"Californians
see tougher economic times ahead and are losing confidence in the ability of their political leaders to deal with the state and nation's growing problems, according to a
poll released Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California," reports John Wildermuth in the Chron.
"That loss of confidence may be why
only about half of California's voters think the state's decision to move up its presidential primary was a good idea -- and few voters want to tinker with term limits for legislators."
In fact,
only 29% support the twelve-year term limits proposal, with 66% opposing.
"The poll found that half of all adults and nearly as many likely voters now believe bad economic times are ahead for California in the next year, up from 39 percent just two months ago. The overall direction of the state is also a growing concern, with 47 percent of Californians now convinced the state is moving in the wrong direction, up from 37 percent in January."
Capitol Weekly reports on the
rivalry between the California Medical Association and the California Association of Physician Groups.
"Part of the fight between the organizations goes beyond policy -- it goes to the heart of who speaks for California's medical community. The Assembly Judiciary Committee's analysis of AB 374 refers to CAPG as "the largest organization of physicians in the state." That assertion sticks in the craw of the CMA brass.
CMA President
Dr. Richard "Frankenstein points out that doctors are automatically signed up for CAPG when they take a job with an HMO. CMA members, by contrast, must pay dues to join individually. Many CAPG members are also members of CMA."
"Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Wednesday said he
was working with insurance regulators and the Legislature "to straighten out that mess" at California's troubled State Compensation Insurance Fund," reports Marc Lifsher in the Times.
"'We have auditors that are involved in this, and we will know very soon what the reality is there. But we want to bring integrity back' to the fund, the governor said at a news conference.
"Schwarzenegger's remarks came as a state Senate committee launched hearings into reported mismanagement and alleged financial conflicts of interest at the government-controlled fund, the state's largest insurer. Known as State Fund, it provides workers' compensation insurance for 230,000 California employers.
"The Senate inquiry brought additional scrutiny to a brewing scandal that led to the resignation of two State Fund board members last fall as well as the abrupt firing a week ago of the fund's president and another top executive."
Also yesterday, the governor
also tapped Riverside County superintendent of schools David Long as his new education secretary.
"An Assembly budget panel Wednesday
rejected Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's proposal to cut children off of welfare if their parents do not work, calling it punitive and saying the issue needs further study," writes Clea Benson in the Bee.
"Schwarzenegger in January proposed saving about $325 million by ending the safety net for children, who now receive cash assistance even when their parents are not complying with state work requirements.
"Under CalWORKs, the state's welfare-to-work program, recipients must be employed for at least 30 hours a week if they have children over 6, and 20 hours a week if they have younger children.
"Currently, fewer than a quarter of CalWORKs recipients meet those requirements. At the same time, new federal rules require states to increase work participation or face losing welfare funds."
Also in the Capitol yesterday, "State lawmakers
charged Wednesday that the California Board of Chiropractic Examiners violated the state's open-meeting laws in ways that jeopardized the public's trust.
"In a Capitol oversight hearing, Assemblyman
Mike Eng, D-Monterey Park, and Sen.
Mark Ridley-Thomas, D-Los Angeles, seized upon legislative findings that board members communicated with each other in private despite repeated warnings that such behavior was illegal.
"The two Democrats also said the board, appointed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, ignored legal procedures when it ejected a deputy attorney general and fired its executive director March 1. And they suggested the board had interfered with an ongoing San Joaquin County prosecution of a chiropractor by passing a resolution endorsing a procedure involving anesthesia.
"'If the allegations raised at this meeting are true, then the governor should seriously consider asking these board members to resign,' Eng said after the hearing."
"On a bipartisan unanimous vote, legislation that
would end California's ban on donations of sperm from HIV-positive men was approved Wednesday by the Senate Health Committee," reports the Chron's Greg Lucas.
"The ban was imposed 18 years ago before the development of medical technology which can "wash" HIV from sperm so it can then be used to fertilize a consenting woman without risk of HIV transmission.
"Without a change allowing HIV-positive men to use the treatment, the only way they can impregnate their wife or partner is through unprotected sex, which can lead to transmission.
"'All families deserve access to the tools that reproductive science has to offer,' said Sen.
Carole Migden, D-San Francisco, the bill's author."
"A
bill to ban smoking in a car with a minor present cleared its first legislative hurdle Wednesday when the state Senate Health Committee approved it 6-3," writes the Chron's Janine DeFao.
"SB7, proposed by Sen.
Jenny Oropeza, D-Carson (Los Angeles County), would make it an infraction punishable by a fine of $100 to smoke a cigarette, cigar or pipe in a vehicle containing anyone under 18.
"California is one of at least 16 states considering such a ban. Arkansas, Louisiana and Puerto Rico already prohibit smoking in cars with kids inside.
