"Previewing what could be a politically difficult budget season, the state's independent financial analyst announced Wednesday that Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger
will face a deficit next year that has grown to $5.5 billion and cannot be papered over with increased tax receipts alone," reports Kate Folmar in the Merc News.
"The predicted cash crunch could cramp Schwarzenegger's second-term efforts to expand health care coverage to perhaps 3 million Californians and revamp the state's broken prison system -- all while keeping a promise to hold the line on taxes."
"
Elizabeth Hill, the legislative analyst who advises both parties, is projecting a $5.5 billion shortfall for the 2007-08 budget year beginning July 1 -- up from earlier predictions -- and a roughly $5 billion gap in the following year."
That gave Assembly Republicans, under their new leader a chance to dig in. Captiol Weekly looks at
how the leadership change may effect budget negotiations and the legislative year ahead.
""I don't think it was one decision in particular [that lead to the change," [
Mimi ]Walters said, then added, "I think the caucus is looking to take another direction, perhaps more aggressive."
"
Steve Maviglio, deputy chief of staff to Speaker
Fabian Núñez, called Villines' election a slap at the governor. "It was a real wakeup call to the horseshoe that they have to keep [Assembly Republicans] in mind as they plot their legislative strategy," he said.
CW's Colin Rigley reports on
another fight headed for the Legislature next year -- eminent domain. "The eminent-domain issue is still on the table, said Jean Hurst of the California State Association of Counties. "CSAC is very open and eager to resolving the eminent-domain abuse question."
But Proposition 90 supporters say the solution being crafted by local officials and developers--Proposition 90's strongest opponents--is not likely to satisfy them.
"What they're trying to do now is a sham piece of leg which isn't pure Kelo reform, but simply claims to be," Spillane said. When asked if the fight over eminent domain was over, he said, 'Oh, hell no.'"
"Democrat
Lou Correa cut into Republican Lynn Daucher's lead for the fourth consecutive day of absentee-ballot counting in the 34th state Senate District race."
"Wednesday's tally
left Correa behind by 147 votes. Daucher had 53,019, Correa had 52,872 and write-in candidate Otto Bade had 886."
"Besides a few hundred remaining absentee ballots, about 6,000 provisional ballots are left. They are expected to be tallied by Thanksgiving. Correa expects the provisional ballots, cast on Election Day, to favor him because he's ahead in the count of Election Day ballots so far."
If Daucher loses, a perfect position has opened for her in the governor's administration. ""
Alan Bersin, former superintendent of San Diego schools and current state secretary of education, is
leaving his post for a seat on the local airport authority board," report Jeff Ristine and Matthew Hall in the Union-Tribune.
"Mayor
Jerry Sanders selected Bersin for an executive position on the San Diego County Regional Airport Authority, which is regrouping after voters rejected a measure last week seeking support for a civilian airport at Miramar Marine Corps Air Station."
Meanwhile, "
Richard Costigan, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's deputy chief of staff and liaison to the Legislature,
is leaving the administration to join the Sacramento office of a law firm, the firm announced Wednesday.
"On Dec. 4, Costigan will become a managing director in the government affairs practice of McKenna Long & Aldrich. The firm, which has offices nationwide, will be opening a Sacramento branch."
"A ballot measure restricting where sex offenders may live in California
does not apply to thousands of ex-convicts who have served their prison time and are off parole, government lawyers defending the initiative in court said Wednesday," writes the LAT's Jenifer Warren.
"The declaration, made in a legal filing, means a key provision of the measure that passed overwhelmingly in the Nov. 7 election will not affect many of the 75,000 former sex offenders living throughout the state."
"It also means the first legal battle over Proposition 83 is essentially over before it began. Lawyers for a sex offender challenging the initiative's residency restrictions near schools and parks said they probably would dismiss their lawsuit soon."
"'It appears to us that our client and thousands of other people who thought they faced banishment can now breathe easier,' said attorney
Dennis Riordan, who represents the Bay Area man who filed the suit."
Who knew there was a
black market for avocados? The AP reports that in Ventura, "a trucking company owner and two employees could be in deep guacamole. Ventura County authorities charged them with grand theft and criminal conspiracy after a three-week investigation into the theft of more than $700,000 worth of avocados this past growing season.
The trucking company was hired to take loads of avocados from growers to market but the three men skimmed off portions of loads at a truck yard, the sheriff's and district attorney's offices alleged in a joint statement Tuesday."
