The Times'
Nancy Vogel says
Democratic leaders would endorse the governor's proposal to change the way the state's political maps are drawn, with one insy-winsy little change: Don't implement the changes until after the 2010 census.
Both
Don Perata and
Gov. Schwarzenegger have scheduled press conferences this morning to touch base with the media. The governor's press conference is billed as "a press conference regarding the status of his reform proposals."
Today is the deadline set forth by Gov. Schwarzenegger for the Legislature to act on the proposals he outlined in his State of the State address. So, safe money is on the words "special election" being used by the governor this morning.
"The governor's advisers would only hint at what may be in store. One possible clue: A group of the governor's business allies
(and Dan Weintraub) late Monday officially embraced an initiative linking teacher pay to performance, not tenure, and another that would offer less-generous pensions to new public employees. It seems likely that Schwarzenegger will follow suit,"
reports the Mercury News.The Chronicle
offers something similar. The consensus seems to be that, while Republicans are united on plans for merit pay for teachers and pension reform, similar consensus on redistricting and a budget reform/spending cap proposal remains elusive, for now. Then again, we'll know for sure sometime around noon today.
Fabian Nuņez spokesman
Steve Maviglio said asking the Legislature to act on ever-changing proposals is like asking them to "act on Jell-O." Though, we're sure if Jell-O literally were the issue, there'd probably be a 90 minute floor debate, followed by a two-hour caucus meeting in which tempers would flare, and the Speaker would accuse Assembly Republican Leader
Kevin McCarthy of trying to force the Jell-O vote for political purposes. The day would ultimately end with the measure being put over for a few weeks.
The state scored a
victory in court against the Pechanga tribe Monday when a federal judge "refused to block a state crackdown on electronically linked gaming terminals that could enable tribes to exceed slot-machine limits and avoid paying fees to the state."
Don't look for elementary school students in Berkeley to object to the governor's education proposals. Berkeley teachers have
refused to give homework because they've gone two years without a pay raise. "District Superintendent
Michele Lawrence said she sympathizes with teachers but said there isn't money for raises. She blamed Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger for not providing as much money to education as promised."
In
"Kill the Wabbit" News, Assemblyman
John Benoit has his pellet gun locked and loaded, and
Bugs Bunny is in the crosshairs. Or is that cross-hares. (Sorry, it's early).
"Rabbits munching on lawns, flowers and other garden delights in the Inland area and around the state caught a break last summer when a Senate committee quashed a bill by Assemblyman John J. Benoit, R-Palm Desert. It would have given people permission to kill offending rabbits ... The Mission Viejo City Council last week voted to allow nocturnal rabbit hunts with pellet guns in the upscale Casta del Sol area of Orange County. Other areas are expected to follow the city's lead."
Speaking of non sequiturs, we'd understand if the weather was
front page news in Bakersfield but why is the weather on the East Coast front page news? In other newspaper Web site quirkiness, you've gotta love how the
Contra Costa Times has a special subheading on their local news page for "good news." (scroll toward the bottom of the page).
Your bond dollars at work: AP Reports that
Zach Hall, a veteran neuroscientist and associate dean of medical research at the University of Southern California's medical school, will become
interim president of the state's new $3 billion stem cell research institute. "The institute may pay a total salary package of roughly between $300,000 and $600,000 annually for the job. That's at the lower end of what deans of prestigious medical schools make."
LA Mayor's Race: It's seven days till Election Day. Do you know where your candidate is in the poll? A
new LA Times Poll shows a "surging"
Bob Hertzberg angling for a spot in the runoff. "
"If the election were held today, the poll found, Villaraigosa, a city councilman, would win 24%, followed by Hertzberg, 21%, and Hahn, 20%. In effect, though, the three are tied, because the margin of sampling error for likely voters is plus or minus 4 percentage points ... The survey found a surge in support for Hertzberg, a Sherman Oaks lawyer and former state Assembly speaker. Over the last month, as he has aired distinctive television ads, his popularity has risen across a range of constituencies that helped propel Hahn into office four years ago: whites, San Fernando Valley residents, Republicans, conservatives, moderates and Jewish voters."
Now that the rains of the century and the Oscars are over, maybe Angelenos will care.
Finally, we wish Assemblyman
Mike Gordon a
speedy recovery.
