"Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who developed a powerhouse international career in action films and body building,
now appears to be exporting a new Arnold product: a signature blend of California conservatism that has growing appeal to political leaders in other countries," reports Carla Marinucci in the Chron."
OK,
talk amongst yourselves: "'California Conservatism' is neither Californian nor conservative. Discuss."
But we digress...
"The governor's distinct political recipe -- melding bipartisanship, business sensibilities and a strong environmental message -- is one reason he has been invited to address the 2007 conference of the British Conservative Party. The gathering of 10,000 in late September in Blackpool will be headed by Tory leader
David Cameron, the dynamic young spokesman for the political opposition to Prime Minister
Tony Blair.
"The news of the invitation came in a week in which Schwarzenegger's environmental credentials have been underscored on the national stage: He is featured on the covers of Outdoor and Newsweek magazines as an international "green" leader. He is scheduled today to deliver the keynote address for the Newsweek Global Environmental Leadership Conference at Georgetown University in Washington, D.C.
"That will be followed Thursday by a major speech to the Council on Foreign Relations in New York City, an engagement usually reserved for national leaders or top foreign policy experts."
Really, can the Al Gore summit be far behind?"'
Schwarzenegger is what conservatives think the future is,' says
Gerald Dorfman, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and an expert on British and European politics."
"People who refuse to obtain health insurance
could be tracked down by the state or a private contractor, enrolled in a plan and fined until they pay their premiums under one proposal Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's administration is considering as part of his vision for covering all Californians," writes Jordan Rau in the Times.
"The proposal, which administration aides said was one of many the governor was considering, was presented at a meeting Tuesday with representatives from insurers, hospitals, doctors, business groups and consumer advocates.
"It drew immediate criticism from critics of the central tenet of Schwarzenegger's healthcare approach, which is to require all Californians to obtain insurance."
"
Beth Capell, a lobbyist for the Service Employees International Union's California organization, said the fines might be unfairly levied on people caught without health insurance because of circumstances beyond their control. Those included people in between jobs and those starting employment in companies that did not provide healthcare for the first months of work.
"'We're going to punish them if they don't go out and buy health insurance on their own -- health insurance that they can't afford at the moment that they are least able to afford it,' Capell said."
"The latest attempt by a Bay Area state lawmaker to legalize same-sex marriage
cleared a legislative committee Tuesday, but the fate of the bill remains in doubt with the governor likely to veto the measure.
"The legislation, AB 43, is about a civil rights issue that has been ignored far too long, said Assemblyman
Mark Leno, D-San Francisco.
"'The time has come for California to honor its commitment to afford the right of equality for all residents,' the lawmaker told the Assembly Judiciary committee.
"But opponents of the bill argued the state Legislature has no business redefining marriage especially after voters in 2000 approved a ballot initiative to reinforce the notion that marriage is an institution between a man and a woman.
"The Assembly Judiciary Committee sided with Leno, voting along party lines with seven Democrats voting yes while three Republicans voted no."
"The morning after the State Lands Commission rejected a proposed liquefied natural gas facility off the Southern California coast,
supporters regrouped on Tuesday while opponents hoped the vote was a sign that LNG is doomed in the state," reports Clea Benson in the Bee.
"With three other offshore LNG terminals at various stages in the approval pipeline, Monday's vote could be seen as a test case. A fifth project, planned for Long Beach, is in court.
"'Hopefully this is the beginning of the turning of the tide,' said
Jim Metropulos, a lobbyist for the Sierra Club, which is among the environmental groups opposed to LNG, which is supercooled until it turns from a gas into liquid and shipped across the ocean in tankers. They argue that LNG, a fossil fuel, would lead to more dependence on foreign energy, possibly pollute the air and water, and pose a risk of explosions."
"But rather than being a clear environmental victory, the vote may simply reflect that the gas companies have not adequately assuaged public fears or offered enough to offset potential impacts, said Democratic strategist
Darry Sragow.
"'There's nothing marring the surface of the ocean out there, there are no sources of alleged pollution, and there is, at the moment, no threat of some gigantic fireball,' Sragow said. 'It's very easy for any elected official to vote for the status quo.'"
Meanwhile, "[a] bill to place state sentencing policy in the hands of a newly created commission
passed its first legislative test Tuesday, but not until some of the heaviest hitters in California law enforcement took some meaty swipes at it," writes the Bee's Andy Furillo.
"The California District Attorneys Association, the California Police Chiefs' Association, the Police Officers Research Association of California and representatives of seven other groups all stepped forward at the state Senate's Public Safety Committee meeting to rip the measure proposed as a major fix to the state's incarceration crisis.
"Mostly, the groups blasted the outlines of the sentencing commission proposed by state Sen. Gloria Romero, D-Los Angeles, as taking authority away from the elected Legislature and giving it to a panel featuring a mixture of appointees put there by the governor, lawmakers and the courts."
"Labor activists and horse racing industry representatives Tuesday
unleashed a concerted campaign to persuade state lawmakers to reject major casino expansions for some of California's richest gambling tribes," reports the Bee's Peter Hecht.
"The testimony at a packed hearing of a key legislative panel underscored a pitched political battle that continues over gambling agreements seeking to allow five Southern California tribes to add up to 22,500 new slot machines.
"The casino compacts, signed last year by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, are expected to be voted on by the full state Senate next week."
"A number of
flood safety and Delta management bills cleared initial legislative hurdles Tuesday as lawmakers sought to balance Mother Nature and humans' thirst for water," writes Peter Hecht in the Bee.
"The Senate Natural Resources and Water Committee on Tuesday passed a bill that sets a deadline for choosing the best way to transport water around the state.
"Senate Bill 27 seeks to balance the Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta's ecosystem with the needs of the state's growing population by directing the state Department of Water Resources to choose from five options for channeling drinking water to urban parts of the state by 2008.
"During the same committee hearing, senators from both sides of the aisle approved a state flood management bill by Sen.
Mike Machado, D-Linden. Senate Bill 5 seeks to define responsibilities of state and local governments, builders, developers and homeowners for meeting flood preparedness standards. Currently, the state is responsible for maintaining a system of levees, bypasses and weirs. It has been found liable in past lawsuits for flood damage.
"Two flood safety bills by Assemblywoman
Lois Wolk, D-Davis, cleared the Assembly Water, Parks and Wildlife Committee on party-line votes. Assembly Bill 5 would encourage local planners to adopt flood standards by giving them priority for state funding. Assembly Bill 1452 complements the earlier bill by setting funding priorities."
And from our
Animal Nuts Files, "an
ambitious statewide plan to force household pets to be spayed and neutered failed to clear its first, key Assembly committee Tuesday after more than 100 foes attacked it and lawmakers demanded a delay for amendments to fix flaws," reports Steve Geissinger in the Merc News.
"The development involving the mandatory sterilization bill raised the possibility it will fail in the face of some pet owners' and breeders' assertions it is an unreasonable burden on them.
"At the same time, an equally large number of representatives of the state Humane Association, other groups and individual supporters testified in support of the bill, aimed at reducing euthanasia of what's been roughly estimated at a half-million feral and roaming animals annually in California.
"The Assembly Business and Professions Committee postponed further consideration of AB1634 by Assemblyman Lloyd Levine, D-Van Nuys, until just before an end-of-month legislative deadline that would kill it."
