California’s Right-to-Die legislation was passed by the legislature and signed by Governor Brown, but because we are –technically – still in the midst of a special session, no one knows when it will become law. George Skelton explains in his LA Times column:
“First, the Legislature must adjourn its special session on healthcare financing. Then 90 days later, the "right to die" act can become real.
“You probably haven't been paying much attention to the Legislature's special session. Don't feel guilty. Neither has the Legislature.
“The lawmakers have pretty much checked out of Sacramento for the year and aren't scheduled to return until Jan. 4, although they're still ostensibly convened in two special sessions.”
An article in the Washington Post notes that opponents of the law are seeking a referendum to overturn it, while some proponents – desperately ill themselves – are taking legal action to speed the process. Niraj Chokshi:
“[Christy] O’Donnell and several other terminal patients are suing for the right to act sooner, citing their bleak prognoses. In the meantime, O’Donnell worries how the end will come.
“She would prefer to go peacefully, in the bed where she and her daughter Bailey used to watch weekend cartoons. But her doctors say the end is likely to be grim: As O’Donnell’s liver fails, she will experience nausea, swelling and sharp abdominal pain.”
Once a tiny minority in the legislature, a growing clique of moderate Democrats are flexing newfound muscles. The Mods unexpectedly derailed a central part of SB 350, the landmark greenhouse gas bill backed by Governor Brown and Senate Pro-Tem Kevin de Leon, and their increasing clout is paying dividends in the form of increased corporate donations. Laurel Rosenhall, CALmatters:
“Since 2013, the group’s political action committee, Californians for Jobs and a Strong Economy, has taken in more than $4 million, with nearly one-third of that coming from Chevron, Pacific Gas and Electric Co., and other oil and gas companies. Other major donors include Walmart, a hospital association and a Realtors group.
“Only 1 percent of the committee’s money came from labor unions. By contrast, organized labor provided more than a quarter of the money the California Democratic Party raised in the same period, and oil and gas companies made up about 6 percent. The party, which also benefits from fundraisers at swanky golf resorts, has traditionally declined contributions from Walmart because of its antiunion policies.”
The high times, they are a changin’. New laws set to regulate the medical – and recreational - marijuana market offer the promise of a booming 420 economy as weed moves from criminal substance to authentic California lifestyle choice. Peter Hecht in the Sacramento Bee:
“Medical marijuana dispensaries annually ring up more than $1 billion in sales, and about 1 million Californians now have physicians’ recommendations for pot use to address a range of conditions, including nerve pain, cancer and anxiety. With a ballot initiative to legalize adult recreational pot use looming for 2016, investors are poised to get in on this new era of marijuana regulation.
“’You’re going to see the emergence of a California medical marijuana commodities market,’ said Sebastopol attorney Omar Figueroa, who represents marijuana dispensaries and venture capitalists. ‘Investors will be coming in and betting on the future price of marijuana. There is going to be a full-blown marijuana casino.’”
Word spread quickly last week that the governor and first lady (and Sutter and Colusa) will be moving into the historic Governor’s Mansion on 16th Street, becoming the first governor to live in the building since Ronald Reagan decamped in 1967. Just what does it take to get an 1877 fixer-upper ready for the state’s First Family? David Siders has the deets at the Bee:
“Brown, who slept in an apartment on N Street when he was governor before, is known more for his frugality than his style.
“But with a multi-million renovation budget and a historic residence to furnish, the Brown administration appears to have gained an appreciation for more customarily stately things - from a Wolf range to a $16,609 refrigerator the manufacturer calls a "monument to food preservation."…
“$34,758
Kitchen and bathroom cabinets from California Interior in Rancho Cordova…
“$1,157
Seven bathroom fans, WhisperFit EZ Dual Speed Ventilation Fan, 80/110 CFM
“$34
Bathroom scale”
Always on the lookout for a bargain, Siders notes that Brown got the refrigerator for $6 under MSRP.
