[Publisher’s Note: As part of an ongoing effort to bring original, thoughtful commentary to you here at the FlashReport, I am pleased to present this column from Brian Johnston, Western Director of the National Right to Life Committee.– Flash] If you are new to the FlashReport, please check out the main site and the acclaimed FlashReport Weblog on California politics. … Read More

[Publisher’s Note: The following entry is from Senator Huff’s Chief of Staff Junay Gardner. The opinions expressed are from Sen. Huff’s office. -Flash]

Senator Bob Huff co-authored the Parent Trigger bill that has given the parents at Palm Lane Elementary School in Anaheim the ability to demand classroom reforms for their kids. Despite numerous attempts by CTA members and supporters to prevent the process, it is happening.

Senator Huff sent a letter on Monday to Dr. Linda Wagner, Superintendent of the Anaheim City School District requesting an update on the signature verification process underway at Palm Lane Elementary.

A copy of that letter can be found here.

Senator Huff will continue to hold the Board and Superintendent of the Anaheim City School District accountable for following the Parent Trigger Law, as well as the Principal of Palm Lane Elementary School. He will continue to monitor the petition signature verification process closely. He has not backed… Read More

Actor Robin Williams’ suicide is considered tragic and horrific. But many of the same people who expressed horror over Williams’ suicide say legally assisted suicide is acceptable, beneficial, and even “honorable.”

Rather than waiting for recently proposed assisted suicide legislation to work through the legislative committee process, a new lawsuit filed Wednesday asks the California Superior Court to find that physicians who provide a assisted suicide prescriptions should not be subject to criminal prosecution for assisting another to “commit suicide.”

The lawsuit wants the court to declare that patients facing the end of life have a “civil right” under the California State Constitution “to make their own decisions about their bodies.”

“If the lawsuit succeeds, terminally ill Californians, like Brittany Maynard, would not have to leave the state to receive legal aid in dying,” the press statement said. Filed by Californians with cancer, physicians, and a national nonprofit disability rights advocacy group, Disability Rights Legal Center, the lawsuit is attempting to “clarify the ability of mentally competent, terminally… Read More

[Publisher’s Note: We are pleased to feature this weekly column from Ed Ring. The opinions expressed are his. See Senator Bob Huff’s response to this column— Flash.]

What would you say to someone who displayed extraordinary courage and initiative to stand up for a law you wrote?

“You’re fired” is probably not the first thing that comes to mind, but that’s what happened to Arturo Garcia on January 29, after he stepped onto some very big toes. Garcia, a full time district representative for California StateSenator Bob Huffsince early 2013, had been assigned to work with parents and activists who want to save a failing elementary school in Anaheim.

Palm Lane Elementary School had been underperforming for twelve years. Frustrated parents went to the teachers, principal, school board and the district superintendent seeking change for their school to no avail. They learned about California’sParent Trigger… Read More

Almost immediately following a hearing of the Environmental Protection Agency last week on upping authoritarian smog regulations, Democratic Senate President pro Tem Kevin de Leònannounced plans for “historic” climate change legislation, adding more regulations to force Californians to cut gas consumption — rather than legislation to help the state’s economy.

The goal is to cut up to 50 percent of gas consumption in California by 2030… rather than improve the state’s economy by up to 50 percent.

Clean Air

The air we breathe today in California is the cleanest since the Environmental Protection Agency’s Clean Air Act was passed in the 1970s. Despite this fact, the day before Thanksgiving, the EPA released its proposal to “strengthen” ground level ozone emissions known as smog.

Current EPA ozone regulations set the nationwide limit at 75 parts per billion. The EPA is considering lowering it to 60 parts per billion,making theNational Ambient Air Quality Standardsfor… Read More

After years of debt, deficits and budget cuts, it may come as a surprise to learn that our state government is flush with cash. But you wouldn’t know it by the talk of tax increases coming out of Sacramento.

First the facts:

California is outspending other states – As the Sacramento Bee’s Dan Walters recently reported, census data shows California state spending jumped 7.5% last fiscal year and is well above average when compared to other states. The Governor’s proposed budget is huge – In January, Governor Jerry Brown unveiled a $113 billion budget proposal—the largest ever in California state history. If there’s any criticism of the Governor’s budget so far, it’s that he is underestimating revenues. The Legislative Analyst’s Office recently reported that current fiscal year revenues alone will exceed the Governor’s forecast by $1 to $2 billion or more. California taxes are really, really high – Californians pay some of the highest income, sales and gas taxes in the nation. According to the Tax Foundation, many small businesses face top marginal tax rates … Read More

For the second time in as many weeks Californians got the news that Sacramento politicians are proposing yet another big tax hike. The truth is that new taxes would never be required were it not for Sacramento’s mismanagement of existing tax dollars.

Last week, it was the proposal to deal with the very real problem of “revenue volatility” in California’s tax structure with the very unreal “solution” of a $10 billion tax on services.

But the latest proposal comes from new Senate leader Toni Atkins who proposes a brand new tax on drivers to pay for highway and road repairs in California. This new “fee” would take $1.8 billion dollars out of the pockets of hard working California citizens over the next five years.

To read the entire column please click here http://www.hjta.org/california-commentary/knee-jerk-tax-hikes/… Read More

Is it true “Latinos remain hard to find on the councils of city and county governments throughout the state,” as Sacramento Bee columnist Marcus Breton says? Given that the California Legislature is fed by city and county governments, it is notable that the Legislative Latino Caucus has 22 members – all Democrats — out of 140 total California legislators. Even more notable, the Democrats won’t let the only Latino Republican, Assemblyman Rocky Chavez, join the caucus.

Rather than bemoan the numbers of Hispanics in government, Breton should have identified the real source of the problem: California.

Hispanics thrive more in Texas than in California. Why?

California and Texas stand for two completely different faces of the Hispanic experience in America

“Hispanics enjoy much better statistics across the board in the Lone Star State than in the Golden one,” according to Mike Gonzalez with the Heritage Foundation.… Read More