We join with our lefty counterpart Steve Maviglio in lamenting the decision by the Stockton Record to close its Sacramento Bureau, issuing a pink-slip to veteran Capitol reporter Hank Shaw. (See Steve’s blog post.)

Shaw is a superior reporter — who is thorough, objective, and passionate about his coverage. Hopefully he will "land" somewhere that will enable him to continue to write about California politics.

In the meantime, this trend is disturbing. As Maviglio points out, this is just the latest in a trend as newspapers try to figure out how to remain profitable in a changing economic scene.

Imagine a world where the only people covering politics are Maviglio and me. Ooohhh… A nightmare scenario.

P.S. One upshot is that we’re bound to see more great post’s on Hank’s personal blog — Hunter, Angler, Gardner, Cook.… Read More

The Assembly finished it’s work last night at about 6:30, getting through a deadline for settling the bills from the "House of Origin."[It is kind of strange finishing a deadline not at 3 AM] That means that a bill introduced by a member of the Assembly had until the end of business today to be voted off of our floor or the bill dies. [Win or go home as they say in the playoffs] The Senate faced the same deadline for their House ofOrigin and was finishing their work yesterday also.

There is one bill of note that passed jumps out that I haven’t reported on yet from yesterday. [I decided that it would be nice to get home at a decent hour while the kids are awake or not ‘make’ my staff stay late and write an analysis of the days work for me, I’ll have more later on some of the actions taken…we did stop a few bad bills or discourage some from even being taken up!]

The bill had to do with aerial spraying in the Bay Area. A pest known as the Light Brown Apple Moth has become enough of a problem that the Ca Dept of Food and Ag, with others had moved to eradicate the pest. This has touched off a… Read More

One of the most frequent e-mail queries that we get here at the FlashReport is from loyal readers wanting to know who are the "good candidates" to vote for when it comes to judges. Alas, it is often that our message back is that we just don’t know. Well, we are pleased to share with you that this election cycle, the California Republican Lawyers Association has worked hard an put together recommendations in many of the judicial races in counties around California… CRLA President Steve Baric penned this piece to introduce his organization’s recommendations (this piece first appeared on FR friend Steve Frank’s California Political News & Views website)… LINK… Read More

One of the most frequent e-mail queries that we get here at the FlashReport is from loyal readers wanting to know who are the "good candidates" to vote for when it comes to judges. Alas, it is often that our message back is that we just don’t know. Well, we are pleased to share with you that this election cycle, the California Republican Lawyers Association has worked hard an put together recommendations in many of the judicial races in counties around California… CRLA President Steve Baric penned this piece to introduce his organization’s recommendations (this piece first appeared on FR friend Steve Frank’s California Political News & Views website)… LINK… Read More

Former longtime California State Legislator, Cathie Wright, has officially decided to poke a stick in the eye of her longtime local Congressman, Elton Gallegly.

Gallegly’s running for re-election this year, having served in Congress from that area since before people converted from LP to compact disk. Conventional wisdom is that Gallegly will easily win renomination as the Republican nominee in what is an overwhelmingly GOP district.

Those who know Cathie Wright (I used to work for her for a time) can visualize her smirk as she envisions Gallegly reading that she has endorsed Michael Tenenbaum against him. Tenenbaum, a local businessman, is in the midst of what will likely be his second Kamikaze run against this incumbent…

FR readers may recall that there was some drama two years ago when Gallegly participated in some political machinations, apparently desiring to retire but "softball" his seat to a friend. For a short period, it looked like Tenenbaum might be the only… Read More

By a bare majority, the Ammo registration bill passes, 41-31.… Read More

As if the liberals who run the State Legislature haven’t come up with enough things to prohibit, outlaw or ban, now in true "Liberal Grinch" style they have decided to outlaw balloons.

Yes, I am being serious. There is legislation (SB 1499) coursing through the legislature banning those cool mylar silver balloons because some brain surgeon says they get caught up in power lines. This legislation, authored by Democrat Senator Jack Scott, "…prohibits the sale or distribution of any balloon that is constructed of electrically conductive materials, and filled with gas lighter than air…"

Um — why don’t we also ban tennis shoes, since I seem to see a pair of those, tied at the laces, hanging off of power lines all of the time.

Anyways, Democrats banning fun isn’t really news.

But when a Republican participates in the process, you have to call them out on it.

Senator Abel Maldonado actually voted for this Nanny State legislation, can you believe it?

Perhaps… Read More

From today’s Wall Street Journal Political Diary E-mail…

Local Hero

… Read More