A few minutes ago, the last remaining hurdle for the disbursement of over $1Million to the families of five firefighters who died while battling the Esperanza fire in October was cleared as Senator Battin’s SB 41 and Assemblyman Benoit’s AB 108 both cleared their respective housesunopposed. Legislation was introduced indual houses, both inCongress, as well as the State, due to the urgent nature of the proposal.

What makes this commonsense legislation "blogworthy", other than ultruistic nature of the bills, was the guiding through the process by two veteran, well respected legislators from Riverside County.

Since the legislature convened just two weeks ago, bills are not yet eligible to be heard, due to constitutional timelines. Both legislators requested and received "rule waivers", granted unanimously, to move the bills forward. In the Democratic controlled legislature, this concession rarely gets handed to Republican legislators, although bi-partisanship tends to pervade in times of emergency. Kudos to these two for having the understanding and relationships to work the process effectively.

After the October… Read More

Assemblyman Todd Sptizer, when accepting the Legislator of the Year Award from the Orange County Republican Party last Monday night, gave a heartfelt speech. In it, he recounted to the hundreds present about his disappointment over the Governor’s Inaugural address. Click here to hop over to Red County/OC Blog, where Matt Cunningham has posted the video. It’s worth taking the two minutes to watch. To Spitzer I say, "Here, here."… Read More

Today the Governor made21 more appointments into State Government — 12 Republicans,5 Democrats and4 Decline-To-State (we hope this ismore of a trend…):

There is a lot being written about Governor Schwarzenegger’s health care proposal, but one of the most interesting analyses I’ve read lately is Senator Sheila Kuehl’s take on the plan. For free market types, it is a look at how committed the liberals are to having government take over health care (and how little they care about the cost of health care, as long as employees don’t have to pay for anything). For the governor’s staff and legislative Republicans, it tells them exactly what Kuehl and other universal health care advocates will continue to push for as the legislature begins to debate the governor’s proposal (She doesn’t even like the liberal stuff he proposed!).

Here are a few highlights from an essay Kuehl wrote this week critiquing the plan:

** ON THE INDIVIDUAL MANDATE: "The central basis of the Governor’s plan is simply to mandate that every Californian must, by law, carry health insurance. There is no requirement that it be affordable and no minimum… Read More

There is a lot being written about Governor Schwarzenegger’s health care proposal, but one of the most interesting analyses I’ve read lately is Senator Sheila Kuehl’s take on the plan. For free market types, it is a look at how committed the liberals are to having government take over health care (and how little they care about the cost of health care, as long as employees don’t have to pay for anything). For the governor’s staff and legislative Republicans, it tells them exactly what Kuehl and other universal health care advocates will continue to push for as the legislature begins to debate the governor’s proposal (She doesn’t even like the liberal stuff he proposed!).

Here are a few highlights from an essay Kuehl wrote this week critiquing the plan:

** ON THE INDIVIDUAL MANDATE: "The central basis of the Governor’s plan is simply to mandate that every Californian must, by law, carry health insurance. There is no requirement that it be affordable and no minimum… Read More

During the Davis recall election and Governor Schwarzenegger’s special election, all we heard from the Democrats is how expensive an extra election is, how that money could be better spent for the good of the children, etc, etc. Isn’t it ironic that the Dems seem to be amenable to the idea of having two elections now that the governor is talking about an early presidential primary? … Read More

Monrovia is the San Gabriel Valley is one of those cities having a March Election. Turns out that the candidate running against incumbent Mayor has been convicted of grand theft. Finally, a politician with that has admitted what most of them really end up doing. Of course he attacks the Mayor, a good guy named Rob Hammond, for being a pawnbroker. Maybe Hammond wouldn’t fence his stuff?See article here.… Read More

One of the three candidates for Vice Chairman of the California Republican Party, Tom Del Beccaro, is an attorney who is currently a plaintiff in a lawsuit against Jerry Brown. While that case, and the merits of it, have been discussed on this page quite a bit, the nickel tour is that Del Beccaro and several others who joined with him in filing the suit alledge that Brown was not qualified to run for Attorney General because his license to practice law in California went dormant during his time as Mayor of Oakland. A judge will decide this matter.

But I find it ironic that the judge in the case has scheduled a hearing for 1:30 p.m. on February 9th. This, of course, is the beginning of the California Republican Party’s convention, where Del Beccaro is running, along with Jalene Forbis and Tom Bordonaro, for Vice Chairman. Given that Del Beccaro has gone ‘point’ on this matter, one cannot imagine that he will not be at the hearing (which, conveniently, is in Sacramento). But the timing it interesting. There is no substitute for being on-hand at these conventions as a candidate,… Read More