"Democrats in the state Senate said they would attempt to break the budget impasse today by
offering their own spending plan for a vote.
"It would be the first floor vote on the budget in that
house since the fiscal year began 60 days ago.
"The plan Democrats are offering is rooted in a proposal
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger unveiled this month. It
includes a temporary sales tax hike and controls on
how much the state could spend in the future.
"It is unclear whether the proposal has the support
of any Republicans. A budget cannot pass the Senate
without at least two GOP votes. Senate Leader Don Perata (D-Oakland) suggested the governor may be able to persuade some
Republican lawmakers to support the plan.
"Assembly Democrats are working on an alternative plan
-- one that would allow them to raise taxes without the
required two-thirds majority vote, according to people involved
in confidential negotiations.
"The plan would attempt to exploit a legal loophole
by eliminating a tax cut that was put in place several
years ago. Legislative lawyers have suggested it could
be approved without Republican votes."
"As the state's budget crisis lumbered into its third month, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday intensified the pressure on the one powerful group that has done little to end the standoff: legislators from his own party," reports Mike Zapler in the Merc News.
"In an interview with the Mercury News in his Capitol
office, Schwarzenegger accused GOP politicians of "hiding" their ideas for deep spending cuts and borrowing to
close California's massive deficit and suggested the reason is that
the public would find their proposals "quite shocking."
"'I'm calling on Republicans to show me your plan,' said the governor, who claimed they 'obviously are worried about putting their (proposal) out because they know it would not be good.'
"Assembly Minority Leader Mike Villines, R-Fresno, said the time may come for Republicans to unveil
their own plan, but it hasn't arrived yet.
"'If we're here for another couple weeks, we'll have to do something,' Villines said. He said he's optimistic, though, that a budget deal will happen
before then."
Meanwhile, "[i]n a heated debate Thursday, Assembly Republicans and
Democrats agreed that California needs more reliable water supplies.
"But Republicans voted against spending $820 million from voter-approved water bonds because, they said, Democrats
had not consulted them and too much of the money was
dedicated to studies instead of construction.
"'I'm studied out,' said Assemblyman Joel Anderson (R-San Diego). 'What my constituents want is brick and mortar.'
"But the dominant Democrats overrode Republicans' objections and passed a bill to spend $820 million from four water bonds."
Nicole Parra also abstained from voting on the measure.
"The money would go toward preparing for an earthquake
in the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta, from which most of the state's drinking and irrigation water is pumped; finding supplies for rural communities with contaminated
aquifers; and projects around the state for conservation, recycling
and groundwater cleanup.
"'This is about putting to work money the voters want
us to put to work,' said Assemblywoman Lori Saldana (D-San Diego).
"With three days remaining to approve or reject bills,
the Legislature also acted to ban dogs in drivers' laps, improve patients' access to information on end-of-life care, adjust laws on abandoned newborns and put
warning labels on fruity drinks called 'alcopops.'"
"California Sen. Dianne Feinstein, who has been forced to sit out this week's Democratic convention in Denver because of a broken
ankle, acknowledged in an interview with The Chronicle
on Thursday that she is actively considering running for governor in 2010," writes Zachary Coile in the Chron.
"In a wide-ranging interview about presidential politics and the
convention, the state's senior U.S. senator said she first wants to see the
results of the November election. If Democrats gain
a big enough majority in Congress to move major legislation,
she might choose to stay in Washington.
"'I can't say that since this (convention) started I haven't thought about it, because I have,' Feinstein, 75, said of a possible run. 'I want to see how close to 60 votes we can get in the Senate, what the committee
structure is, and how best I can use my time.'
"Feinstein already chairs the Senate Rules Committee,
but she also is climbing the ranks of other committees
- including the powerful Intelligence Committee, where
she is the second-most senior Democrat and could be a future chair. She
also has significant clout on the Appropriations and
Judiciary committees.
"'The job I do now I think is important, and what I really
want to do is make a difference,' she said. 'The question is, how can I best do that? Is it using
the seniority I have in the Senate, or is it in getting
out there and running for governor?'"
