable of making it happen.

I never thought I would actually want to see Nunez as Speaker again.

It is a strange day.… Read More

After some wonderful feedback from people all over California regarding purging state government of the Tire Unit of the Integrated Waste Management Board I have several others to add to the list.

My second suggestion would be to let the free market work in regards to hearing aid regulation. Somehow I don’t think too many people would suffer harm.

You can read more about the Hearing Aide Dispensers Bureau here.

This is hardly the kind of government that is going to be missed if it was eliminated.

Don’t raise taxes of any kind to save this part of state government. Eliminate it and let’s move on to a smaller more efficient state government.

This would be a great box to blow up.… Read More

Grover Norquist the President of Americans for Tax Reform has issued a strong statement against Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed large sales tax increase, which is a center piece to his current budget proposal. This follows up on an a column he penned for the FlashReport which ran last week. Also of note from Norquist — FR readers may recall that we blogged about a group of self-described affluent folks who wrote to the legislature asking to be taxed at a higher rate to help solve the budget problems. Norquist sent a letter to the Governor and legislature in response to this, which is attached below his statement on the tax plan…it is a must… Read More

Grover Norquist the President of Americans for Tax Reform has issued a strong statement against Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger’s proposed large sales tax increase, which is a center piece to his current budget proposal. This follows up on an a column he penned for the FlashReport which ran last week. Also of note from Norquist — FR readers may recall that we blogged about a group of self-described affluent folks who wrote to the legislature asking to be taxed at a higher rate to help solve the budget problems. Norquist sent a letter to the Governor and legislature in response to this, which is attached below his statement on the tax plan…it is a must… Read More

Election officials have a duty to the public to ensure a fair election that is so strong, that "willful neglect" on their part is a crime. Elections Code Section 18002. Hold that thought.

I am working on an electioncase, (but will not mentionthe candidates or other merits of the case), here in Orange County. Part of the case focuses on a candidate’s ballot statement of qualifications. The statement of qualifications is the two hundred word statement that nonpartisan candidates are allowed to place in the voter pamphlet for distribution to the voters. State law prescribes the text a candidate can use in the ballot statement, which is intended to include information only about the candidate’s background and experience. The statement is subject to a10-daypublic viewing period where the public may raise objections to the statement.

Because the candidate statement is intended to focus on the qualifications of the candidate only, for years, courts found it illegal for a candidate to mention the name of an opponent, even in friendly terms, in their statements, and courts would expunge such language in… Read More