THE NOONER for January 26, 2012
DISTRICT UPDATES
- AD08 (East Sacto Co.) - added Barbara Cavalier (R)
- AD13 (San Joaquin) - added businessman Manuel Martin (R)
- AD24 (Palo Alto) - added physician George Yang (R)
- AD25 (Fremont-Santa Clara) - added Milpitas councilmember Pete McHugh
- AD36 (Lancaster) - added attorney Steve Fox (N)
- AD56 (Imperial) - added Corky Reynaga-Emett (R)
- AD71 (East San Diego Co.) - added association manager Karen Marie Otter (D)
Happy Thursday. Some big bills are up on both floors today with Tuesday's deadline for bills to pass their house of origin. One big bill is Mark Leno's single-payer health bill--SB 810, which will likely be taken up today. Watch for the votes of Ron Calderon, Lou Correa and Michael Rubio, which will likely be decisive.
Tuesday brings another big deadline--end-of-year campaign finance deadlines for both state legislative and congressional candidates. To me, it's like Christmas Eve. On Wednesday, I'll have the money match-ups in the all the big races.
ANOTHER DURKEE DELAY: If you're looking to get that campaign money back in 2012, don't hold your breath, as the initial hearing in the Kinde Durkee case is again being delayed. [Patrick McGreevy @ LAT]
NO, NOT THE LESBIANS! The race of which pro-gay, pro-environment Democrat will represent L.A.'s west side continues to be entertaining. The latest is video of an endorsement meeting of the Beverly Hills/West Hollywood Democratic Club, in which West Hollywood mayor John Duran, a Betsy Butler supporter, storms out after Torie Osborn captured the endorsement. Duran can be heard saying "We're not all lesbians."
At least he's not as stupid as this mayor. [PublicCEO.com]
OC ANTICS: Orange County Public Administrator/Guardian John Williams, who allegedly had former Assemblymember Todd Spitzer fired from his job as asst. district attorney for investigating the office, had to be reminded of his resignation date. [Norberto Santana, Jr. @ Voice of OC]
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DO NOT CLICK: I've been getting lots of Twitter "Direct Message" from Capitol types with the message "Hey, so some real nasty things are being said about you here" with a link." While I'm sure it's true that nasty things are said about me somewhere, this is just a spam link. Don't click or your friends will be getting the same message.
PRESIDENT MOONBEAM: Actual headline: "Gingrich: Moon Could Be 51st State" #FLPRIMARY
NOT NEWT! Drudge is in all-out assault mode on Newt Gingrich.
MOVES: Communications guru Jennifer Wonnacott has left Betsy Butler's D.O. to join Fiona Hutton and Associates.
YOUR BRAIN DESERVES A BREAK: Watch this amazing video of Yosemite.
TOP HEADLINES ON AROUNDTHECAPITOL.COM AS OF 12:00PMDavid Siders @ blogs.sacbee.com
Less than a week after Gov. Jerry Brown claimed widespread business support for his ballot initiative to raise taxes - including donations from big healthcare and oil companies - the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association and California chapter of the National Federation of Independent Business urged business groups this afternoon to resist any effort by Brown to "cajole" them.Torey Van Oot @ sacbee.com
While blue California is almost certain to go for President Barack Obama come November, California Republican Party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro sees opportunity for the GOP to be a major force from the presidential race down.
Del Beccaro laid out his strategy and expectations for the 2012 election in a Wednesday interview with The Bee Capitol Bureau.
Torey Van Oot @ blogs.sacbee.com
California's "Medicare for all" universal health care legislation fell short of the 21 votes needed to pass the state Senate today.Timm Herdt @ vcstar.com
Members of a conference committee charged with crafting comprehensive pension-reform legislation this year urged Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday to quickly provide full details on how he envisions his proposed reforms would work.George Skelton @ latimes.com
Voters overwhelmingly back funding for education and raising levies on the wealthy. 'We're in a good place,' governor's strategist says.Chase Davis @ californiawatch.org
Corporations that donate to political campaigns â including through so-called super PACs that have no contribution limits â would have to report their activity if they have shareholders in California under a bill introduced this week in the state Legislature.Dan Morain @ sacbee.com
Before they proceed with their latest housing crisis task force, U.S. Attorney General Eric Holder and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman ought to sit down with Jose Rodriguez.
That would require that Holder and Schneiderman leave Washington and New York, and spend time in the unglamorous city of Stockton, which competes with Las Vegas for having the highest foreclosure rate in the nation.David Crary @ mercurynews.com
With a flurry of coast-to-coast developments this week, same-sex marriage is back in the political spotlight and likely to remain there through Election Day as a half-dozen states face potentially wrenching votes on the issue.George Skelton @ latimes.com
Voters overwhelmingly back funding for education and raising levies on the wealthy. 'We're in a good place,' governor's strategist says.Torey Van Oot @ blogs.sacbee.com
Will blue California be a battleground in the November presidential election?bshuster @ latimesblogs.latimes.com
California State University trustees Wednesday unanimously approved a measure to cap salaries of new executives in the face of steep funding cuts and sharply rising tuition.Lisa Fernandez @ mercurynews.com
Santa Clara should do away with its current election system and let the most popular vote-getters win a seat on the council, according to an advisory committee's recommendation at City Hall Tuesday night. But that proposed system, called at-large open voting, is no better than the current system of at-large-by-seat voting, charges a group of San Francisco civil rights attorneys, who plan to sue the city on behalf of minorities who they say aren't fairly represented on the city's dais.Jim Sanders @ blogs.sacbee.com
Arnold Schwarzenegger's days as governor are long gone -- but not forgotten by political junkies, apparently.sacbee.com
Job seekers such as these waiting in line during a fall 2010 job fair have had a tough time in the capital, but a new report says a trend showing job growth in Sacramento is expected to continue.Nanette Asimov @ sfgate.com
Bending to critics' concerns of runaway executive pay, California State University trustees voted Wednesday to limit salaries for new campus presidents and to consider economic realities before making salary offers. The...sacbee.com
California's prison officers union is getting a loan from taxpayers – interest-free – to settle a multimillion-dollar debt it owes the state.Alejandro Lazo @ latimes.com
Calif. Atty. Gen. Kamala D. Harris has called a proposed $25 billion settlement with the nation's attorney generals, federal agency and the mortgage industry 'inadequate' and said she would not sign on in its current form.mercurynews.com
AUGUSTA, Maine -- Gay rights activists in Maine, the only New England state that doesn't allow gay marriage or civil unions, said Thursday that they are forging ahead with plans to put the marriage question up to a second statewide vote.Paul West @ latimes.com
Mitt Romney allowed Wednesday that he wouldn’t mind if voters regarded him as the Mexican-American candidate in the 2012 presidential election.latimesblogs.latimes.com
Protesters would be prohibited from disruptive demonstrations within 500 feet of funerals under legislation approved Thursday by the state Senate. SB 661 was introduced in response to demonstrations at military funerals by a religious group that claims war deaths are...sacbee.com
While blue California is almost certain to go for President Barack Obama come November, California Republican Party Chairman Tom Del Beccaro sees opportunity for the GOP to be a major force from the presidential race down.Kate Zernike @ nytimes.com
In proposing a ballot question to let voters decide whether to legalize same-sex marriage, Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey argued this week that the issue was âtoo serious to be treated like a political football.âAdam Elmahrek @ voiceofoc.org
Anaheim Councilman Harry Sidhu took at least $6,800 in illegal campaign donations during his failed 2010 supervisorial campaign from partnerships organized by William O'Connell and Sjesh Patel, development partners in planned, four-star GardenWalk hotels, campaign finance disclosure forms show.