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When their colleague Ron Calderon was indicted on corruption charges, accused of taking more than $100,000 in bribes and charged with 24 counts of fraud, wire fraud, honest services fraud, bribery, conspiracy to commit money laundering, money laundering and aiding in the filing of false tax returns, the California State Senate did not exactly spring into action.

After a conference call the day of the indictment and then a meeting after a weekend break, Calderon’s fellow senators came to the conclusion that their duty was to respectfully ask him to resign and gave him a full week to consider their request. If he chose not to follow their advice, they thundered, they might be forced to suspend him from his responsibilities in the Senate, a paid vacation in which he would continue to draw his taxpayer-funded salary but would not have to show up for work and could devote himself fully to preparing for his legal defense.

Last night, Calderon saved his fellow senators the trouble of a vote by volunteering to take a paid leave of absence. As a result, his fully salaried vacation will commence immediately. Which leaves the rest of us to ask, “Exactly what does… Read More

Yesterday I took a call from my friend of more than 15 years — State Senator Mark Wyland. As most FR readers know, for quite some time Senator Wyland has been actively campaigning to succeed Michelle Steel on the State Board of Equalization. Steel, who is facing term limits, is seeking a seat on the Orange County Board of Supervisors. Wyland has been engaged in a rather high-profile (at least within political circles) contest with Assemblywoman Diane Harkey for the BOE seat.

Senator Wyland has decided to end his campaign for the Board of Equalization, and will not be completing the process of filing for that office.

While I have some thoughts on this decision by my friend, I first would like to share with you a statement that the Senator sent me after our call, that he asked me to pass along to our readers….

STATEMENT FROM STATE SENATOR MARK WYLAND

“This past weekend my family held a celebration of life for my mother,who passed away late last year. I thought about her advice to me, shortly before she passed away:… Read More

[It is not my typical form to post up media releases on this blog. But as I write this I am at the Club For Growth’s Winter Economic Conference in Florida, but I do want FlashReport readers to see this. — Flash]

Votes on Monday to “Suspend” Senators Calderon & Wright Knight, Anderson & Vidak call on Senate to cut short paid vacations for convicted and indicted senators

State Capitol – After preventing a vote on the resolution to expel Senator Rod Wright, the members of the California State Senate will be back in session on Monday, with a chance to revisit the issue.

Senators Steve Knight (R- Palmdale), Joel Anderson (R-Alpine) and Andy Vidak (R-Hanford) brought Senate Resolution 29 (the expulsion of Sen. Rod Wright who was found guilty of eight felonies in January) up for a vote yesterday. The Senate President pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg scuttled the vote on SR-29 by offering a substitute motion that passed (21-13) in the 40-member Senate. His parliamentary maneuvering effectively stopped… Read More

Delusions of grandeur drive the proponents of a downtown sports arena in Sacramento.

Sacramento Superior Court Judge Timothy Frawley ruled against two taxpayers groups in Sacramento, to place the proposed public subsidy for the new basketballarena before the city’s voters. Judge Frawley said the taxpayer groups made such significant errors in the wording of their petitions, the petitions, and 23,000 signatures supporting the effort, are not valid.

This is how The Sacramento Bee, which has been openly advocating for the arena subsidy, reported it: “The lawsuit, meanwhile, was funded by an agribusinessman who lives just outside the city limits and a group of nonunion electrical contractors angry that the arena is going to be built almost… Read More

Yesterday afternoon brought with it the news that State Senators Joel Anderson, Steve Knight and Andy Vidak will be presenting a resolution on the Senate Floor this morning to formally expel Rod Wright. Much has been written about Wright’s eight felony convictions by a jury in Los Angeles nearly a month ago — they concluded that Wright lied when he said he actually lived in the district in which he ran for re-election. Yesterday I published a lengthy column that was an overview of the entire Rod Wright saga, and making the case for why Wright should be removed from the Senate.

It is my hope that on a unanimous vote the Senate will adopt the Anderson/Knight/Vidak resolution, the convicted felon will be expelled, and the Senate can move passed at least the Rod Wright-related scandal (Calderon is a whole separate issue). Unfortunately the overwhelming likelihood is that Senate President Darrell Steinberg and his leadership team will use some of their God-like power under the Senate rules to keep the resolution from being considered. Ultimately Anderson, Vidak and and Knight will be able to force a procedural vote, either to overrule the Chair or to try and… Read More

On Tuesday, March 4 at 10:00 a.m. I will be partnering with the California Farm Bureau Foundation, to host a Telephone Townhall on tax issues specific to the agricultural industry.

Central Valley Senators Anthony Cannella and Andy Vidak will also join the call. Senator Cannella serves as the Vice Chairman of both the Senate Agriculture and Senate Natural Resources and Water Committees. In addition to his legislative duties, Senator Vidak is a farmer and rancher, growing cherries in Kings County and raising cattle in Tulare County.

Every day, farmers and ranchers face challenges with tax laws in the state of California. The laws can be complicated and, at times, confusing and taxpayers can face stiff penalties and interest if deadlines aren’t met and record keeping isn’t accurate.

Most taxpayers want to do the right thing but even the most savvy business owner can make mistakes. The tele-townhall will address such topics as sales and use tax, partial farming exemptions, and sales of feed and animals.

Better understanding of tax laws allows farmers, ranchers, and business owners selling to the agricultural industry to spend less time concerning… Read More

While there has been much focus on Republican Kevin Faulconer’s convincing victory in deep-blue San Diego’s mayor’s race, the analysis hasn’t included what those of us in San Diego know to be a key factor in the win: a dedicated group of young GOP operatives, many who volunteer their time each election to build one of the most impressive GOTV operations in California.

And it is truly inspiring to see them spring to action to build their operation each election. What makes it so impressive is that after working together for so many cycles, they come together, both volunteers and paid staff, to fulfill their role in building and executing the program. Some of them even travel from other states to play their role and they are now so experienced in doing it, that each cycle it gets better.

Queues of volunteers show up and are methodically put through training, supplied with materials, and deployed to their precincts with a precision I rarely see on a campaign. Each campaign has the ambition to do it, but often not the resources, whether financial or personnel. This operation had both, and I experienced first-hand the efficiency of the program by walking… Read More

This coming Friday State Senator Rod Wright will be celebrating an anniversary of sorts — he will be celebrating the end of his first month serving in the California legislature while simultaneous being a convicted felon. On January 28th Wright was found guilty in Superior Court of eight felonies. A jury of Wright’s peers found that he had committed perjury and fraudulent voting, after Los Angeles County District Attorney prosecutors successfully made the case that Wright did not, in fact, reside in the Senate District in which he ran. Wright will be formally sentenced in May, but based on the crimes for which he was convicted he could face up to eight years and four months in prison.

Following his conviction, Wright did not resign his seat in the State Senator. On the contrary, within 48 hours the now-convicted Senator was introducing self-serving legislation that would allow some convicted felons, like himself, to later have their felony convictions reduced to misdemeanors.

With the exception of being relieved of a committee chairmanship (but not his committee memberships), Senator Wright has enjoyed a post-conviction life in the Capitol that,… Read More