"Assemblywoman Nicole Parra, D-Hanford, was ousted from her Capitol offices by the Assembly Democratic leadership, and ordered
to relocate in new space across the street from the
Capitol. The move, ordered by Assembly Speaker Karen
Bass, takes effect at 4 p.m. today. It comes one day after Parra failed to
vote for her own party's budget proposal," reports Capitol Weekly.
"That Democrat-backed budget plan needed 54 votes -- the two-thirds majority required to pass a budget in California
-- but got only 45 votes. The vote came after four hours of debate during
a special Sunday session. Not a single Republican voted
for the budget bill, AB 1781 by Assemblyman John Laird, D-Santa Cruz. Thirty of 32 Republicans voted against the bill. Assemblyman Sharon Runner, R-Lancaster, missed the vote due to illness, and Greg
Aghazarian, R-Stockton, abstained.
"Parra earlier said she would not support a budget until
questions involving water delivery and agriculture
-- two key issues in her Central Valley district -- had been resolved to her satisfaction. That position
angered some Democrats.
"'The speaker in her discretion makes those decisions.
I cannot speak for her, but we are now a month and
a half late delivering a budget. We've been working on this for seven months,' said Assemblyman
Paul Krekorian, D-Glendale. 'We have a thoroughly vetted, 800-page long budget bill,' he said, adding that it was "absolutely inexcusable" for Parra to tie her budget vote "to the narrow, corporate interests of agribusiness."
"'She's asking the entire Democratic Caucus to take a backseat
to her personal agenda, and that's completely unacceptable,' noted Assemblywoman
Patty Berg, D-Eureka.
"Parra's chief of staff, Derek Chernow, said the staff was
notified of the ouster shortly before noon. The move
means that Parra will be the only legislator, of either
the Assembly or Senate, who will be based in the Legislative Office Building, which houses staff members from both
parties and both houses of the Legislature."
"Dozens of child care centers in the Bay Area and hundreds
across the state are feeling pain because of the state budget deadlock , putting half a million children statewide at risk
of losing care," reports Christopher Heredia in the Chron.
"Licensed day care centers aren't the only state services hit by the fiscal crunch: Money has been withheld from K-12 special education programs, adult day centers and
low-income college students.
"On Monday, a day after the state Assembly defeated
a spending plan backed by Democrats, there was little
public discussion of the budget at the Capitol. Lawmakers
debated and voted on bills unrelated to the state budget.
"'Some of these child care centers are precariously close
to closing their doors,' state Superintendent of Public Instruction Jack O'Connell said in an interview Monday. 'If parents can't have their children safely in day care, then some
may not be able to go to work. It could really have
a ripple effect on the economy. We need to have a budget,
and it has to be good for kids.'"
"An avalanche of lobbying buried two bills in the Assembly on Monday that sought
to ban controversial chemicals from fast food containers, microwave popcorn bags
and baby bottles," writes Steve Wiegand in the Bee.
"The measures, Senate Bill 1713 by Sen. Carole Migden, D-San Francisco, and Senate Bill 1313, by Sen. Ellen Corbett, D-San Leandro, were the targets of large and well-heeled "working groups" of lobbyists employed by chemical companies, manufacturers
and trade associations.
"Corbett's bill sought to prohibit the use of perfluorinated
compounds, or PFCs, from food packaging. The compounds,
which are used to prevent grease from leaking through
bags and wrappers, have already been abandoned by some
companies, and the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency
has called for a voluntary ban by 2015.
"The bill needed 41 votes to be sent back to the Senate, but fell five
votes short, with 11 members not voting.
"Migden's bill would have banned the use of bisphenol A, or
BPA, from containers for children less than 3 years of age, such as baby bottles and "sippie" cups.
"It died on a 27-to-31 vote, with 22 abstentions. Both bills were granted reconsideration,
a legislative term that means they are still on life
support."
"The recent attacks on animal researchers in Santa Cruz have refocused
attention on a bill aimed at protecting academic freedom," reports Daniel Zarchy in the Bee.
"Assembly Bill 2296 would make it easier for police to cite individuals
for trespassing and makes it a crime to post personal
information of a researcher with the intent to incite
violence.
"The Aug. 2 attacks included firebombings of a car and a researcher's home in Santa Cruz. In the latter case, the family
was forced to flee the house through a second-story window.
"'The most recent attacks brought to everybody's attention that there are real concerns about the
safety of academic researchers,' said Assemblyman Gene Mullin, D-South San Francisco. Mullin wrote the bill with input
from the University of California and other universities
in the state.
"Dr. M.R.C. Greenwood, former UC provost and a professor of nutrition at
UC Davis, said the measure is a positive step.
