The governor would like to
defer to the voters on physician-assisted suicide, report Robert Salladay and Jordan Rau. "'
I personally think this is a decision probably that should go to the people, like the death penalty and other big issues,' the governor said. 'I don't think 120 legislators and I should make the decision. I think the people should make the decision, and whatever that is, that is what it ought to be.'"
Dan Smith
reports in the Bee "The Republican governor stopped short of saying he would veto
Assembly Bill 651, an assisted suicide bill pending in the state Senate. Backers of the measure were elated a week ago when the U.S. Supreme Court upheld Oregon's assisted suicide law, saying it could help some fence-sitting lawmakers to support the bill."
"Schwarzenegger also
deferred on the initiative set for the June 6 ballot that would increase taxes on high earners to finance universal preschool. He said he likes the plan but is against tax increases and isn't ready to take a position on the measure, backed by actor-director
Rob Reiner."
The governor finds himself in a difficult position, as he was the main proponent of 2002's Proposition 49, which earmarked state funds for after school programs without identifying a new revenue source.
Salladay and Rau go on to provide the governor's response to concerns that
Susan Kennedy is on the reelection payroll while also serving as chief of staff. "The governor further dismissed the accusations with a unique explanation: People should view Kennedy's campaign compensation as being paid for with the $25 million that Schwarzenegger and his wife, Maria Shriver, have personally donated to his various election efforts over the last three years."
"'I think my wife and I, we contribute enough money to our campaigns that you can consider this money coming out of our share rather than out of the various different companies' share,' the governor said. '
So there is no conflict of interest. So [Kennedy] is only representing us.'"
Interesting analysis, but Assembly Democrat
John Laird see things a bit differently.
"'If the governor's campaign is being run out of the governor's office, that's just not a good thing,' Laird said."
Meanwhile, the governor also
rejected calls from conservatives to dump Susan Kennedy and gives her high marks for her first weeks on the job, writes Bill Ainsworth in the U-T. "'I will hire the people I want to hire because they are the best,' he said. '
I will keep Susan Kennedy exactly where she is.'"
"Schwarzenegger hired Kennedy as his chief of staff after getting to know her while she was a commissioner on the California Public Utilities Commission, where she carved out a pro-business reputation. 'After working with her for six weeks, she's spectacular,' he said. '
She's much better than I thought.'"
Dan Walters suggests that Schwarzenegger is
channeling Gray Davis. "The governor clearly will bend almost any direction to please Democrats, but the more he caters to them, the more he alienates himself from Republicans, especially conservative Republicans, who are leery about massive spending of any kind and who are insisting that there should be reforms to streamline projects, the kinds of reforms that environmentalists and unions intensely oppose."
"Kennedy was a top official in the Davis administration as well - one of the architects, it could be said, of his risk-averse governance. Channeling indeed."
Meanwhile, the governor is turning to Bee reporter
Gary Delsohn to
be his new speechwriter. "Delsohn, who covered the governor for The Bee Capitol Bureau, will earn $110,000 a year in his new job."
"He replaces speechwriter
Jeff Danzinger, who has worked for the administration since Schwarzenegger took office after winning the 2003 recall election."
From our
Prop 13 Babies Redux Files: Michael Finnegan reports for the Times that
Richard Mountjoy will challenge Dianne Feinstein this year. "'I'm in the race,' he said in an interview. 'No turning back.'"
"Although Democrat Feinstein has been widely seen as moderate since her 1992 election, Mountjoy said she had 'totally taken the positions of the left.'"
"The latest evidence, he said, was her Senate Judiciary Committee vote Tuesday against President Bush's nomination of
Samuel A. Alito Jr. to the U.S. Supreme Court. All eight committee Democrats voted against Alito, while all 10 Republicans backed him."
The Times' David Reyes takes a look at the race
shaping up in the 34th Senate District, which will face costly primary and general elections. "Orange County Supervisor
Lou Correa's announcement this week that he will run for the state's 34th Senate District seat sets the stage for a heated June 6 primary showdown with fellow Democrat
Tom Umberg, an assemblyman."
"With the winner facing either Assemblyman
Van Tran or Assemblywoman
Lynn Daucher on the Republican side, the race will probably be one of state's hottest and costliest, with estimates ranging as high as $10 million for the primary and general election, political observers say."
Meanwhile, an Indian tribe is
looking to a federal judge as a way around the Legislature. "Frustrated by lawmakers' refusal to act on its new gambling agreement, an Imperial County Indian tribe has filed a federal lawsuit that could establish a legal path around the Legislature for other tribes in similar situations.
"The Quechan tribe will
ask a federal court to send it and the state to a mediator, where both would submit their last best offers for a new compact. Under federal law, the mediator would have to choose one of the two."
"'The governor negotiated a compact that he is satisfied with,' said
Larry Stidham, a Ramona attorney who represents Quechan. 'The tribe is satisfied with that.
The governor submits the compact to the court, the deal is done. That takes the Legislature out of the process.'"
Finally, from our
It All Depends on Your Definition of Ranching Files: "During a Q&A session at Kansas State University today, a student asked Bush: 'I was just wanting to
get your opinion on Brokeback Mountain if you'd seen it yet.'"
"The crowd laughed softly before the student said loudly: 'You would love it! You should check it out.'"
"'I haven't seen it,' Bush said flatly. 'I'd be glad to talk about ranching, but I haven't seen the movie,' he said to laughter. 'I've heard about it.'"
"The president waited a second or two, then said, according to a transcript: 'I hope you go -- (laughter) -- you know -- (laughter) -- I hope you go back to the ranch and the farm, is what I was about to say. I haven't seen it. (Laughter, applause.)'"
The gubernatorial hamster names keep pouring in...look for a winner in Friday's Roundup.
