In case you missed it, a federal judge struck down the state's ban on gay marriage.
"Even as Chief U.S. District Judge Vaughn
Walker's toppling of Proposition 8 set off hours of celebration in some
quarters - with many gays and lesbians seeing the ruling as not
just a
validation of marriage rights, but of their lives in
general - opponents
planned to seek a reversal at the Ninth U.S. Circuit
Court of Appeals.
"Backers of the marriage ban said they were confident
they would
prevail in the end, and predicted that Walker's decision
would energize
people who believe marriage should be reserved for
one man and one
woman, just as the ban had mobilized gay rights proponents.
"One of those who hailed the decision was Kristin Perry
of Berkeley,
whose desire to marry her partner of 10 years, Sandy Stier, prompted the
couple to sue over Prop. 8, along with two men from Burbank. The
initiative was approved by 52 percent of voters in November 2008,
overturning a state Supreme Court ruling six months
earlier that
extended marital rights to gays and lesbians."
Councilman Richard Alarcon and his wife were indicted on 24 charges of voter fraud and other felonies stemming from allegations he does
not live in his council district.
"A grand jury
unsealed a 24-count felony indictment on Wednesday against Los Angeles
City Councilman Richard Alarcon and his wife, Flora
Montes de Oca,
saying they committed perjury and voter fraud when
they listed their
home as being in Panorama City.
"Ending a 15-month investigation
by Los Angeles County Dist. Atty. Steve Cooley's Public
Integrity
Division, the criminal grand jury accused Alarcon and
his wife of
falsely claiming that their home was at an address
in Alarcon's 7th
Council District, which takes in a portion of the northeast
San Fernando
Valley."
The Bell city council decided to dump
city attorney Edward Lee in a special session held Wednesday.
"Residents demanded the council not name Edward Lee
to the post. Outside
City Hall, they held up signs that read "Ed Lee Out"
and "Fire Ed Lee."
"You have made decisions based on these lawyers, not
based on the
residents," Mario Rivas, 35, of Bell told the City Council. "I'm not a
lawyer, but I advise you to make the right decision."
"After two hours in closed session, the council chose
James M. Casso with
the Meyers Nave firm as interim city attorney. Casso
specializes in
providing legal advice to cities, water districts and
redevelopment
agencies, according to the firm's website, and has
served as city
attorney for La Puente and Pico Rivera.
Cap Weekly's Jennifer Chaussee looks at the Web site that helped bring the Bell salaries to
the forefront.
"Long before the main stream media picked up on the
corruption in Southeast cities like Bell, Los Angeles
County had its own watchdog snarling in the margins.
A self-described “courageously innovative, muckraking website,”
WatchOurCity.com has been tattling on suspicious politicians
in Southeast Los Angeles for the greater part of the
decade.
"The site has dedicated itself to covering perceived
conflicts and corruption in cities like Bell, Maywood
and Huntington Park, which are now in the crosshairs
of the media and the attorney general’s office alike. The tone of the
site can be breathless
and conspiratorial, but given the recent revelations
about salaries in Bell, there is clearly more than
a kernel of truth to the worldview.
"The site’s editor is anonymous. The stories all run without
bylines. But the website’s author and owner spoke to Capitol Weekly by
phone
this week."
Meg Whitman his the John and Ken show to take her share of abuse for what the hosts perceive as her flip-flop on some key conservative issues.
Seema Mehta reports, "The interview was combative and
tense. Whitman danced around
many of the hosts' questions, such as why geography
and size make
Arizona's crackdown on illegal immigration unworkable
in California, or
why she is running ads about Latino children but not
those of other
ethnicities.
"Why don't you make all your positions clear in all
languages? That's all we're asking," said co-host John Kobylt, adding
that she should translate her billboards into English.
"Put those in
English-speaking Orange County," he said.
Their questions led to
two policy answers — that illegal immigrants who want citizenship should
return to their home countries and apply, and that
she is leaning
against Proposition 23, the November ballot measure that would suspend
the state's landmark climate-change law."
Keith Richman was remembered as a "champion of reform"
at a service in Hollywood Hills. Kevin Modesti reports,
"He was a tireless champion of reform, a tireless advocate
for
the people of the San Fernando Valley," Mayor Antonio
Villaraigosa said
during a memorial service at Forest Lawn Memorial-Park, Hollywood
Hills.
"Referring to one of Richman's pet issues, Villaraigosa vowed
that Los Angeles will reform the city pension system
in his honor."
Um, the same pension fund that's going to bankrupt
the city? Thanks, Antonio!
"Richman was 56 when he died Saturday at Ronald Reagan UCLA
Medical Center after fighting brain cancer for more
than a year."
And finally, a dedication to all of our readers who
work in the Capitol. We know this week has been an
adjustment. The bosses are back, legislative deadlines
are coming up. But we want you to know it's going to
get better -- at least in the short term. Folks are leaving early to remember Dave Cox, and well, today's just going to be a great day.
So watch this video, and keep that chin up.
