The Bee's Aurelio Rojas writes that the Proposition 8 campaign has boiled down to whether or not the measure would
require same-sex marriage to be taught in schools.
"The Yes on 8 forces have made it the focus of their campaign strategy
in television and radio ads that have been running
for weeks. The ads point to Massachusetts, where gay
marriage has been legal since 2003 and the issue is being taught in schools.
"But opponents of the proposed constitutional amendment,
which would end gay marriage in California, accuse
supporters of fear-mongering. They note there is nothing in the state
education code that requires schools to teach anything
about marriage – straight or gay."
The LAT's Carla Hall reports on the debate over Proposition 2, the animal husbandry measure.
"Proposition 2 would take hens, veal calves and pregnant pigs out
of
tiny crates and cages and require enough space for
them to lie down,
stand up, fully extend their limbs without hitting
an enclosure or
another animal, and turn around freely. Since there
are few veal
farmers in California and the state's largest pork producer has already
said it would eliminate small crates, the initiative
would mostly
affect 19 million laying hens and the egg industry that farms
them.
"About 95% of those birds are kept in so-called battery cages, in
groups ranging in number from two to 10 (where, yes, they establish a
pecking order). The space per bird is slightly smaller than a sheet
of
letter paper.
"The other 5% of farmed birds are cage-free. They mill in a big henhouse
or, in the case of "free range" hens, roam outside in a field or yard.
"The measure, which would not take effect until 2015, would have no
effect on eggs imported into California for sale or
use. Those could
still be the product of caged hens."
The Bee's Shane Golmacher says the guv may be looking to change the state's primary voting system after this year's election.
"In an appearance in San Diego today promoting Proposition
11, Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger called passage of Proposition
11 "the most
important thing."
"But Schwarzenegger also hinted at what good-government reform he might tackle next: open primaries.
"We will change the way the district lines are drawn
and we will change
the performance in Sacramento and will create more
performance. And, of
course, the next thing is open primaries. That's how we have to walk
down that road and create the real change and not stay
with the status
quo."
Here are the day’s top campaign contributions, courtesy of Electiontrack.com
Campaign For Teen Safety - No On 4: $273,942
No On 8, Equality For All: $259,738
People Against The Proposition 5 Deception: $225,000
Californians For S.A.F.E. Food, No On Proposition 2: $216,657
Yes On 11: $186,500
Californians For High Speed Trains-yes On Proposition 1a: $180,000
Yes On Prop. 2: $131,388
Protectmarriage.com - Yes On 8: $123,499
Strickland For Senate: $98,100
No On 8 - Equality California: $57,460
Californians Against Another Costly Energy Scheme - No On 7: $46,721
Cathleen Galgiani For Assembly 2008: $30,400
Ted Lieu For Assembly 2008: $29,070
Human Rights Campaign California Marriage Pac - No On Prop 8: $28,000
Alberto Torrico For Assembly 2008: $28,000
Friends of Joan Buchanan: $26,338
Dan Walters looks at why the governor and Legislature are waiting
until after the election to convene to address the
emerging budget crisis. "Republicans insisted on a no-new-taxes budget this year and because their votes were
needed to pass any budget, they got it. They're maintaining their no-new-taxes stance even as the budget crisis deepens. But clearly, one reason for delaying any new budget
action is that in another few weeks, Republicans will
be less powerful.
"This is shaping up as a strong election for Democrats,
perhaps a real wave; they could come very close to two-thirds majorities in both legislative houses, and perhaps
even go over the top.
"As a practical matter, then, it will be easier, perhaps
much easier, to enact the new taxes that Schwarzenegger,
Democrats and groups such as the Education Coalition
want when a new Legislature begins its session in December."
"Julie Lee, the San Francisco community activist and political
fundraiser convicted of diverting state grant money
to a political campaign, has been sentenced in a state court to five years probation," writes Denny Walsh in the Bee.
"Lee, 62, was sentenced in San Francisco Superior Court on
Friday. A condition of her probation is a year in jail,
but that is to be served concurrently with a federal
prison term.
"She was sentenced last month in Sacramento federal
court to a year and a day in prison and, with time
off for good behavior, will serve approximately 10 months.
"She also was ordered in the federal case to pay a $5,000 fine and serve three years of supervision after her
release.
"Lee pleaded guilty July 15 in Superior Court to charges of grand theft, forgery,
misappropriation of public funds, embezzlement, fabricating
documents, and making campaign contributions using
the names of others."
And from our It's All In How You Look At It Files, the Chron's David Baker writes about a new report that finds
it is in fact easy being green.
"California's plans to fight global warming and improve energy
efficiency will boost household incomes by $48 billion and create as
many as 403,000 jobs in the next 12 years, according to a UC Berkeley
economic study released Monday.
"We find, I think demonstrably, that energy efficiency
is good for
the economy and good for jobs," said Roland-Holst, an adjunct professor
in the school's Center for Energy, Resources and Economic
Sustainability. "We find that even with very modest targets for energy
efficiency improvements, California can continue its
legacy of
sustained job growth."
"California officials are drafting detailed plans for
cutting
greenhouse gas emissions back to 1990 levels by 2020, and those plans
rely heavily on using energy more wisely. They also
include creating a
cap and trade system, which places a limit on greenhouse
gas emissions
and lets companies buy and sell credits to emit specific
amounts.
"The potential costs and benefits of a cap and trade
system have been
hotly debated, especially because both the Democratic
and Republican
presidential candidates support creating one that would
cover the
nation."
And finally, from our Mother of the Year Files, the Daily Mail reports, "Teenager Sam Holt's behaviour would leave most parents in despair - drinking, smoking, taking drugs and having sex.
"But the 13-year-old's mother thinks it is 'sweet' rather than shocking.
"Tracy Holt even rewards her daughter with cigarettes
on the rare occasions when she does behave.
"Giving out cigarettes as a reward 'works', she insisted.
"Miss Holt said: 'There are a lot worse things she could be doing.
"'We've all got to die sometime. I haven't got cancer from smoking so she'll probably be all right anyway.'"
Wonder how the Holts are voting on Prop. 4...
