"The election to recall Sen.
Jeff Denham, R-Merced,
will be held with the June 3 primary, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger announced Tuesday," reports Jake Henshaw in the Salinas Californian.
"The election will include two parts: Voters will be asked whether they want to recall Denham; then, they'll be asked to choose a replacement in case a majority decide to remove him from office.
"'The recall process is what it is,' Denham said, 'and I fully expect to engage with the voters on my record."
"That's just what recall proponents are looking forward to.
"'Obviously, the governor's proclamation brings us one step closer to recalling 'bait and switch' Jeff Denham,' said
Paul Hefner, recall campaign spokesman. 'The voters are really upset that Jeff Denham didn't tell them the truth. They think they deserve better.'"
And if it fails, what are the odds that Denham will ever vote for a state budget?
"State Sen.
Carole Migden's re-election campaign received a much needed boost Tuesday when a federal judge
granted a preliminary injunction allowing her to spend $647,000 from an old campaign account.
"In ruling against California's political watchdog agency, federal Magistrate Judge
Edmund Brennan said there is reason to believe the San Francisco Democrat could suffer irreparable harm without the money.
"Migden is locked in a tough June 3 primary battle to retain her seat against two other Democrats, Assemblyman
Mark Leno of San Francisco and former Assemblyman
Joe Nation of San Rafael.
"During a brief interview on the floor of the Senate after the court decision, Migden expressed relief.
"'I was heartened by the ruling,' she said. 'This is certainly very good news.'
"Her attorney,
James Harrison, said the money will allow the senator to run a competitive race."
"California's four biggest telephone companies Tuesday
couldn't convince a key legislative committee that they should be allowed to charge consumers for unlisted numbers," reports the LAT's Marc Lifsher.
"Members of the state Senate Energy, Utilities and Communications Committee cast a bipartisan 5-0 vote for a bill by Sen.
Sheila Kuehl (D-Santa Monica) that would prohibit traditional, wired phone systems from collecting fees to keep numbers out of phone books and directory assistance.
"Such charges have been unregulated for the last year and run as high as $1.99 a month. About 40% of California's 12 million, nonmobile phone users have unlisted numbers.
From our
Where's The Beef Files, "California lawmakers on Tuesday
advanced legislation that would slap slaughterhouses with criminal penalties if they process meat from cattle and other livestock that are too sick to stand," reports Samantha Young in the Bee.
"The 6-1 vote by the Assembly Public Safety Committee was in response to the illegal processing of sick cattle at a Southern California slaughterhouse, which last month resulted in the country's largest beef recall.
"Although the federal government oversees slaughterhouse operations, the legislation by Assemblyman
Paul Krekorian, D-Burbank, would levy fines on packaging plants that sell meat in California from so-called "non-ambulatory" cattle, swine, sheep or goats.
"'This is an issue that every one of us, every person who eats meat, has a stake in,'
Wayne Pacelle, president of Humane Society of the United States, told the committee."
"People who abuse children to the point of brain injury or paralysis
would draw more prison time under legislation moving through the Capitol," writes E.J. Schultz in the Bee.
"The bill by Assembly Republican Leader
Mike Villines of Clovis was inspired by the case of
Adam Carbajal, a Fresno resident who was abused as a 1-year-old in 2004 and now cannot walk or talk.
"
Ramon Curiel, the then-boyfriend of Carbajal's mom, pleaded no contest and originally agreed to serve up to six years behind bars.
"The penalty was increased to 10 years after Adam's grandparents lobbied the judge for a harsher sentence.
"Assembly Bill 1987, or "Adam's law," would set a new maximum penalty of 15 years to life in prison. It would apply to any person with care or custody of a child under 8 years old who inflicts "great bodily injury" that causes permanent brain injury or paralysis."
"High school seniors in special-education classes
will be required for the first time this year to pass California's exit exam to qualify for a diploma after lawyers for the disabled failed to get them an exemption," writes the Chron's Nanette Asimov.
"A legal settlement, expected to be filed today in Alameda County Superior Court, will end a 7-year-old lawsuit that challenged a state law requiring all students - including those with mental or physical disabilities - to pass the test of basic math and English skills to graduate.
"Passing the exit exam became a requirement for all seniors in 2006, but lawyers from Disability Rights Advocates in Berkeley won exemptions for special-education students in 2006 and 2007.
"Both sides said today's settlement includes no exemptions."
The speaker-elect and pro-tem-elect will appear together at a press conference today to announce a new package of bills aimed at the rise in autism cases in California. According to a press release from Steinberg's office, "the bills were inspired by a report issued by the California Legislative Blue Ribbon Commission on Autism."
The bills range from everything to ensuring that health insurance plans cover autism and autism-related illnesses to boosting early identification and diagnosis efforts.
Apparently, Bill Clinton's 'chill out' speech to Democratic Convention goers was
just the second half of a Jeckyl and Hyde performance, report Matier and Ross.
"
Before his speech Clinton had one of his famous meltdowns Sunday, blasting away at former presidential contender Bill Richardson for having endorsed Obama, the media and the entire nomination process.
"'It was one of the worst political meetings I have ever attended,' one superdelegate said.
"'It was kind of strange later when he took the stage and told everyone to chill out,' one delegate told us.'We couldn't help but think he was also talking to himself.'"Sure, sure, lots of people say they can talk to animals, but how many people have
ferrets who reply in a Barry White baritone?
"Clare Metcalf not only talks to animals but says they talk to her... And sometimes the voice has an accent, like the white ferrett that told her in a Barry White voice, "I'm a ladies'man", before jumping down the top of his lady owner and ferreting about.
"At the zoo, Clare had a field day with the lion, whose keeper confided he hadn't fathered many cubs because he had a low sperm count.
The lion claims that he simply doesn't want to father cubs that will be born into captivity, but fully intends to impregnante the lioness, since she recently lost her cubs."
If that doesn't work, maybe the lioness can get together with the ferret...