Study Shows Public Employers Saved Billions from Workers’ Comp Reform Joel Fox, President, Small Business Action Committee

As California’s workers compensation crisis came to a head in the winter of 2003-2004, thousands of stories and complaints echoed throughout the state about the crushing impact workers comp costs had on California businesses. Workers compensation costs tripled for some businesses in just a few years. For others, workers comp premiums totaled more than salaries. In traveling the state promoting the Small Business Action Committee’s workers comp reform initiative, I held up a copy of a state of Idaho advertisement from a California business journal promoting reasonable workers comp rates there and offering to help California businesses move. Some did.

However, little attention was focused on the difficulties workers comp costs… Read More

We are done until January 7, notwithstanding any special session action on water and health. The process of going though bills at the end wasvery fast and furious, not a great way to debate or contemplate bills. Workingtill 3:30 AM, whether trying to disc a straight line in a rice field, or do legislation, can get marginal results. … Read More

SB 924 was vetoed tonight by the Governor. Appropriately, in his veto message, he leaves it to the President and military experts to determine military deployment.… Read More

Cal Grant financial aid, fee waivers,for illegal immigrants in a bill, SB 1, passes off of our floor tonight, 45-29.… Read More

Last weekend, the Republican Party’s State Convention was held out in Indian Wells, where former Assemblyman Russ Bogh and current Assemblyman John Benoit are engaged in what promises to be an entertaining and nasty primary to succeed the termed-out local State Senator Jim Battin.

There is an axium that says, "there is never a good time to vote for a budget."

Slipped under hotel room doors at the conventon was a full glossy campaign piece from the "Riverside Taxpayers Association" fileting John Benoit for an "aye" vote on a state budget some years back – when Gray Davis was still Governor. Kinda proves that axium above to be true!

This primary promises to be exciting, and we’ll try to bring you all of the fun… (The .pdf of this hit piece is attached below.)… Read More

A longand passionate discussion preceded a vote on the Assembly floor on ACA 8, with the vote going 45-30, a 2/3 vote of 54 required to place it on the ballot. The argument that it’s hard to define what property should be protected, when it’s OK to use your land for a given purpose, etc, is an arrogant view by land grabbers that trample a cornerstone issue for our Founders.

The Jarvis-Farm Bureau-CA Alliance initiative is the solution to restore that safety from wrongful takings. Signature gatherers, full speed ahead! And watch out for the phonyinitiative that will now be pushed by the losers of ACA 8.… Read More

Senator Don Perata took the lead in pulling hte plug on redistricting reform. So, unless a redistricting reform measure qualifies for the ballot via signature petitions, don’t look for it on the ballot next year.

Of course, it is now full-speed ahead to kill the Perata/Nunez Term Limits Weakening Initiative that is on the February ballot. If we aren’t going to have fair districts, the last thing we need to four and six more years of Perata and Nunez, respectively.

These guys need to go find jobs in the private sector, where they cannot torture the taxpayers anymore.… Read More

From a trusted legislative advocate….

Governor Schwarzenegger, just a few minutes ago, called the Legislature into Special Session, starting tomorrow, to work on State Health Insurance Reform. He also called a Special Session on water projects.

The Governor also announced at his press conference that he would veto AB 8, as expected, the Democrat’s health insurance proposal.

It is anticipated that the Special Session on health care will operate mostly behind the scenes, with the political leaders trying to craft a solution.… Read More