"Firing the first salvo in what will be the biggest fight in the Capitol next year, the Senate's top Democrat
proposed legislation Tuesday that would require all working Californians to have health care insurance paid for by employers and employees," report Greg Lucas and Tom Chorneau in the Chron.
"Businesses large and small have quashed every legislative attempt in the past to require them to provide health insurance for their employees, contending a mandate puts them at a competitive disadvantage, particularly in years of leaner revenue."
"But the new proposal from Senate President Pro Tem
Don Perata, considered the second-most powerful elected official in the Capitol, would require employers and uninsured employees both contribute to the $7 billion annual cost of coverage."
"The governor did not comment directly on Perata's plan Tuesday, but he said in a statement that he thought it was 'fantastic' the Legislature wanted to join him in overhauling health care."
"'We're encouraged by the senator coming forward,' said
Kim Belshé, the governor's Cabinet secretary on health issues. 'There's a lot to commend in his plan and a lot of questions raised by it.'"
Meanwhile, Perata "
said Tuesday he will remain state Senate leader for awhile longer, despite the presence of an ambitious new senator from Los Angeles with a history of climbing swiftly to the top," reports Steve Geissinger in the Oakland Tribune.
"Perata, an Oakland Democrat, said state Sen.
Alex Padilla, D-Van Nuys, has "made it very clear that he's a guy who would like to be part of the leadership" in the upper house, but apparently has accepted a warning from Perata not to stage a coup attempt."
"The Senate president pro tem, who will be termed out in 2008, said he and Assembly Speaker
Fabian Nuñez, D-Los Angeles, agreed they would follow the precedent of formally announcing the time for caucus votes transferring leadership in the two houses of the Democrat-dominated Legislature."
"'To do stuff ahead of that destabilizes the (Democratic) caucus,' Perata said after a Capitol news conference on another topic. 'It gets people looking around to see what other people in the room are doing, for why.'"
"'And I just asked him (Padilla) not to do that.'"
In the other house, Capitol Weekly reports "Assembly Speaker
Fabian Núñez has
ordered the Assembly Rules Committee to investigate the use of false badges that were allegedly issued by a Democratic member of the Assembly.
"The letter comes days after the Los Angeles Times reported Redondo Beach resident
Pirikana Johnson flashed a badge at officers after being pulled over for a suspected DUI. It was later revealed that the badge was issued by the office of Assemblyman Mervyn Dymally, D-Compton."
"The badge identified Johnson as an 'Assembly commissioner,' though no such title exists."
The Times' Dan Morain and Evelyn Larrubia report: "Although Nuñez did not name any lawmaker, he
issued a sharply worded letter aimed at Assemblyman
Mervyn Dymally (D-Compton). Through his aides, Dymally has been handing out 'Assembly commissioner' badges to his supporters."
"'Somewhere down the line, a breakdown has occurred,' Nuñez said in the letter dated Monday. Nuñez, a Los Angeles Democrat, asked that Assembly Rules Committee Chairman Hector De La Torre (D-South Gate) report to him in a month."
"Dymally's practice of distributing badges attracted attention when the Redondo Beach city attorney charged Dymally protege Pirikana Johnson, 27, with impersonating a state official. The charges, filed last week, stemmed from two incidents in which Johnson allegedly flashed at police a badge issued by Dymally's office."
"Dymally's aides have placed orders for shields for at least 30 people, according to records obtained by The Times. The badges contain a likeness of the Assembly's official seal and read: 'California State Assembly Commissioner.' The Assembly does not recognize such a post.
A 1968 law makes misuse of the seal a misdemeanor."
"Names on order forms include Dymally's wife and a former chairman of the Morongo Band of Mission Indians, which owns a large casino. The tribe has donated $9,200 to Dymally, and Morongo gave $65,000 to the Legislative Black Coalition, which helps elect African Americans. Dymally chairs the Legislature's black caucus."
Meanwhile,
a familiar face is back on the state payroll, reports Capitol Weekly. "
Gale Kaufman, a top political strategist to Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez and the powerful California Teachers Association, has returned to the state payroll as a consultant to the speaker's office.
"According to state employment records obtained by Capitol Weekly, Kaufman joined the speaker's staff as a principal consultant on Nov. 9, two days after the fall election. Kaufman will earn $2,000 per month for her role.
"'I'm only working part time. I can still rake in the big bucks on the outside,' Kaufman joked in a conversation with Capitol Weekly. 'I'm in and out of [the Assembly] all the time. This time around, for the next little while, I'll be doing some more work, so I decided to go on the payroll.'"
