"A new majority on the state’s campaign watchdog will be in place when Secretary of State Debra Bowen appoints a new member to the Fair Political Practices Commission sometime next week," CW's Angela Ruggiero reports.
"Bowen’s appointment will mark the third new appointment this
year to the five-member commission, and could tip the political balance
of the commission, say some campaign watchdog groups.
"Earlier this year, Attorney General Jerry Brown picked
Democrat Lynn Montgomery to serve on the commission.
Controller John Chiang tapped Republican Ronald Rotunda
to serve on the panel.
"The last two appointments have been, on their face, disappointing,” said Kathay Feng, executive director of California Common Cause. “Bowen’s appointment is going to be absolutely critical. Hopefully, she will do the right thing and appoint somebody who understands what the mission of the FPPC is, and believes there is an important function in serving as the watchdog for political campaign activities.”
Bowen has told advocates that she has made her decision,
but will not announce the pick until next week. Bowen
did not talk to Capitol Weekly for this story.
CW's Malcolm Maclachlan looks at Californians' role in shaping the national health care debate . "If you’re following the national debate over revamping the nation’s health care system, it’s hard not to notice California representatives at every turn. Californians chair many of the key committees and subcommittees that HR 3200 needs to navigate.
Golden State legislators also are key players in the
major group that has been standing in the way of President
Barrack Obama’s health care plan, the group of 52 conservative Democrats known as the Blue Dogs. California
has seven Blue Dogs, the most of any state."
John Howard looks at a new bill that gives increased powers to the California Coastal Commission. "To go after violators of the state’s coastal protection laws, the California Coastal Commission first must go through the courts to levy penalties. But a new proposal would allow the commission to directly order civil penalties of $5,000 to $50,000 without court intervention – a move that is drawing attention in the Capitol.
“This is a case of enforcement. There is a very difficult
problem in enforcing coastal regulations,” said Assemblyman Ira Ruskin,
D-Redwood City. “The public voted to create a commission to protect
the coast, and the people of California see the coast
as a critical part of the state’s heritage. I’m not concerned about the
(commission’s) fiscal stability, I’m concerned about the enforcement.”
"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger exceeded his constitutional powers by
imposing nearly $500 million in additional spending cuts last week to
balance California's budget, according to an opinion Wednesday by the
Legislature's legal counsel," the LAT's Eric Bailey reports.
"Schwarzenegger
drew fire from Democrats after he used his line-item veto authority to
slice spending to health, welfare and other programs,
going beyond the
cuts that were part of a budget deal he struck just
days earlier with
legislative leaders."
From our Farewell to the Chief files, Joel Rubin looks at what the departure of William Bratton may mean for Los Angeles. " William J. Bratton's announcement Wednesday that he would resign as chief of the Los Angeles Police Department caught Angelenos by surprise, including the mayor and police leaders who suddenly found themselves confronted with the daunting task of replacing one of the nation's most influential law enforcement figures."
And finally, from our You're Not as Good AS You Think You Are Files, "A South Korean hypnotist has been fined for stealing a kiss on a blind date with a woman he thought he had successfully put in a trance, news reports said Thursday.
"The 32-year-old man suggested hypnotizing his 27-year-old date during their first meeting arranged by a matchmaking agency in August last year, according to the Don-a-Ilbo newspaper and Yonhap news agency.
The woman was eventually persuaded, and the hypnotist chanted: "Black hole! You will plunge deeper into a trance. You will feel thrilled all over your body and if my hand touches your body, you will feel intense pleasure."
When the man, identified only by his surname, Park, thought his technique had worked, he went to kiss her. But the woman was fully alert, though her eyes were closed, and she pushed him away. Later, she filed accusations that he had sexually harassed her, the reports said."
Oops.