California State Senator Hannah-Beth Jackson, D-Santa Barbara,authored a bill this legislative session to ban offshore oil drilling from an area of state waters in the Santa Barbara Channel known as Tranquillon Ridge. Jackson claimed her bill would do away with a “loophole” in state law.

But there is a hitch — Following Jackson’s time in the California State Assembly 1998-2004, prior to being elected to the State Senate in 2012, she lobbied to get an off shore drilling project approved off the coast of Vandenberg Air Force Base. Jackson teamed up withLinda Krop, the chief counsel of the Environmental Defense… Read More

The Friday wrap-up of the 2014 legislative session brought passage of the ban on plastic bags, mandatory paid sick days,new groundwater regulations, more gun control, expanded tax breaks for Hollywood,and bilingual education bills. The Democrat-majority of the California Legislature has made it clear it honors only the interests of labor unions, trial lawyers, environmentalists and liberals politicians. And that’s it.

Gone is any pretext of concern for taxpayers, business owners and employers, or any respect for free enterprise and free markets.

The left has shown an historic distrust in free enterprise and free markets, and instead relied on socialism to artificially make market “corrections” following downturns, largely due to government intervention, heavy-handed regulations and manipulations.

California is a state whose politicians,… Read More

Instead of addressing the degrading hook-up culture young people have come to accept, the Legislature declared sex “a contractual event,” and redefined consensual sexual relations as “rape” if it occurs on a college campus.

Rather than promoting the education of college students about abstinence and self-respect, Senate Bill 967, by Sen. Kevin de Leon, will allow California colleges and universities to deal internally with campus sexual violence by requiring each school to adopt Legislature-approved “victim-centered sexual assault response policies and protocols that… Read More

Representatives of the State of Jefferson movement plan to submit declarations at the Capitol today, from Modoc and Siskiyou counties to withdraw from the State of California.

This historical move by the State of Jefferson shows the California State Legislature that the citizens of Modoc and Siskiyou counties are serious and have formally petitioned for appropriate representation.

The effort provides these counties with standing in the future to challenge the State of California in a federal lawsuit.

Differences between State of Jefferson and 6 States Initiative

This is not the 6 States ballot initiative, Silicon Valley resident Tim Draper’s effort. They are trying to split the Northern part of California off. It’s different than . There are major differences: 1. This is a grass roots effort – there … Read More

I said it before, and I’ll say it again: “From the “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up” file, a bill currently in the California Legislature would require BB guns and Airsoft Pellet guns painted bright toy colors so they won’t be mistaken for real guns.” And they did.

The legislation has had difficulty passing, but finally made it out of the Assembly 41-34. The bill will go back to the Senate for a vote.

SB 199, by Sen. Kevin de León, D-Los Angeles,will require BB and airsoft guns to be painted bright colors to make them “readily identifiable” so law enforcement officers can distinguish them from real firearms.

BB guns are used for a variety of purposes, including competitive use. During shooting competitions, many prefer using BB guns as they are inexpensive and easy to learn and equip. Even soldiers use BB guns for target practice and skill improvement.

De Leónjustified this ridiculous bill because of incidents in which police officers shot people wielding realistic-looking BB or Airsoft rifles. DeLeónhas insisted… Read More

A devastating labor union-friendly bill authored by state Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, which did not pass the Legislature last year, is back, with amendments.SB 25would force a farming employer into “collective bargaining,” which actually is an order written by an arbitrator who forces it on the employer and employees against their will.

If SB 25 is signed into law, the waningUnited Farm Workers labor union stands to triple in size.

It is apparent labor unions are trying to gain what they can no longer win through the secret ballot process and sincere labor negotiations, with agriculture employers. The UFW… Read More

Ironically, just hours after State Senator Ben Hueso, D-San Diego,voted against California’s burgeoning ride-share industry, he was arrested for driving under the influence.When State legislators get arrested for drunk driving, it is apparent that even the most coddled in government need a free market solution rather than the hassle and expense of calling a cab.

Elected State Senators and Assembly members even have Capitol Sergeants-At-Arms to drive them where they need to go. The rest of the public doesn’t have Sergeants available, and have turned to Uber, Lyft and Sidecar. But now, the codddled Legislature wants to do away with this innovative, free market solution to expensive and unreliable cabs, shuttle services and limousines.

Given that the Democratic Party is an enthusiastic supporter of… Read More

Breastfeeding mothers have fed their infants for thousands of years, somehow, in public places. I’ve never seen a woman hassled for breastfeeding — even the women who do it immodestly.

Assemblywoman Bonnie Lowenthal is authoring… Read More