Capitol Veteran Named Department of Finance Chief Deputy

Cynthia Bryant was named to the post by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on January 19.

She has been part of the Schwarzengger administration since its inception in late 2003, first as a legislative secretary — lobbyist — for the GOP governor and, since 2006, head of the Office of Planning and Research, which Schwarzenegger proposed for elimination in last year’s budget as well as his current spending plan.    Read more »

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Key Points From Gov. Schwarzenegger’s State-of-the-State

The governor said the state faces a $19.9 billion deficit — $6.6 billion in the current fiscal year and $13.3 billion for the upcoming budget year. He called on the federal government to pay California the money it is owed and to create more equitable funding formulas.

Schwarzenegger said there is no choice but to cut deeper to close the budget gap but that he will protect education funding, including higher education.    Read more »

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Resources Secretary to be Replaced by Water Resources Head

Resources Agency Cabinet Secretary Mike Chrisman, a veteran of both the Schwarzenegger and Pete Wilson administrations, will step down in February and be replaced with current Department of Water Resources head, Lester Snow, administration sources told California’s Capitol.

Snow’s replacement is said to be Mark Cowin, a deputy director and 25-year veteran of the department, who coordinates efforts to make regions of the state more water self-sufficient.    Read more »

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Letter May Telegraph State-of-the-State and Budget Themes

Some clues as to the themes Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger will sound January 6 when he gives his sixth – and final – State of the State speech can be found in a December 22 letter he wrote to California’s congressional delegation regarding federal health care legislation.

The contents of the three page letter also may forecast some of the action the GOP governor will propose January 8 in his budget, which must close a roughly $20 billion gap between spending commitments and revenue.    Read more »

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Governor’s State of the State Speech is Jan. 6; Budget Jan. 8

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Mike Genest, Schwarzenegger’s Finance Director, to Retire

Mike Genest, director of Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s Department of Finance, is stepping down, likely by the end of this year.

Since his appointment by the GOP governor in December 2005, Genest, 62, has been forced to cope with the worst budget crises in California’s history. Seemingly unflappable, he helped create a budget in February to close a $36 billion hole between revenues and spending commitments and helped generate another $24 billion in budget fixes in July after the stagnant economy drove the budget out of balance.    Read more »

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Why Isn’t This Man California’s Next Governor?

When he gets up a decent head of rhetoric steam, State Treasurer Bill Lockyer is remarkable to behold.

On October 22, in approximately 15 minutes of testimony before the Senate and Assembly select committees on Improving State Government, the former Attorney General and Senate president pro tempore said he was “Aristotelian” a “First Amendment purist,” informed the committee that “politics is theater for ugly people” and two-thirds of the bills passed by the Assembly are “junk.”    Read more »

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How Often Do Governors Say No? The 2009 Edition

(Editor’s Note: Each year, Peter Detwiler, the indefatigable chief consultant of the Senate Local Government Committee compiles a listing of bills signed and vetoed. This listing now stretches back to the first year of Ronald Reagan’s governship in 1967. Here are highlights of this year’s version. The complete listing is HERE.)       Read more »

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Six Days to Deadline and Still Just Three Bills Signed

As of 3:30 PM, October 5 – with six days left to act on more than 650 pieces of legislation, there was no public announcement of bill signings by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger.

Since lawmakers adjourned for the year September 11, the GOP governor has issued three press releases announcing his signature on three measures, one of them budget-related.    Read more »

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Clock is Now Running for John, Mark and Joan, Et. Al

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger issued the following proclamation today, declaring November 3, 2009 the date for a special election in California’s 10th Congressional District (located in Contra Costa County including portions of Alameda, Solano and Sacramento counties), to elect a congressional representative to fill the vacancy created by the resignation of Congresswoman Ellen O.    Read more »

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