"Backers of an initiative to change the way California draws its political districts filed a complaint Thursday against Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata and the state correctional officers union charging that they violated state laws governing political contributions ," reports Kevin Yamamura in the Bee.
"Jeannine English, president of AARP California, filed a complaint with
the Fair Political Practices Commission, arguing that
the union inappropriately used Perata's political account as an intermediary to contribute
$577,000 against Proposition 11.
"The redistricting initiative on the November ballot
is backed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
"The Bee reported Monday that the California Correctional
Peace Officers Association had given the money, including
$477,000 in the past month, just as it is seeking a new contract
with a raise in the Capitol.
"CCPOA spokesman Lance Corcoran said Tuesday that there is no connection between the
donations and its contract talks."
Dan Walters writes: "While CCPOA is working the Capitol's hallways to pass one measure, the casino tribes are
promoting another to stamp out charities' use of slot machine-style devices that purport to be bingo games.
"The tribes' casinos have a legal monopoly on slot machines, reap
many billions of dollars from them every year and don't countenance any competition. Their dozens of lobbyists
have worked out a deal to protect bigger bingo operations,
such as those staged by Catholic churches, by allowing
them to create electronic networks of games. But that
leaves the smaller charities in the lurch, with some
relatively small compensation payments, should the
measure be enacted.
"There is a double irony attached to the tribes' bill. The charities' electronic bingo games are quite similar to those
that tribes themselves operated before they gained
their legal monopoly, and one section of their bill
could open the door to the tribes offering Internet-based gambling.
"The Capitol doesn't appreciate irony, however; it appreciates political muscle."
...doncha think?
"Californians may soon be able to use their computers to register
to vote," reports the AP.
"Current law allows voters to fill out registration
cards online, but they must print the forms, sign them
and mail them in.
"State lawmakers yesterday approved a bill that would
let Californians register entirely online if they have
signatures on n file with the Department of Motor Vehicles
for driver's licenses or identification cards.
"Secretary of State Debra Bowen is supporting the bill
by state Sen. Ron Calderon, D-Monterey Park. It passed the Senate on a 22-15 vote without debate.
"Arizona and Washington use similar systems. Calderon
said it will increase voter participation while saving
money.
"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger hasn't taken a position on the bill."
"In response to a triple-digit heat wave, occupational safety officials announced
Thursday they will be sweeping through a number of California counties
to detect life-threatening conditions for farm laborers and others
working outdoors," writes the Bee's Susan Ferriss.
"Investigators with Cal-OSHA, the occupational health and safety administration,
will check for violations of heat-illness prevention regulations at work sites in Fresno,
Napa, San Joaquin, Santa Clara, Sonoma, Stanislaus
and Yolo counties. Temperatures in Yolo and parts of
the San Joaquin Valley could soar to 107 degrees today.
"Enforcement will continue next week in Kings, Tulare,
Kern and other counties, according a Cal-OSHA press release.
"'We have a zero tolerance when it comes to failure to
protect your workers from workplace hazards, which
includes the summer heat for outdoor workers,' Cal-OSHA chief Len Welsh said in a written statement. 'Our actions taken since the heat illness protection
law became effective reveal this, and our efforts are
only intensifying.'"
From our Parachuting Pampers File:
"A disposable diaper has saved the life of an 18-month-old boy, breaking his fall from a third-floor apartment window, officials said Thursday.
"Caua Felipe Massaneiro survived a 30-foot (10-meter) fall because his diaper snagged on a security spike
embedded in the concrete wall around his apartment
building in the northeastern Brazilian city of Recife.
"The boy dangled from the spike for a moment, then "the diaper opened and the baby fell to the ground,
but at a much slower speed," a police officer said. 'The diaper obviously lessened the impact of the fall
and saved the baby's life.'
"'It was a miracle,' said the officer who declined to be identified because
she was not authorized to speak to the press. 'He could also have been killed by one of the spikes.'
"The child was treated for minor fractures at the Hospital
Memorial Sao Jose, where spokesman Gilberto Tenorio
said he was in stable condition."