Speculation -Mainly Idle – On Members of Jerry Brown’s Team

With the election concluded, now begins one of the Sacramento insiders’ favorite parlor games, guessing who might be appointed to key posts in the new Jerry Brown administration.

Given the new governor’s mercurial nature, its hazardous to predict what he’ll do from one minute to the next, let alone appoint as chief of staff or cabinet secretaries.    Read more »

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Behind the Wheel of That Town-car. Isn’t that? Couldn’t Be.

While Democrat Jerry Brown and Republican Meg Whitman duke it out to become California’s 39th governor, the 35th occupant of the state Capitol’s so-called “horseshoe” could care less.

He’s more worried about air in the tires and gas in the tank of his way-over-100,000-miles-and- probably-closer-to-200,000-miles-on-the-odometer town car because it has to get him and his wife across the country to Virginia.    Read more »

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Gov. Schwarzenegger’s Edict Nixing New State Worker Hires

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Wouldn’t Resign my Senate Seat Either If It’s Not a Sure Thing

Statement from Senator Abel Maldonado Regarding Governor’s Withdrawal and Reappointment of Him to the Post of Lieutenant Governor

 “I’m humbled and thankful to my colleagues in the Senate for confirming me to the Lieutenant Governor’s office and very disappointed with yesterday’s show of extreme partisanship and politicking in the Assembly.” 

“The inability to come to a simple majority consensus on important issues is why Californians are rightfully disillusioned by Sacramento politics.    Read more »

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Maldonado Nomination Hinges on What Constitutes a Majority

What is required to reject a gubernatorial nominee to fill the unexpired term of a statewide officeholder?

That’s the question being grappled with in the aftermath of a February 11,  37 to 35 Assembly vote on Sen. Abel Maldonado’s nomination to become lieutenant governor.

The Santa Maria Republican failed to win 41 votes in favor of his nomination — a majority of the 80-member lower house had 37 votes in favor of his nomination and 34 against.    Read more »

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It’s Baaack: Another Government Code Section 12015 Year

Buried in the “Legislative, Judicial and Executive” section of the multiple phonebook-sized state budget is $890,000 to carry out “the duties described under the provisions of Government Code Section 12015 and 12015.5.”

Those two sections describe the process of transitioning from one governor to another, a process that begins November 3.    Read more »

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Senate Committee OKs Schwarzenegger’s Lt. Governor Pick

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s pick to fill the vacant lieutenant governor’s job was unanimously approved on a bipartisan vote by the Senate Rules Committee on February 3.

Sen. Abel Maldonado, a moderate Santa Maria Republican, was approved on a 4 to 0 vote. Sen. Sam Aanestad, a Grass Valley Republican, didn’t vote because he is a candidate for lieutenant governor.     Read more »

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Schwarzenegger’s Education Cabinet Secretary to Step Down

Veteran educator Glen W. Thomas is resigning as Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s education cabinet secretary in order to care for his ailing mother.

Schwarzenegger appointed Thomas, 63, to the post – the primary education advisor to the governor — in January 2009. The date of Thomas’ departure has yet to be set.    Read more »

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Senate Confirmation Hearing Scheduled For Maldonado

Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg has set a Rules Committee hearing to consider the Governor’s appointment of Abel Maldonado as Lieutenant Governor for Wednesday February 3rd at 1:30pm in room 113 of the State Capitol.

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(Editor’s Note: Only one house need reject Maldonado’s appointment. Legislative manners would suggest that Maldonado’s fellow senators, if only as a courtesy, would vote in favor of his nomination, leaving the task of voting him down to the Assembly.    Read more »

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Maldonado’s Leverage on Lieutenant Governor Nomination

Adding a major political wrinkle to action on the state’s fiscal mess, the deadline by which the Legislature must act on Sen. Abel Maldonado’s nomination for lieutenant governor is February 22 – the same day lawmakers must act on at least part of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s budget proposal.

Maldonado, a San Luis Obispo Republican, was named by the GOP governor on November 24 to fill the remaining term of Democrat John Garamendi, who was elected to Congress.    Read more »

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