Well, it looks like
a proposal to modify term limits is about to make it into bill form. Capitol Weekly's John Howard has the details.
"For now, the amendment,
SCA 19 by Sen.
Bill Morrow, R-Oceanside, is a vaguely worded document, known in Capitol parlance as a "spot bill," that gives little indication of the magnitude of the final proposal. The Senate Elections Committee speedily sent SCA 19 to the floor on a 4-0 vote, although it appeared that some members were caught by surprise. The chairwoman of the committee, Sen. Debra Bowen, D-Marina del Rey, a candidate for secretary of state, abstained from the vote."
"'It is obviously and forthrightly a 'spot bill,'' Morrow said. 'The general concept at this point is
to set up an independent commission, to give that commission limited authority, a window if you will, to modify Proposition 140. It is my general understanding that the leadership has agreed to negotiate this issue," Morrow told the committee. A Senate analysis of the bill commented wryly on bill's 'to be amended' status: 'See Spot. See Spot run,' the official analysis reads."
"Morrow acknowledged that he had little detailed information about the plan. '
I only signed on to ride this horse. I'm not necessarily the trainer or the owner or know what the horse is going to look like, once it's acquired,' he said."
"Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger and his challenger, Phil Angelides,
came back to the Valley on Thursday. Both talked with veterans at the American Legion Convention in downtown Fresno," reports CBS TV47.
"While the governor got cheers from vets at the convention center, Angelides also won support with his plan to help National Guard troops."
Also yesterday, "Riverside car dealer
Ramon Alvarez hosted Gov. Schwarzenegger and about 20 Inland-area Latino business and political figures Thursday afternoon," reports the Press Enterprise.
"The governor, greeted by mariachi music and a bouquet of roses from Alvarez' daughter, spent about 90 minutes discussing local issues, such as the area's need for grade separations at railroad crossings, Alvarez said."
"'He came with no agenda, said, 'Hit me with your best questions,'' Alvarez said. They discussed school funding, senior heath care, the need for Hispanic families to find affordable housing and workers-compensation costs."
Meanwhile, some are
questioning the propriety of Phil Angelides's invitation to some press corps members to a BBQ at his house.
The Oakland Tribune's Josh Richman reports "Some reporters covering Angelides' campaign received e-mails Tuesday and Wednesday marked "not for publication or distribution," inviting them and their families to an off-the-record barbecue Thursday evening at Angelides' Sacramento home. A campaign spokesman had declined to discuss the invitation and party on the record Wednesday."
We never get these invitations.
"Two journalism ethics experts said Wednesday that while it may be common modern political practice for a candidate to try to shmooze reporters in off-the-record contexts such as this, accepting unreimbursed hospitality from a candidate one covers denotes an unethical degree of coziness."
Dan Walters makes
the Schwarzenegger-Clinton comparison. "As he seeks re-election, California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is triangulating like crazy, sailing a zigzag course of actions and pronouncements designed to keep fellow Republicans on his side in a showdown with Democrat Phil Angelides, while building support from the independents and moderates who will be critical to his re-election hopes."
Speaking of gambling, "California's horse racing industry, reeling from out-of-state competition fueled by slot machines, is asking for a law that would allow racetracks to repackage old races to create a mechanized wagering game that looks and acts a lot like a slot machine," reports the Ventura County Star's Tim Herdtt.
"'We have been beating our heads against the wall to save this game,' said
Rick Baedeker, a senior vice president for the Hollywood Park and Bay Meadows racetracks. 'This is a chance to get California back up where we should be.'"
The LAT's Joe Mathews looks at the
relationship between LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa and the teachers' unions, which produced a mutually agreeable modified takeover plan this week.
"With the powerful California Teachers Assn. joining the talks, Villaraigosa and the teachers produced a deal that, if adopted by the Legislature, would give the union a long-sought goal: more control over curriculum."
"'It's always easier to work out arrangements and have a dialogue with someone you know from a previous life,' said UTLA President
A.J. Duffy, who has also been friendly with the mayor for years."
"The powerful teachers union in the Los Angeles Unified School District would
get unprecedented control over what kids are taught and how schools are run under a deal brokered by Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa to save his reform plan, LAUSD Superintendent Roy Romer charged Thursday," reports Naush Boghossian in the Daily News.
"Villaraigosa insisted he will take personal responsibility for L.A. schools, but Romer - in his toughest remarks yet - said draft legislation shows the mayor's deal would undercut gains in student achievement and send the nation's second-largest district spiraling out of control."
"'
I'm concerned about the level of power the union would have. ... This turns over massive tools of change to the union,' Romer said."
"'If passed, this bill would transfer that power to the union to control curriculum at a site-based level. This is a very serious mistake and one the mayor and unions bought off on because they're trying to serve each other's interests.'"
Some rank and file teachers
are concerned that the plan will eliminate successful districtwide program. "Villaraigosa's elaborate plan to take control of the Los Angeles Unified School District grabbed the attention of rank-and-file teachers Thursday, the day after it was announced. While some applauded it, many disagreed with him — and their own union leadership," reports Duke Helfand and Joel Rubin in the Times.
"In close consultation with teachers unions, the mayor agreed this week as part of a sweeping reform plan to let schools choose their own instructional methods and effectively do away with top-down centralized programs."
"But teachers and principals at several L.A. Unified campuses said the mayor's proposal could ravage districtwide reading and math programs that they say have brought continuity to thousands of classrooms and helped drive up standardized test scores over the last six years."
"Uniformity is important, the educators said, because 28% of the district's 727,000 students leave L.A. Unified schools at least once during a school year, with many of them going to other district campuses. Requiring schools to use the same programs enables students who move to keep up with lessons, the educators said."
"'We need to put the children first,' Cahuenga Elementary teacher
Grace Blanc said. 'I think the consistency is what the children need.'"
Who needs consistency? It's not like they all have to take the same test to graduate...
Further south, "
Ron Gonzales on Thursday became the first mayor in San Jose's history to be
arrested on allegations of misconduct in office, transforming a political and ethics scandal over an obscure garbage contract into a full-blown criminal case that could send him to jail and throws City Hall into disarray in an election year," reports the Merc's city hall political team.
Finally, blogger Wonkette has found
pictures of Brian Bilbray's underage children partying, perhaps celebrating dad's recent return to Congress. The pictures were in his kids' public MySpace and Photobucket web profiles, which have since been set to "private."
You know what to do...
tips@capitolbasement.com.
