I just got off of the telephone with Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman. Ackerman told me that the State Senate tonight unanimously passed a one billion dollar general fund appropriation (that would likely be drawn over several years) for levee repairs, and then ADJOURNED FOR THE NIGHT. This is significant because tonight is the last night for a bond measure to pass the legislature to make the June Ballot. Apparently there were some negative dynamics taking place between the two Democrat Leaders — Senate President Don Perata and Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez.

In the meantime, on the Assembly side, while the Senate was passing their appropriation, the Assembly did pass two sizable bond measures, one on levee repairs and the other on education facilities. Even though they were still in session when the Senate passed the billion dollars for levee repairs, Speaker Nunez chose not to take it up.

Given the critical need for levee repairs, there will now be a lot of pressure on Nunez to call the Assembly into session and pass that appropriation.

UPDATE: I just… Read More

The Governor has made some new appointments. The release is here.

REPUBLICANS

Angela Chi, 51, of Fresno, has been appointed to the Board of Accountancy. Bill Maile, 38, of Sacramento, has been appointed deputy press secretary for the Office of the Governor. Cynthia Mitchell, 48, of Folsom, has been appointed to the Contractors State License Board. Robert Petersen, 66, of Saratoga, has been appointed to the Board of Accountancy. Anne Searcy, M.D., 52, of Oakland, has been appointed executive medical director for the Medical Unit of the Division of … Read More

Just in….. The Assembly has been called into immediate session to vote on what appears to be a mini-version of the Infrastructure plan. Driven by Assembly Reps, the new plan will only focus on the issues of school and levee repairs, leaving other issues presumably to be picked up in a follow up measure for November. We got to this point because legislative Republicans, committed to fiscal common sense, drew a line in the sand. Who says the minority party can’t make a difference?… Read More

San Francisco Supervisor Tom Ammiano introduced a resolution on Tuesday calling on Cardinal William Levada, the former archbishop of San Francisco, to reverse a rule that prevents the church’s charity organization from placing children awaiting adoptions with same-sex couples.

The San Francisco Chronicle reports: "As a gay Catholic," Ammiano said, referring to himself, "Cardinal Levada is everything that is wrong with the Catholic Church.

"If this cardinal would put the kind of energy into ending sexual abuse and homophobia in the church as he puts into persecuting same-sex couples …" Ammiano said, adding, "I think there’s a reason that the office he represents now was once called the Office of the Inquisition."

In San Francisco, everyone is a radical and no one has to… Read More

I’m sure that we could put together a top-ten list of reasons why Elton Gallegly is running for re-election. Instead..we’ll just say that one of the top reasons would be the telephone call from WH uber-strategist (and Deputy CoS) Karl Rove.

Makes you wonder if Michael Tenenbaum was a Gore supporter in ’00… Just kiddin’. I think his candle just blew out.

(I dedicate the Elton song title to Joe Justin.)… Read More

Rep. Elton Gallegly has announced at a press conference in Washington D.C. moments ago that he will campaign for the 24th Congressional District. Gallegly indicated that the White House called to ask him to run and he will aggressively run for re-election. Hesaid that if elected in 2006, it will be his last term.A number of Members stood behind him at the press conference, including Dreier, Calvert, Herger and Issa. Also there to support Gallegly was Simi Valley City Councilman Glen Becerra ( an FR Friend) , who many run for the open seat in 08.

This is bad news for primary challenger Michael Tenenbaum who also heads the Ventura County Bar Association’s Public Education committee that he formed to fight back the U.S. Chamber of Commerce attacks on trial lawyers.

FlashReport stringer Dale Neugebauer contributed to this posting.

… Read More

Rep. Gallegly has scheduled 4 pm (EST)/ 1 pm ( PST) press conference at the Capitol Hill Club. Developing……………… Read More

The last-minute frenzy surrounding the infrastructure bond negotiations looks depressingly familar to anyone who’s ever watched the state legislature flounder its way to the deadline for passing a state budget every year. Months of posturing, preening, and procrasination, followed by a panicked rush in the last hours to fulfill their actual responsibility and negotiating out an agreement. Endless pledges to stand on principle no matter what, before finally compromising or letting others do it on their behalf.

Yawn.

Like a college student pulling all-nighters before his finals, these people are congenitally incapable of getting their work done before their backs are up against the wall. Instead of spending the semester hanging out at beer bashes and fraternity parties, though, legislators instead spend their spring term holding hearings in which they ignore witnesses, talk past each other, and generally behave as if they would have an allergic reaction to any type of productive negotiation and compromise.

Such is life in a state capitol dominated by special interests. Before actually engaging in reasonable discussion, there is… Read More