Here’s an email that Assemblyman DeVore sent out to constituents and supporters (as I am both a constituent and a supporter, I thankfully receive these):

A Big Government Budget Last night the California Legislature approved the budget for 2006-07. Compared with the approved budget from the current year, it grows government by $11.3 billion – $90 billion to $101.3 billion in the General Fund, $131 billion overall including even more State employees than the record number under former Gov. Gray Davis. I voted “no” as did 23 of the 31 Republicans in the Assembly, with only 8, the minimum needed, voting to approve the budget. Last year, by contrast, almost… Read More

As promised, here’s the list of Republican Senators’ votes on Assembly Bill 1801 (Laird), the Budget Act of 2006:

Ayes

Dick Ackerman (R – Tustin) Roy Ashburn (R – Bakersfield)

Jeff Denham (R – Merced)

Bob Dutton (R – Rancho Cucamonga)

Chuck Poochigian (R – Fresno) * 5 TOTAL

Noes

Sam Aanestad (R- Nevada City)

Jim Battin (R – Palm… Read More

(As the Assembly floor vote has not yetbeen posted on leginfo, I had to contact a friend on the inside. Thanks go to that person.)

The Budget this year was Assembly Bill 1801 (John Laird, D – Santa Cruz). Here’s the rundown of votes within the Assembly Republican Caucus:

Ayes Greg Aghazarian (R – Stockton)

Lynn Daucher (R – Brea)… Read More

I’ve enjoyed sharing my thoughts on the situation with the Republican base and its "energy" for the past two weeks. As I stated initially, I think the free fall has subsided, and our mood has stabilized for the time being. While we are only one policy disaster away from despair, I still sense that the GOP has bottomed out and has a chance to turn it up a notch this summer and fall. How we handle illegal immigration and spending issues in Washington and Sacramento remain the greatest concerns of conservatives everywhere.

Last week I detailed three issues which would serve to energize the Republican base: balancing the State budget (evidently now not going to happen); protect us from crazy liberals; and define the public employee unions before they define you. It appears that of these three, the Governor is only willing to protect us from the worst of what the legislature has to offer. His recent overtures to the CCPOA and… Read More

I’ve enjoyed sharing my thoughts on the situation with the Republican base and its "energy" for the past two weeks. As I stated initially, I think the free fall has subsided, and our mood has stabilized for the time being. While we are only one policy disaster away from despair, I still sense that the GOP has bottomed out and has a chance to turn it up a notch this summer and fall. How we handle illegal immigration and spending issues in Washington and Sacramento remain the greatest concerns of conservatives everywhere.

Last week I detailed three issues which would serve to energize the Republican base: balancing the State budget (evidently now not going to happen); protect us from crazy liberals; and define the public employee unions before they define you. It appears that of these three, the Governor is only willing to protect us from the worst of what the legislature has to offer. His recent overtures to the CCPOA and… Read More

After much effort to gather the more than 1 million signatures necessary, the Protect Our Homes initiative has qualified overwhelmingly. Voters swept this measure onto the ballot to protect farms, small businesses and homes from landgrabbers. Enough signatures were verified at a high validity rate to easily allow Secretary of State Bruce McPherson to declare its eligibility.

Conservative heroine Assemblywoman Mimi Walters led the charge to qualify this initiative in response to the Kelo v. New London, CT Supreme Court decision of last June. In a 5-4 decision in that case, the court tacitly allowed the taking of private property, homes, farms, small businesses, even church properties for other private uses, under the premise that higher property taxes or sales taxes generated from the new use than the existing owner’s use are in the ‘public good’. This ‘public use’ justification to allow takings is a blatant abuse of the Founders intent.

This initiative became necessary after the legislature’s unwillingness to place real reform on the ballot via the much more direct legislative route, a 2/3 vote of both houses.… Read More

The Democratic Primary for the 51st AD is finally over. Hustler backed Gardena Councilman Steve Bradford finally conceeded after losing by 114 votes in the first tally. See article here. For more on the Hustler connection click on this non-porn linkhere.… Read More

In what turned out to be a very heated debate last night (read, shouting match), Bill O’Reilly and I discussed Governor Schwarzenegger’s refusal to send 1500 California National Guard to the Arizona and New Mexico border with Mexico. You can watch the interview hereby clicking on the link to “Border Apathy?”

Background

On June 5th, Gov. Schwarzenegger signed a Memorandum of Agreement for “Operation Jump Start” with three border governors and the Department of Defense, which lays outtermsfor using National Guard to support federal efforts to securethe US/Mexico border.The governor committed todeploying 1,000 California National Guard troops by July 31st to protect our border.

Last week, President Bush requested that Schwarzenegger commit an additional 1,500 soldiers to assist border patrol agents in other states.

I fully support the governor’s decision to deny President Bush’s request. I think it is absurd to expect California to shoulder a disproportionate burden for something the federal government should be… Read More