"Oropeza told the committee that studies show the particulate concentration in a smoker's car can be 10 times that found in a smoker's home. The health risks of secondhand smoke include asthma, lower respiratory tract and ear infections and sudden infant death syndrome."
CW's Cosmo Garvin reports on the
accidential initiative on the February ballot. "The first initiative to make it onto the February 5 primary ballot got there completely by accident."
"The unintended ballot measure would prohibit the state from diverting gas-tax money from local governments and putting it into the general fund. The "Transportation Funding Protection Act," as it was dubbed by its proponents, was supposed to be dead long before it reached the ballot--because state lawmakers put Proposition 1A, a similar protection, on the November 2006 ballot. That measure passed easily.
"It was the California Alliance for Jobs, a coalition of construction companies and building trades unions, that cooked up the-initiative-that-would-not-die. Alliance Executive Director
Jim Earp explained that his organization started planning a ballot initiative after years of frustration with the state Legislature, which every year raided transportation money set aside under Proposition 42. That measure, passed by voters in 2002, dedicated most of the revenue from gasoline taxes to improving streets, highways and transit systems."
Speaking of next February's election, or should that be
January election? CW's John Howard looks at how moving up the state's presidential primary
means California will begin voting before New Hampshire. "That's because California election law allows absentee voters to begin casting ballots nearly a month before Election Day, or two months earlier if they live outside the country. In November, some 8 million Californians voted, 3.6 million of them--about 45 percent--by absentee. Next February, the absentee vote is expected to reach 50 percent, more than the entire populations of New Hampshire and Nevada combined.
"'It's all up in the air, of course, but Californians actually could be casting their ballots before anyone else in the country. The primary isn't really February 5th. It starts the minute the "permanent absentee" ballots are sent back, and 'permanent absentee' is a group that is growing by leaps and bounds," said
Tony Quinn, a political historian and coauthor of the "Target Book," which tracks legislative elections."
The LAT's Jordan Rau looks at the
lengthy absence of Ed Vincent."Passionate about horse racing the Hollywood Park track is in his district Vincent, a 72-year-old former Inglewood mayor and onetime Los Angeles Ram football player, has been a reliable Democratic vote since 1996, when he was first elected to the Legislature.
"But sidelined by illness, Vincent has been mostly absent in the Capitol this session, a touchy subject for his Democratic colleagues who are both sympathetic to his plight and in need of his vote at critical times. Vincent, whose term lasts until the end of 2008, has missed many sessions in past years because his wife has been ill. But this year he has attended only one Senate session, in January.
"'He has his family illnesses, both his and his wife's, and he needs to be home,' said state Sen.
Gil Cedillo (D-Los Angeles).
"Vincent has sponsored only six pieces of legislation this year, when the average number of bills sponsored by a state senator is 26. All of Vincent's bills technical changes to the state's gambling laws, an adjustment of rules governing criminal records and a call for a study of school districts that don't provide health benefits to retired teachers were suggested by staff or outside groups, said
Carolyn Robinson, one of his aides.
"Vincent declined a request for an interview, relayed through his office. Robinson said her boss' recovery was nearly complete.
"'He's fine,' she said. '
He would be returning on Monday if it weren't recess.'"
"The anti-prison lobby waded into the Capitol on Wednesday
to decry Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's plan to build more housing space for an additional 78,000 inmates in state and county facilities in coming years," reports the Bee's Andy Furillo.
"About 200 activists gathered for two "Beyond Prisons Day" rallies on the west steps of the Capitol, listening to dozens of speakers blast the state's incarceration policies.
"Teams of lobbyists representing the Coalition for Effective Public Safety and Families to Amend California's Three Strikes then swarmed into the building for scheduled sit-down meetings with 26 lawmakers.
"Coalition lobbyist
John Lum said the teams were made up of people "impacted directly by the system" who had friends and relatives already behind bars.
"'It's important for the policymakers to hear their voices as well,' Lum said. 'We want them to understand the current system is not working. It doesn't work for family members, and it doesn't work for those who are doing time. There's a better way to do things.'"
Finally, for the true Star Wars fans out there that just don't find the R2-D2 mailbox on N Street to be enough, you
will now be able to get stamps of your favorite characters. The new stamps will carry the 41 cent first class postage that takes effect May 14.
"The stamps were unveiled at Grauman's Chinese theater in Hollywood where the original "Star Wars" movie opened 30 years ago. The stamps will go on sale on May 25, after a contest to choose the most popular of the stamps.
"Among the "Star Wars" characters depicted on the stamps are Han Solo, Luke Skywalker, Yoda, Darth Vader, R2-D2, C-3PO, Princess Leia, Obi-Wan Kenobi and Boba Fett."
And, no, pervs, the stamp does not depict the Princess Leia/Jabba the Hutt bondage scene.
Anyway, enjoy the long weekend.
