The Leadership Institute and the Project for California’s Future will bring their extensive Campaign and Candidate Training Program to Central Valley conservative candidates, potential candidates, leaders and activists with a five month program that kicks off in 60 days.

Winning in California’s challenging political environment demands more than just having the best ideas — it takes a candidate, and a team, well schooled in the arts of campaign communication and organization.

The Campaign and Candidate Training Program will run for five months — one Saturday each month from June to October — in Modesto, making it convenient for conservative candidates, campaign staff and activists from Stanislaus, San Joaquin and the surrounding counties. This part of the Central Valley is a critical swing region of the state, and one that is a must-win for conservatives to advance in California.

Each session focuses on a key area of waging a modern campaign: Strategy, Communications, Winning the Invisible Primaries, Fundraising, and wrapping up with Voter… Read More

Because of Proposition 13, the unions representing California’s government employees — employees that are the highest paid in all 50 states according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics — have a huge stake in who is elected to the state Legislature.

While most Californians are aware that Proposition 13 limits increases in property taxes – they can be increased by two percent annually – they are less familiar with the requirement that new or increased state taxes receive a two-thirds vote of each house of the Legislature. Proposition 13 authors Howard Jarvis and Paul Gann included this provision because they feared that if they were successful in saving taxpayers money, lawmakers, no doubt with union support, would turn around and attempt to increase the tax burden in other areas.

So the government employee unions are constantly working hard to increase their support in the legislature, with the goal of achieving a super-majority of compliant lawmakers to increase taxes and make even more money available for payroll. This explains why the government unions have been making all-out efforts in special elections that are often overlooked by the… Read More

One of the nation’s most important conservative organizations is coming to California this summer.

The American Legislative Exchange Council, or ALEC, is an intellectual powerhouse for state legislators who share a common commitment to limited government, free markets, and federalism. Each year, ALEC holds a major annual meeting, drawing thousands of state legislators and private sector leaders together for four days of discussions on innovative reform ideas in areas ranging from taxes and property rights to telecommunications and energy policy.

Every legislator who supports these principles and wants to improve his or her effectiveness by networking with fellow conservative lawmakers and private sector leaders, picking up ideas and best practices, and shaping the national discussion really should join ALEC.

In July, ALEC is bringing its 2015 annual meeting to America’s Finest City: San Diego.

I’ve attended ALEC meetings for years, and every time I do I meet new and interesting leaders who share what they’re doing back in their states to put conservative ideas… Read More

Increases to the minimum wage in California are moving closer to reality. As reported on March 30th byMyNewsLA.com, “Los Angeles County Supervisors Sheila Kuehl and Hilda Solis will ask their colleagues to approve spending up to $95,000 to have the Los Angeles Economic Development Corporation review a series of studies of the issue performed in relation to the city of Los Angeles’ proposal to raise the minimum wage to $13.25 an hour by 2017 and to $15.25 an hour by 2019.”

California’s minimum wage is currently $9.00 per hour. The federal minimum wage is currently $7.25 per hour.

Largely lost in the debate over the “fight for fifteen” (dollars per hour) is America’s inflation adjusted minimum wage based on historical precedents. It’s an interesting topic that deserves discussion, becausehistorical minimum wagesexpressed in 2015 dollarsvary a great deal.… Read More

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[Publisher’s Note: As part of an ongoing effort to bring original, thoughtful commentary to you here at the FlashReport, we are pleased to present this column from Asm. Shannon Grove.]

If you are new to the FlashReport, please check out the main site and the acclaimed FlashReport Weblog on California politics.

Pundits and politicians talk a lot about the importance of modernizing state government and making it more open and accountable to the people it serves. Republicans in the State Assembly agree and recently took several concrete steps to do so.

We recently introduced a package of bills that would modernize the legislative calendar, bring stability to the state budgeting process and increase transparency. These measures would make government more responsive and help restore the public’s trust in its government. We urge the stodgy Democrat majority to seriously consider these reforms – and the public to text and tweet their legislators in support.

Leading by example, last week… Read More

Gov. Jerry Brown has declared that opposition to efforts to reduce carbon emissions “borders on the immoral.” Hesitate though we might to debate Brown, a former Jesuit seminarian, on the nature of divine law, we have to question the “morality” of forcing working California motorists to bear the brunt of the cost of regulations required by Brown’s convictions.

In light of both economic concerns and a more rational understanding of climate change science, other nations and states are rethinking their aggressive policies. But here in California, the reigning political leadership is forcing the middle class and working poor to shoulder almost the entire burden of mankind’s response to climate change.

When it comes to the topic of climate change, there is really only one thing we know for certain. Climate change is a global concern that needs a global response. There are nearly 200 nations on earth. To ask the working families and small businesses of one state in one nation to suffer almost the entirety of economic harm is both unfair and foolish.

To read the entire column please click here:… Read More

If it wasn’t official before that Randy Voepel is seeking the 71st AD seat currently held by Brian Jones…

From the Voepel Campaign

While it has been the pleasure of my lifetime to serve as Mayor of Santee, I’ve determined it’s time for a new opportunity to serve. That’s why I’ve decided to run for the 71st Assembly District.

As Mayor of Santee since 2000, I’ve worked hard to build a strong record. Specifically, my tenure as Mayor has been a demonstration of how conservative policies can work at a local level.

As Mayor, I’ve been proud to accomplish the following:

Jon Coupal, President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association, has accepted appointment to National Taxpayers Union Board of Directors. NTU is an organization that is continually championing taxpayer issues both here in California and nationally. This will allow HJTA members to benefit from the national exposure NTU offers and make both organizations stronger.

Coupal is (and will remain) President of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association (HJTA), and Chairman of the Howard Jarvis Taxpayer Foundation; both organizations were founded by the leader of the California Tax Revolt that passed the landmark Proposition 13 in 1978. Coupal brings over three decades of experience working on tax issues and fighting for taxpayers to NTU’s board.

“I look forward to working with NTU members and its outstanding leadership team,” said Coupal. “The battles ahead over taxes and spending may well determine if our Country prospers or if we are to continue down the road to mediocrity or worse.”

HJTA and NTU have a history of working successfully together to take on taxpayer issues including defeating increased parcel property taxes (Proposition 88, 2006) and the… Read More