No big surprise, the Sen. Kuehl bill on discrimination in curriculum and behavior towards homosexual individuals or ideology passed off of our floor today on a 47-31 vote today. It was pointed out that it is redundant to current law that protects all students. The Governor had promised a veto of the bill. Theoriginal language, which had the requirement of curriculum reflecting historical contributions by homosexual individuals, was amended out last week to what we had today. We received an enormous amount of mail from constituents on this bill, the most of any, perhaps a tie with illegal immigration, as a topic.

On a ‘higher’ note, the legalizing-of-hemp bill passed out as well, 44-27. The unlikely duo of my desk-mateChuck Devore and Mark Leno"joint" [update: quotes added]authored this bill to the Governors desk as well…I don’t think it received more than 1 Assembly Republican vote last I checked. Chuck makes a very principled argumentbut we couldn’t get there.

"ALL I NEED ARE SOME TASTY WAVES, A COOL BUZZAND I’M FINE!" … Read More

SB 1437, one of three bills trageted for defeat by pro-family groups passed the Assembly a couple hours ago and is on the wayback to the Assembly for almost certain approval and then willland on the Governors desk.

According to the Capitol Resource Institute, prohibits textbooks, teaching materials, instruction and “school sponsored” activities from “reflecting adversely” upon others based on actual or perceived gender and sexual orientation. and would result in removal of terms such as “mother and father” and “husband and wife” or any reference to traditional family because that would “reflect adversely” upon homosexuals.

This is the homosexual thought police telling everyone to condone and approve of their lifestyle. So much for tolerance.

This proposed law and two other bills have become a test of the Governor’ efforts to reach out to pro-family voters. At the CRP Convention a rally was held by about 150 people calling on the Governor to veto these bills. The governor had previously promised to veto the bill, but it was ammended before the vote today and rumors are flying he… Read More

There are lots of unnecessary bills which deserve to be vetoed by Gov. Schwarzenegger, but AB 1873 is one that should be on the top of his aides’ list of recommended vetos. AB 1873 would expand the state program which allows mothers to safely surrender their newborn infants within three days of giving birth. The proposed law wouldrequire all fire stations to be safe havens and, more troubling, giving mothers up to 30 days to abandon their child without any questions being asked. (The SF Chronicle carried a story today on the proposed bill and it’s author, Assemblyman Alberto Torrico, D-Fremont.) Under existing law, mothers can drop an infant off at a safe haven spot designated by their county (usually an emergency room or fire station) without having to identify herself. After three days, there is still a legal way for a baby to be given to the state, but a mother cannot remain annoymous.

Los Angeles County and CSAC are among the groups opposing the bill. And for good reason. Both organizations argue that giving parents 30 days to decide to give up… Read More

If you are a National Review digital or print subscriber, make sure to read Chris Weinkopf‘s piece on Governor Schwarzenegger, "The Unlikeliest Girlie Man."(Image courtesy of the California College Republicans.)

Weinkopf, the editorial page editor of the Los Angeles Daily News, makes some inevasible conservative arguments against Schwarzenegger’s administration of California.He also features input fromJon Coupal and Arnie… Read More

Be sure to check out the New West Notes blog today. Bill Bradley has posted video from the California Republican Party convention and Phil Angelides’ counter-press conference.

There is also a charming interview with Angelides’ political consultant, Bill Carrick, who notes to that the “dog days of summer” are long gone for the modern campaign. The final seven seconds of this video offer snippets of a peculiar conversationBradley is having with an unidentified person, in which Bradley says, “…not to have,,, Schwarzenegger do the event with him? That was me.” This, of course, is interesting because one does not often (ever?) hear a reporter talk about giving advice on appearing with a political figure. But we can assume the snippet was included, and not edited out (as were other parts of the conversation), in order to raise interest in Bradley’s insider interactions with different politicians.

Video blogging on the campaign trail by a credenitaled member of the media, who has access to events that campaign interns do not, is sure to provide… Read More

This last weekend, along with many hundreds of other State GOP Central Committee members, I participated in the State Republican Party Convention at the Hyatt Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. This hotel is the site of a lot of fond memories. At one point, Californians for Schwarzenegger finance guru Marty Wilson and I were reminiscing about how all of the Ronald Reagan victory parties were held in this hotel. Of course, Republicans gathered here on the night of the recall election, cheering on newly minted Governor Schwarzenegger at his victory party. So this is the hotel of Ronald Reagan…and Arnold Schwarzenegger! Later this week, the FlashReport will be publishing its renowned "Winners and Losers of the GOP Convention" column — and as always, many of our best ideas come from fellow attendees who submit their ideas. So you can write to me … Read More

This last weekend, along with many hundreds of other State GOP Central Committee members, I participated in the State Republican Party Convention at the Hyatt Century Plaza Hotel in Los Angeles. This hotel is the site of a lot of fond memories. At one point, Californians for Schwarzenegger finance guru Marty Wilson and I were reminiscing about how all of the Ronald Reagan victory parties were held in this hotel. Of course, Republicans gathered here on the night of the recall election, cheering on newly minted Governor Schwarzenegger at his victory party. So this is the hotel of Ronald Reagan…and Arnold Schwarzenegger! Later this week, the FlashReport will be publishing its renowned "Winners and Losers of the GOP Convention" column — and as always, many of our best ideas come from fellow attendees who submit their ideas. So you can write to me … Read More

On ABC’s "This Week with George Stephanopoulos," Senator John Kerry today came out aggressively opposed to the war in Iraq, Senator Joe Lieberman (he called him the "new Cheney"), and President George W. Bush. No surprises there.

Kerry and his ilk are pushing an anti-Iraq war agenda, which I think the media is interpreting as being anti-war, period. But that isn’t what Kerry is saying. Or at least, it isn’t what he said today.

Specifically, he said that the war on terror is not centered in Iraq but rather is in a host of nations – probably 40 to 60 by now.

I know I’m playing Monday Morning Quarterback here, but it strikes me that if Stephanopoulos had had his wits about him this morning, he might have bothered to ask John Kerry WHERE the US military should be waging the war on terror.

Kerry stated, “I believe we can fight a far more effective war on terror.”

Therefore, Kerry is not anti-war, as the Ned Lamonties would like to believe. He simply is suggesting that we pull out of Iraq and fight the war on terror elsewhere.

But when reporters like… Read More