After today’s swearing in ceremony, Democrats will face a more Republican, centrist legislature. Gone are the super majorities of two years ago – and the opportunities to painlessly pass liberal agenda items. Patrick McGreevy and Melanie Mason look at the prospects in the Los Angeles Times.
“The political shift probably dooms the long-proposed revision to Proposition 13, the 1978 initiative that capped property tax hikes, said Larry Gerston, a political science professor at San Jose State.
"’The Democrats had their chance with the bulletproof, absolute two-thirds majorities last year, but they were unwilling to pull the trigger,’ Gerston said. ‘That window is now shut.’"
Following President Obama’s executive action on immigration, Senator Ricardo Lara says he will reintroduce legislation today to extend access to healthcare to immigrants. From Judy Lin at the Associated Press:
“Sen. Ricardo Lara, D-Bell Gardens, plans to reintroduce his Health4All bill on Monday to open Medi-Cal to immigrants, as well as extending subsidized health benefits in a new insurance marketplace for those without legal status. The proposal, which previously carried a cost as high as $1.3 billion a year, stalled in a legislative committee last cycle and Republicans had criticized the cost of the expansion.
"’The president's action covers almost half of California's undocumented population, but that still leaves over a million people with no access to health care. We can do better. The bill will cover those remaining uninsured that will not benefit from Obama's action,’ Lara said.”
Assemblyman Kevin Mullin announced plans to introduce a bill requiring automatic recounts in close statewide races.
“’The need to update our existing recount system was front and center during the recount initiated during the 2014 State Controller’s primary race,’ Mullin said in the statement. ‘We have overwhelming indications that the current system is flawed and potentially favors the candidate with the most money to pay for it.’”
Mullin’s proposed legislation would not affect legislative races. Mullin carried similar legislation earlier this year, but the bill stalled in the Senate.
Buried in Marc Lifsher’s story about a possible tweak to Prop 65 warnings (requiring labels for chemical hazards) is a note about a new push for legal online poker in California. From the Los Angeles Times:
“After five years of trying, Indian tribes hope to make 2015 the year that state-regulated online poker comes to California….
“‘We're working to pass legislation,’ said Matthew Cullen, chief executive of the digital division of the San Manuel Band of Mission Indians in Highland. ‘We want to see online poker legalized in California and done the right way.’”
And, in DC, Contra Costa Congressman George Miller retires after 40 years in the house. Carolyn Lockhead looks at the legacy of a liberal lion at SFGate.
“With a handful of days before retirement ends his 20-term House career, Miller stood in the Oval Office as President Obama signed child care legislation that took the Martinez Democrat 17 years to pass. He got House Republicans to approve a land exchange for the John Muir National Historic Site in his district. And he slammed a big foot down on a water bill that California’s two senators had spent months negotiating.
“’I’ve given everything I could give, 24-7,’ Miller said. ‘Not painful. Total joy. But it’s been 40 years.’”
And, a news item just made for overworked capitol staffers: Germany is considering legislation to discourage employers from sending email to their employees after working hours. Yes, really.
“In Germany, a growing number of… emails come from the boss contacting employees after work. That's not healthy, say experts on work-related stress…
And it also crosses a sacrosanct line in Germany between work and leisure…
“The worrying statistics have prompted German Labor Minister Andrea Nahles to call for an ‘anti-stress regulation’ compelling companies to reduce stress in the workplace. It would also ban employers from contacting employees after hours, just as it's already forbidden to contact employees on vacation under German law.”
H/t Soraya Sarhaddi Nelson at NPR
