"State legislators
return to the Capitol after a spring break to face the fullest agenda of major issues in at least a generation, most of them pushed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger as he seeks to jump-start his second term," writes Dan Walters.
"Over the next five months, Republican Schwarzenegger and the mostly Democratic lawmakers will either make good on promises to deliver on health care, prison reform, infrastructure and political reform, or their oft-proclaimed camaraderie will crumble and the Capitol will return to finger-pointing gridlock.
"The plate is so full that by common consent, Schwarzenegger and lawmakers will postpone even thinking about the massive, foundation-financed study of the state's schools that proposed dramatic changes in how they are financed and governed.
"That may be next year's big issue."
Away from the Legislature this week, the
debate over the Oxnard LNG terminal intensifies. The Bee's Aurelio Rojas reports: "California regulators today will begin considering a proposal by the world's largest mining company to moor a liquefied natural gas processing plant off the Southern California coast, setting the stage for Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to approve or reject the project."
"The three-member State Lands Commission -- composed of Lt. Gov.
John Garamendi, state Controller
John Chiang and a representative of the governor -- will meet in Oxnard to hear public testimony on BHP Billiton's application to lease state waters for the floating $800 million terminal.
"On Thursday, the California Coastal Commission will meet in Santa Barbara to consider the complex, which would be the length of three football fields and house three 160-foot-high storage tanks."
"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
will address the annual conference of Britain's Conservative Party, the party said Sunday, citing the California Republican's commitment to the environment," reports AP.
"Conservative leader
David Cameron has been attempting to reposition his party, once led by Margaret Thatcher and Winston Churchill, in the center, to the dismay of some of the Tory faithful. But the party, which last won a general election 15 years ago, has seen an increase in support in some polls. The British government is dominated by Prime Minister Tony Blair's Labor Party.
"Cameron has seized the environment as his party's key issue. He changed the Conservative Party logo from a torch to a tree and has been photographed cycling to work at the House of Commons.
"'Gov. Schwarzenegger led a dramatic revival of his party's fortunes in California and as governor he has shown tremendous leadership — above all in pioneering measures to protect the environment, reaching out to political opponents in doing so,' Cameron said in a statement."
"Supporters
will renew their efforts this week to legalize gay marriages in California, but there seems to be little doubt that the outcome will be a rerun - another veto by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger," reports the AP's Steve Lawrence.
"Assemblyman
Mark Leno, the San Francisco Democrat who introduced the gay marriage bill that Schwarzenegger vetoed in 2005, said he is confident lawmakers will send the measure to the Republican governor again this year.
"'We're hopeful that he will understand why it's important that he end the second-class treatment of countless California families and children,' Leno said.
"The bill is scheduled to be considered Tuesday by the Assembly Judiciary Committee.
"A spokeswoman for Schwarzen-egger,
Sabrina Lockhart, said the governor's position hasn't changed.
"In his veto message in 2005, Schwarzenegger said the Leno bill violated Proposition 22, the anti-gay marriage initiative approved by California voters in 2000, and that any attempt to legalize same-sex weddings also should go on the ballot.
"Schwarzenegger repeated that stand in comments to high school students attending a YMCA conference in February.
"'I don't want, as governor, to go against the will of the people,' he said."
The Bee's Jim Sanders
profiles Lloyd Levine. "Whether he's fighting over his bill to allow terminally ill patients to take their own lives, or demanding better treatment of pachyderms, or raising eyebrows by traveling to Japan last week with corporate players in industries he helps oversee, Levine, shy in his youth, now revels in the spotlight.
"'I didn't want to come up here and just tinker at the margins, change one word or one code section,' Levine said. "Not that some of that stuff isn't important, but I wanted to come up and do big things."
"The 37-year-old Van Nuys resident, who owns a duplex in River Park and dates KCRA-TV journalist
Edie Lambert, has crafted successful legislation to create a statewide plastic bag recycling program, bolster the number of solar roofs, require utilities to meet energy-efficiency goals, and allow telephone companies to offer cable TV programming.
"But the 6-foot-3, 160-pound Levine -- who once dreamed of becoming a jockey -- is best known, perhaps, for pending legislation to ban the sale of incandescent light bulbs, require nearly every dog and cat to be spayed or neutered, improve the living conditions of captive elephants, and to permit doctors to prescribe fatal medication to terminally ill patients whose death is imminent."
"
New Century Financial Corp. has become the poster child for mortgages gone bad, and the Irvine-based firm filed for bankruptcy protection last week," reports the Bee's Kevin Yamamura.
"The company
did manage to scrape up $1,500 in January for a political contribution, however. In a campaign finance filing submitted last week, New Century declared a single contribution to former Assemblyman
Tom Umberg, who ran for supervisor in Orange County in February.
"Apparently, New Century was as poor a judge of political potential as it was of borrower potential. Umberg finished third."
Yamamura also notes "Schwarzenegger aides last week disclosed their personal financial interests, and it turns out that Schwarzenegger communications director
Adam Mendelsohn earned more outside income last year than previously known.
Besides his $123,000 state salary and $88,000 in Schwarzenegger campaign bonuses, Mendelsohn received $12,666 from the governor's nonprofit inaugural committee. Inaugural spokeswoman
Julie Soderlund said Mendelsohn provided 'communications support' in his off hours."
"Actor and activist
Danny Glover - who some were hoping might use his "Lethal Weapon" star power to give San Francisco Mayor
Gavin Newsom a run for his money -
is saying thanks, but no thanks," write Matier and Ross in the Chron.
"With few would-be challengers surfacing to take on Newsom, lefty bloggers in recent weeks had ramped up the campaign buzz by setting up a very official-looking "Danny Glover For Mayor" Web site, complete with a ready-made platform spelling out positions on everything from transportation and education to affordable housing.
"And why not? Glover has been politically active here for a long time, and he supported Green Party candidate
Matt Gonzalez's bid four years ago to become mayor when Newsom was elected.
"Well, after weeks of silence, Glover finally issued a statement saying that he while he was deeply flattered and humbled by the support and enthusiasm for his candidacy, 'I have not considered, nor am I entertaining, the idea of running for mayor.'"
Finally, "
Joe Selle didn't exactly get voted out office this week, but he wasn't re-elected, either.
"Selle, who was running unopposed for City Council,
didn't get any votes at all. Not even one from himself.
"Selle, 42, said he simply forgot that Tuesday was election day, and apparently so did Ward 3's other 34 registered voters.
"The result was zero votes cast in Selle's race, but the city charter lets him keep the seat unless someone else is 'successfully elected and qualified,' the city attorney said.
"Selle, a professional musician, was recently appointed to fill a council vacancy and had been seeking a full term.
"He said he saw other residents at the school where the voting was held, 'but it never occurred to me that's what they were there for.'"
