State Tax Dollars at Work

California no longer has a Commission on Industrial Innovation.

This thanks to AB 1460 signed into law by Gov. Jerry Brown who, coincidentally, wrote the 1981 Executive Order creating the commission during his second term as governor and signed the 1982 legislation placing the commission in statute..

Assemblywoman Alyson Huber, an El Dorado Hills Democrat, says the commission no longer exists and its “activities are supported by other divisions of government, including the Governor’s Office of Economic Development.”    Read more »

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Constitutional Conflict? Not to Worry

A person convicted of a felony for giving or accepting a bribe, or stealing or embezzling public funds cannot be a candidate for state or local office under a new law signed July 24 by Gov. Jerry Brown.

 “The intent of this bill is to create accountability and ensure that we are setting a high ethical standard for those seeking to represent Californians by running for public office,” said Assemblyman Felipe Fuentes, a Los Angeles Democrat who authored the measure, AB 2410.    Read more »

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Regulation of Commercial Balloon Companies Stays Local

Commercial hot air balloon operators won’t be returning to regulation by the state Public Utilities Commission In January, thanks to legislation signed by Gov. Jerry Brown.

The measure – AB 1524 by Assemblyman Michael Allen, a Santa Rosa Democrat — permanently exempts the balloon companies from PUC jurisdiction as long as the companies carry a minimum of $1 million in liability insurance.    Read more »

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California Cockfighting Crackdown

Fines for Californians guilty of staging cockfights or training roosters to be gamecocks will double in January from $5,000 to $10,000 thanks to a new law signed by Gov. Jerry Brown July 13.

The move is an attempt to curb the illegal fights of which there have been 100 major arrests in 35 counties involving more than 20,000 live or dead birds.    Read more »

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Change in the Law Governing the Scattering of Cremated Remains at Sea

Cremated remains destined for scattering at sea cannot be transferred to a “scattering urn” from the original container in which they were stored until seven days before the actual scattering.

Gov. Jerry Brown signed this new law July 10. Sponsored by the California Funeral Directors Association, the legislation attempts to establish a protocol for at-sea ash-scatterings.    Read more »

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New Law Brings More Bodies to Three Cemetery Districts

The Great Recession has hastened the death of any number of businesses and institutions:

Cemeteries are no exception.

Over the objections of the Cemetery and Mortuary Association, Gov. Jerry Brown signed legislation July 9 allowing three cemetery districts – two in Shasta County, one in Solano – to bury up to 40 non-residents of each district each year, up to maximum of 400, as a way to raise revenue.    Read more »

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Brown’s State Reorganization Plan Takes Effect — Tweaks By Lawmakers to Follow

Gov. Jerry Brown’s reorganization plan to reduce the number of state agencies from 12 to 10, took effect July 2 after lawmakers failed to reject it.

The announcement by the Democratic governor came an hour before Senate President Pro tempore Darrell Steinberg, a Sacramento Democrat, told reporters he and other legislators planned to make some changes in the proposal which Brown says streamlines the delivery of services and saves taxpayers money.    Read more »

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Who Exactly Is Defining “Stability?”

(Lawmakers are scheduled to vote July 2 on a package of measures aimed at bringing relief to homeowners with under-water mortgages. This is the “objective” summary of one of the bills:)

” DIGEST: This bill (SB 900) makes changes to California’s non-judicial foreclosure process to provide stability to California’s statewide and regional economies and housing market by facilitating opportunities for borrowers to pursue loss mitigation options.”    Read more »

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What Budget Did the Legislature Pass on June 15?

 Examining the prepared statements and floor speeches of various lawmakers in the wake of the passage of a budget bill June 15 it’s hard to tell what was actually voted on.

Sen. Bill Emmerson, a Hemet Republican who is the vice-chair of the upper house’s budget committee, said the spending blueprint was “full of borrowing and gimmicks.”    Read more »

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A Look at One Form-E-Mail Regarding the Budget

Thank you for contacting my office with your concerns about the Governor’s May Revision and subsequent budget cut proposals, especially those of the (INSERT CONSTITUENT CONCERN HERE).

It is important to point out that over the past year, we have reduced California’s structural budget deficit from $19 billion to about $8 billion.    Read more »

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