Republican Assemblyman Rick Keene submitted the healthcare proposal from Governor Schwarzenegger to the independent Legislative Counsel for an opinion on whether the charges proposed by the Governor on employers, hospitals and surgeons are a tax increase as defined by the California Constitution. Undoubtedly Keene had to submit this question to the Counsel’s office because the Governor, who campaigned with an iron-clad promise that he would never ever raise taxes, has been characterizing these charges as "fees" — arguing that that there is a ‘hidden tax’ on Californians (the ‘cost’ of covering uninsured Californians) and therefore these charges, because they are part of a plan that purports to reduce this ‘burden’ on all of us, is a fee and not a tax. What are the charges? Increased payroll taxes, and increased income taxes on hospitals and doctors! Well, it comes as no surprise that the Legislative Counsel has made it very clear that, "…the provider contribution that would be imposed pursuant to the proposal would not constitute a fee and, as a result, would be… Read More

AB 16 passed today 44-28. To answer the question of how many Republican voted for a bill opposed by CFRW, CYR, YRFC and many pro-family groups is still at two (Emmerson, Huff). One Democrat voted no (Parra). See previous post on issue here. The following GOP Legislators actually stood up and opposed the bill. Joel Anderson, Doug La Malfa, Alan Nakanishi, Ted Gaines, Martin Garrick and Bonnie Garcia. Garcia was previously a co-sponsor, but became an opponent after amendments were added that ceded legislative authority to an unelected government official.

Audra Strickland was out there whipping the caucus for no votes as well.… Read More

The "Kill The Patient" lobby is reporting that their effort to authorize doctors tohelp kill patients appearsdeadfor thisyear. See here.

AB 374 was opposed by a diversity of groups that included the CMA and many disability rightsgroups. It was supported by the euthanasia advocates, Feminists,the ACLU and by the HMO lobbying Group. See previous blog here.

Update: See the Press release from Californians Against Assisted Suicide here.… Read More

Once again the Democrats in the State Assembly have demonstrated the kind of schizophrenia that is so shockingly prevalent in their ranks by decrying the "failure" of the free market and demanding more Big Government interventions into it to save us all from ourselves.

With more Big Government mandates placed on Insurers who want to compete in California than in any other state, the Big Government types want us to believe the market has failed. In other words, their constant attacks on the free market through onerous mandateshave created the health care crisis, now we are supposed to leave it up to the Big Government Dems to ride in on their white horses and save us from them!

At the end of the day, this whole conversation will probably be muted by the fact that this law clearly violates ERISA, but why make California wait for real health care reform while the Dems play games. We owe California better, and we need to take back Sacramento from the Big Government Dems.… Read More

Senator Migden is very mad at Tom McClintock. He used the "H" word during today’s Senate debate. McClintock rose to speak against a SB 375, a big government plan to control how people move around the state and asked generally Who the “hell” do you (meaning the government and Dems) think you are in deciding where people should live?

As he sat down Migden forgetting hell is a place accused him of using profanity. Perata ruled that that was not one of the words you are forbiddenfrom using. Migden was very upset. It was a good thing she didn’t hit his car from behind.

Besides doesn’t Migden know who McClintock is?… Read More

Update: After much debate, the assembly passes AB 8 out on a party line vote of 47-32.

One of my favorite arguments against was by Assemblywoman Audra Strickland. When speaking of a government run plan [the same government that has prison health care in receivership and Medi-cal in a shambles] promising higher quality, speedier access and lower costs she referred to a workplace poster that said. "Low Cost, Quality, Speed…Pick Any Two." Also, she compared to a Las Vegas buffet where you can pick from mediocre food, thechoices made by someone else for you, while the good stuff is elsewhere in short supply [rationing]

The effort by government to further takeover your health care choices rolls on. The Senate earlier passed the Don Perata bill, SB 48, 23-16, while we are currently debating the Assembly counterpart, AB 8 by The Speaker. Republicans are articulating our market, free choice proposals through floor amendments and reminders of our 18 bill package that were stopped in Committee on party line votes.… Read More

The California Federation of Republican Women, The California Young Republicans Inc. and the Young Republican Federation of California (YRFC) are opposing AB 16. Capitol Resource Institute, Concerned Women of American and Eagle Forum join them in asking legislators to vote no. AB 16 is a bill that requires all school children to be immunized based on the action of the unelected head of the Advisory Committee on Immunization Practices. Five years after they say so, California children must be immunized based on what they say. This bill started as simple lets force middle age schoolgirls to get vaccinated with a drug that has been on the market for only a year, but pushed by a big pharmaceutical company (Merck) kind of bill. The original sponsor pulled off after it was revealed how much Merck stock the family owned. (There is competing drug coming out, but Merck wants to force as many as they can before there is choice) Amendments … Read More

The California Term Limits Defense Fund, the committee formed by term limit advocates to oppose any possible ballot measures to weaken California’s existing term limits law, announced earlier in the week that they had hired veteran political organizer Bob Adney (pictured) as its Executive Director. Upon hearing the news, I reached out to Adney to welcome him to his new post, and see if we could have a little "on the record" chat about him and his new post. Here is a write up of our Q & A… FR: So Bob, welcome to California! Why don’t you take a moment and ‘introduce yourself’ to FlashReport readers, perhaps with some of your past political involvement, and maybe a little bit about you personally?

Adney: I started my involvement in politics while in High School. A teacher… Read More