Capitol Weekly reports the fight for the Assembly speakership appears to be over.
"Assemblyman John Perez, D-Los Angeles, is set to become the California state Assembly's next speaker during a vote on the Assembly floor Thursday, Assembly sources tell Capitol Weekly.
"De Leon conceded the race to Perez Wednesday evening after a two-week stand off for the Assembly's top job.
"Perez is scheduled to become the speaker-elect Thursday, and will take over for Karen Bass, D-Los Angeles, some time early next year. Bass's office says a timeline for a leadership transition has not been been worked out."
"The truce bewteen the last two candidates to replace Bass came after two rivals in the race for Assembly speaker met this week at a meeting attended by the powers of Los Angeles politics to help heal wounds caused by the speakership battle between two former political allies."
With the speakership fight over, the real battle over education policy comes to the Assembly floor today. Diana Lambert reports, "
The Assembly Committee on Education pushed forward a bill Wednesday favored by unions and effectively shut down a bill supported by some education advocates and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.
The committee voted 10-6 to approve Assembly Bill X5 8, authored by Education Committee Chairwoman Julia Brownley, D-Santa Monica.\
Six members of the committee then voted in favor of Senate Bill X5 1, while five voted against it and others abstained, remained silent or weren't present for the vote – effectively killing the bill, which needed nine votes to pass.
After the vote, the measure's author, Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, expressed dismay that her "bill was killed by silence."
Romero later claimed that she was blinded with science.
Malcolm Maclachlan previews one of this cycle's most anticipated legislative races.
"California legislative races often seem to be foregone conclusions, even in the primaries. Not so AD 5, which features a noted anti-gay marriage crusaders, a former “porn lobbyist” and a well-known pediatrician.
"Those are just some of the characters in a race that
highlights some of the demographic and voter trends
taking place around California. Republicans had a 44 percent to 38
percent registration advantage in 2002. But declining Republican
registration in the district
has made the race a top target for Democrats, with
some strategists suggesting it may be easier for Democrats
to pick up this seat next year than hold on to others
currently held by Democrats.
The suburban Sacramento seat is currently held by Roger
Niello, R-Sacramento, and before that by now-Sen. Dave Cox, R-Sacramento. While both are definitely conservatives,
neither has the fire-breather reputation of some in their caucus."
John Myers wonders if there's enough money to redraw the state's legislative districts.
"Just a little over a year after voters created an independent commission to draw most of California's political maps, the process is costing a lot more money than was allocated.
In fact, it's possible the commission that's slated to convene in 2011 may have as its first task to ask lawmakers for more funding.
But even before the period for citizens to apply to be on the commission begins next Tuesday, documents show that just getting through the initial stages and PR campaign is projected to cost $2.24 million.
That's 75% of the entire amount Prop 11 authorized to be spent over the entire three year process.
"I think $3 million was certainly underestimating the amount of expenditures that were going to be necessary to carry this measure out," said State Auditor Elaine Howle."
John Howard reports on a scrap between Clark Kelso and Ross Johnson.
"Months of negotiations between the state’s campaign-finance enforcer and the prison health care receivership are making headway and may head off a threatened lawsuit against correctional officials over conflict-of-interest rules.
The Fair Political Practices Commission scheduled a closed-door meeting Thursday to consider filing the suit against the federally appointed receiver, J. Clark Kelso, and state prisons director Matthew Cate. The agenda item – last of the 35 items on the FPPC’s crowded docket – was the only public notification that discussions were under way.
But during the past few days, the parties have come closer to accord. Documentation has been provided and the possibility of a court showdown appears to be receding."
Like my hair...
And finally, from our Beating Your Meat Files, "A 53-year-old was arrested after alledgedly hitting a man in the head with a raw steak. According to a Marion County Sheriff's Office report, the man told deputies Elsie Egan repeatedly hit him with the uncooked meat and slapped his face after he refused a piece of sliced bread. The man said he wanted a bread roll.
"Egan denied hitting the man with the steak but did admit to slapping him, saying she did it "so that he could learn."