"After nearly a year of debate and discussion,
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's health care reform bill finally goes before a legislative committee Wednesday - on Halloween, which to some legislators is appropriate given its chances for survival," reports Tom Chorneau in the Chron.
"The governor's plan would require all Californians to have health insurance, either through their employment, a government-sponsored program or purchased on the open market.
"But the Legislature's Democratic majority has argued that the required coverage would be too expensive for many middle-class families who earn too much to qualify for subsidies proposed by Schwarzenegger.
"The two sides have been stuck on the issue of affordability for weeks without any sign of a compromise. In the meantime,
the Assembly health committee will hold an informational hearing on the governor's plan today, but it is not expected to move forward in its current form."Assembly Speaker
Fabian Núñez, D-Los Angeles, said he is continuing to talk with the governor about alternative ideas and still hopes a deal can be reached before the end of the year."
The U-T's Bill Ainsworth
reports "Schwarzenegger's representatives remain optimistic.
"'
From our standpoint, it's very much alive,' said
Aaron McLear, the governor's press secretary.
"But McLear also said that Schwarzenegger's top priority is helping Southern California recover from last week's devastating wildfires.
"The governor and the Legislature never got close to a health care agreement before lawmakers adjourned for the year in September.
Schwarzenegger called a special session, but with little progress in negotiations, the full Legislature has yet to reconvene."
After all, they've got fundraising to do for the term limits initiative.
Meanwhile, "[v]oters
are initially inclined to approve four compacts to expand gambling on Southern California tribal lands if ballot questions on the deals qualify for the February election, according to the latest Field Poll," reports Kevin Yamamura in the Bee.
"The compacts negotiated by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and approved by the state Legislature are expected to face a February ballot hurdle after an opposition coalition of union and gambling interests submitted more than 700,000 signatures for each tribal deal this month.
"The Field Poll found
52 percent of likely voters in the February statewide election would approve the compacts, compared with 35 percent who would oppose them and 13 percent who are undecided.
The Merc News's Edwin Garcia reports: "
Support for a state ballot initiative to modify the length of time legislators can remain in office is dropping, according to a survey released today.
"Proposition 93 is now favored by 49 percent of registered voters, the Field Poll found, down from 59 percent just two months ago. While opposition to the initiative remains about the same as in August, the number of voters who are undecided has nearly doubled to 20 percent."
"California's
new procedures for lethal injections are invalid because they were never submitted to the public for comment or reviewed by the office that approves all state regulations, a Marin County judge said Tuesday in a tentative ruling that could prolong the state's moratorium on executions," reports Bob Egelko in the Chron.
"Superior Court Judge
Lynn O'Malley Taylor agreed with lawyers for two condemned prisoners that the state Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation was enacting a regulation when it announced new procedures in May for lethal injections at San Quentin State Prison.
"Under state law, an agency that adopts a new regulation must first publish the text, invite public comments, hold a hearing if a member of the public requests one, and submit the final draft to the Office of Administrative Law, which decides whether the proposed rule was legally authorized."
Meanwhile, the
details on the indictment of one of the GOP's rising stars were released yesterday. The LAT's Christine Hanley, H.G. Reza and Paul Pringle report: "Orange County Sheriff
Michael S. Carona began breaking the law even before he got elected, according to a federal indictment released Tuesday, engaging in a broad conspiracy to enrich himself and his former mistress by trading access to his department for a steady stream of cash and gifts.
"The indictment outlines a scheme that took root in March 1998 and stretched until August, when Carona allegedly tried to keep one of his chief accusers -- a former assistant sheriff -- from testifying truthfully to a grand jury. Federal prosecutors also charged Carona's wife and
Debra V. Hoffman, whom they identified in court papers as the sheriff's 'longtime mistress.'"Court documents describe a furious pursuit of money, perquisites and expensive baubles,
including more than $200,000 in payments and loans, a boat, a Lake Tahoe vacation, luxury box seats to the World Series, Mont Blanc pens and Ladies' Cartier watches. Carona, 52, is also accused of helping co-conspirators get a piece of a wrongful-death settlement that the family of a dead deputy won in a lawsuit.
"Carona said in an interview with The Times that he was innocent and would not resign as head of the state's second-largest sheriff's department. He declined to discussed the specific allegations in the indictment."
"Internet scammers
have lifted a speech from the Assembly member representing Malibu and used it in a widely distributed e-mail to solicit donations supposedly bound for victims of the Southern California fires," reports Steve Chawkins in the Times.
Don't say people never listen to what Assemblymembers say.
"An aide to Assemblywoman
Julia Brownley (D-Santa Monica) said Tuesday that legislative computer specialists had determined that the bogus plea -- contained in an e-mail message purporting to be from the Internal Revenue Service -- originated outside the United States.
"'My immediate goal is to do everything possible to get the word out that the e-mail did not come from me or anyone associated with me, and that no one should open the 'IRS' link,' Brownley said in a news release, calling the solicitation 'another ugly side to the tragedy.'"
"Brownley's office has fielded inquiries about the e-mail from people in New York and Florida."
Finally, from our
Ron Artest Excuse Files: "A woman
wants abuse charges filed against an acquaintance who was pet-sitting for her potbellied pig and allowed the animal to get fat.
"
Michelle Schmitz said her pig,
Alaina Templeton, weighed 50 pounds when Schmitz left her with a co-worker who offered to care for the animal in February, when Schmitz went on medical leave to recover from ankle surgeries."
The pig's name is Alaina Templeton? Whatever happened to Wilbur or Porky?
"Nine months later,
the pig weighed 150 pounds and it took veterinarians 4 1/2 hours to surgically remove the animal's collar, the Winona Daily News reported. Officers are investigating whether Alaina was abused by the sitter's neglect and overfeeding."