And Kate Folmar reports on
some new goings on in the Horseshoe. "Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to soon
name well-respected lobbyist Chris Kahn as his new legislative secretary, according to sources familiar with the appointment.
The selection is key as Schwarzenegger pushes a vast 2007 agenda, hoping to tackle everything from health care to prison reform.
Kahn lobbies for the top-five Sacramento firm Sloat, Higgins, Jensen and Associates, which represents a diverse array of clients, including the city of Anaheim, Indian tribes and Cisco Systems."
So if you see
this man on the street, you might want to be very, very nice to him...
From our
What Can Brown Do For You Files,
Willie Brown correctly predicted Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger's landslide win to the chagrin of his own party, and now the Democratic icon
will emcee the Republican governor's swearing-in ceremony in January," writes the Bee's Kevin Yamamura.
"Schwarzenegger's inaugural committee announced Tuesday that it had recruited Brown to serve as master of ceremonies during the governor's Jan. 5 invitation-only ceremony at the Memorial Auditorium in Sacramento."
"
Bob Mulholland, a California Democratic Party spokesman who advised Angelides' campaign, said he is not bothered by Brown's inaugural role for the Republican governor because 'Brown's retired from politics.'"
"
Mike Spence, president of the California Republican Assembly, a conservative GOP group, said he has 'ceased to be surprised by these types of things.' Spence criticized the governor's hiring of Democrats in key roles last year and his push for a record amount of public works bonds this year."
"'I think it's pretty fitting that the governor will have one of the most liberal speakers of the Assembly serve as his emcee,' Spence said. '
This is a governor who got more bond spending approved than Brown ever did.'"
"The state's top Republican Assembly member said Tuesday
it's time for somebody to stand up to federal court officials with the power to sign a 'blank check' to finance prison reform in California," write Andy Furillo and Jim Sanders in the Bee.
"'I don't like the idea of the federal government saying they can come in and draw down our general fund,' Assembly Republican leader
Mike Villines of Clovis told The Bee's Capitol Bureau in an afternoon meeting. 'I think we should challenge a decision that allows them to have that much authority.'"
"The GOP leader acknowledged that the courts have stepped into California's prison morass because state officials, including members of the Legislature, 'don't do our job' when it comes to fixing massive problems ranging from overcrowding to inmate health care. But he suggested that the federal court overseers have taken too heavy a hand, especially when it comes to obtaining orders from judges that are already costing the state tens of millions of dollars and potentially could run into the billions over the next several years."
Dan Walters writes "It's
high time that California's politicians got off the dime on the twin crises in prisons and local jails. Their voters like the idea of locking up miscreants and dislike spending the money to keep them behind bars, so it's a tricky political issue, but one that can only grow worse unless addressed."
"Schwarzenegger at least acknowledges the crisis and is proposing something -- build new prisons -- to deal with it. Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata said Tuesday that "we're going to have to re-engineer the whole system (because) it is broke beyond belief." Whatever it takes, the jailhouse crisis is real, and if there's not movement in the Capitol soon, federal judges will start operating the system by decree."
"The state's tax policy board on Tuesday
rejected a petition by a coalition of youth groups to hike the tax on 'alcopops' -- sweet and fruity malt beverages that the coalition believes are targeted at teenagers," reports E.J. Schultz in the Bee.
"The coalition hoped that by making the drinks more expensive, they would become less accessible to minors."
"The Board of Equalization rejected the effort on a 2-2 vote."
"'It seems like it's an intentional design to destroy an industry,' said board member
Claude Parrish, who worried the tax hike was an unnecessary hardship on the beverage industry."
"He voted "no" along with
Bill Leonard, whose district includes Sacramento. Two other members --
Betty Yee and a representative of state Controller
Steve Westly -- backed the tax increase.
John Chiang, a member who will be sworn in as state controller next month,
left the meeting and did not vote."
And finally, USC fans can rest easy. They may have squandered any hopes of a national championship by choking against UCLA, but at least
they'll get to see some llamas. "Llamas have waited 15 years to appear in the Rose Parade. On New Year's Day, 18 of the animals and their owners will stroll down Colorado Boulevard.
Joan Selby, a member of the Llama Association of Southern California, sent the original application to the parade committee 15 years ago."
"
Paul Holman, president and chairman of the board of the Pasadena Tournament of Roses Association, said he has been told llamas had not been allowed in the parade because horses fear them and react as if the llamas were predators."
The goats, meanwhile, will be playing the Wolverines after the parade.