"'We need a significant national coalition among scientists
and others to try to get these acts recognized for
the criminal acts that they are, provide the investigators
with the tools they need to investigate them, and prosecute
them to the full extent of the law,' she said."
"The California Supreme Court decision yesterday that
doctors can't use their religious beliefs as a reason for treating
same-sex couples differently than other patients is far from the last word about the controversial
case," writes Greg Moran in the Union-Tribune.
"In a unanimous decision that could play a role in the
campaign to pass a ballot initiative banning same-sex marriage, the justices said the religious liberty
and free speech rights of doctors do not exempt them
from complying with the state's civil rights act.
"The closely watched case centers on Guadalupe Benitez, a 36-year-old lesbian from Oceanside, and doctors at the North
Coast Women's Care Clinic in Vista.
"Benitez sued the clinic in 2001, contending the doctors refused to perform an artificial
insemination procedure for her because their religious
beliefs prevented them from doing so for a lesbian."
"A proposal to improve child safety at wave pools - prompted by the drowning of a small boy at Great America
last summer - drew spirited partisan debate among state lawmakers
Monday but was eventually approved by a wide margin," reports Edwin Garcia in the Merc News.
"The Assembly voted 52-23 to require wave pool operators provide free life vests
to non-swimmers and children, and require children under 48 inches tall to wear them; ring a loud warning bell 15 seconds before wave action begins; set a statewide standard for lifeguard ratios and
mandate adult supervision for children under 42 inches.
"The measure, by Sen. Elaine Alquist, D-San Jose, now heads to the Senate for final approval
this week; if it passes, the bill will be forwarded to Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger for consideration.
"Schwarzenegger has not taken a position but Alquist
said she expects him to sign it because wave pool operators
who once opposed the measure are now in support."
"He's running for another term as mayor of West Sacramento,
but Christopher Cabaldon says he won't seek higher office again after losing a grueling state Assembly race in June," reports the Bee's Hudson Sangree.
"Instead, Cabaldon is contemplating a major career shift.
Long a leader in state education policy, Cabaldon is
thinking of becoming a teacher while continuing to
serve in local government.
"'It's time for a midlife crisis,' said the 42-year-old mayor. 'There's nothing like a super-intense, 18-month election to reset your goals.'
"Two months ago, Cabaldon suffered a difficult defeat
at the hands of Yolo County Supervisor Mariko Yamada of Davis. Both were trying to win the Democratic primary
in the 8th Assembly District. It was the second time he'd lost the district's primary.
"Cabaldon said he's taught at the college level but never high school.
Now he's considering giving it a shot, perhaps in the West
Sacramento public schools.
"'I really want to challenge myself to think outside
the box,' he said."
Yeah, that's really a no-go in the Assembly.
Ask Nicole Parra.
And the latest Los Angeles scandal involves Antonio Villaraigosa
in women's clothing.
Well, perhaps Villaraigosa in bed with a women's clothing store. The LAT's David Zahniser explains.
"Two years after it was bulldozed, the 14-acre Los Angeles community
garden known as the South Central Farm is being developed
for a
clothing chain with strong ties to Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.
"Forever 21, one of the city's fastest-growing women's apparel
businesses, wants to operate a warehouse and distribution
center on the
site owned by real estate developer Ralph Horowitz.
Villaraigosa "has received nearly $1.3 million in
contributions and commitments from Forever 21 and its executives over
the past two years for initiatives ranging from tree
plantings to his
own reelection campaign.
"That relationship troubles the activist known as Tezozomoc,
who has
used noisy protests and persistent lobbying to try
to protect the land
from development. Tezozomoc called Villaraigosa's relationship with
Forever 21 "distressing for the community" and voiced doubts about the
sincerity of the mayor's effort to save the farm two years ago."
And finally, the Denver homeless population is getting some free
haircuts in preparation for the Democratic National
Convention.
"When Sylvester and Ghandia Johnson saw news reports
about homeless
people being given vouchers to the zoo and the movies
during the DNC,
they didn't feel it was right.
"The couple owns Sly's Salon at Grant Street and 16th Avenue, in
downtown Denver. They decided to use their business
to create a
so-called cut-a-thon specifically for the homeless.
"We thought
we could help some of Denver's homeless residents by giving them a
fresh look, giving them real good self esteem and helping
them feel
part of the DNC, so they look their best," said Ghandia Johnson.
"She
says homeless people who want to be in public during
the convention
shouldn't feel ashamed about their appearance. That's why the salon
gave free haircuts, washes and styles to more than
150 adults during
the all-day event on Monday."
The Denver homeless population will now officially
be better groomed than the thousands of journalists
heading to Denver.
