No Budget Solution But Importing Kangaroo Parts Is Preserved

California may face a dire fiscal emergency and struggles to close a $20 billion budget hole but legislation has been introduced to extend the state law allowing the importation of dead kangaroo parts.

Section 6530 of the Penal Code makes it illegal “to import into this state for commercial purposes, to possess with intent to sell, or to sell within the

state, the dead body, or any part or product thereof, of any polar bear, leopard, ocelot, tiger, cheetah, jaguar, sable antelope, wolf, zebra, whale, cobra, python, sea turtle, colobus monkey, kangaroo, vicuna, sea otter, free-roaming feral horse, dolphin or porpoise, Spanish lynx or elephant.    Read more »

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Democrats Bad, Republicans Good or the Other Way Around

Democrats and Republicans continue to wrangle over scoring rhetorical points about whose legislation does more to create jobs.

The Republican minority issued a press release February 24 which, among other things said that several of the measures in their 22-bill “job creation” package  were “rejected” by Democrats, who hold comfortable majorities in both the Senate and the Assembly.    Read more »

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!*&#{%/@! — Can’t Even Curse and Swear in Peace Anymore

(Editor’s Note: This measure is authored by Assemblyman Anthony Portantino, a Pasadena Democrat, whose district includes South Pasadena. The Assembly is expected to approve the measure February 25. A media availability with the Assemblyman follows. Resolutions, unlike laws, are non-binding.) 

LEGISLATIVE COUNSEL’S DIGEST 

ACR 112, as amended, Portantino. Cuss Free Week.     Read more »

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Senate Sends Assembly Three Bills Democrats Say Create Jobs

With some Republican support, Senate Democrats sent three bills to the Assembly February 18, which they claim will create more than 12,000 jobs.

The measures partly conform California to changes in federal tax law since 2005, halt the furloughing of state employees at departments not paid out of the general fund and direct $20 million in federal economic stimulus funds to community colleges to “install or upgrade energy management systems at 47 of its 110 campuses.    Read more »

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Lawmakers Struggle To Create Transportation Financing Plan

State subsidies for transit operations would continue, public schools would be cut slightly less and the effective date of several tax breaks postponed under a complicated transportation-financing proposal being stitched together by state lawmakers.

The proposal is part of a series of cost-cutting measures the Legislature is acting on before February 21 to help erase a $20 billion gap between spending commitments and revenues over the next 18 months.    Read more »

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Bill Would Create New Office of Federal Funding Information

The following measure was introduced January 27 by Sen. Carol Liu, a Pasadena Democrat:

“SB 907, as introduced, Liu. Office of Federal Funding Information and Assistance: establishment.

   “Existing law establishes the Office of Planning and Research within the office of the Governor to, among other duties, assist the Governor and the Governor’s cabinet in long-range planning and research.    Read more »

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Climb Into the Rhino Pit or the Grizzly Enclosure, Go to Jail

Entering an animal enclosure at a zoo without permission would be a misdemeanor under legislation introduced January 21.

The 11-paragraph measure appears is in reaction to an incident at the San Francisco Zoo on September 26 when a 21-year-old homeless man climbed into the grizzly bear enclosure.

Kenneth Herron pled not guilty to two misdemeanors – trespassing and disturbing a wild and dangerous animal.    Read more »

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Legislature Struggles For Agreement on Package of ‘Reforms’

State lawmakers are struggling to find consensus on a package of changes, such as switching to a two-year budget cycle, which they hope will improve the operation of the Legislature and the state as a whole, burnishing their tarnished image in the process.

The laundry list, presented on an internal PowerPoint obtained by California’s Capitol, includes increasing oversight of state agencies and departments, switching to performance-based budgeting to measure program success and requiring initiatives to include new revenue to cover their costs.    Read more »

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Legislation Becomes Law to Aid Small Business Loan Program

In an October 7 post, California’s Capitol discussed legislation pending in the Senate allowing the state’s Small Business Loan Guarantee Program to continue guaranteeing loans.

During the final throes of budget negotiations in July, the loan program, whose supporters say is one of the few positive things the state does for small businesses, was added to a list of entities whose unencumbered funds were to be swept into the state’s cash-starved general fund.    Read more »

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“Historic” Water Bond Would Contribute to Historic Debt

Passage of an $11 billion water bond by the Legislature comes just a few weeks after the state treasurer warned that lawmakers cannot keep issuing debt willy-nilly and need a master plan to set priorities for its issuance.

Apparently, lawmakers didn’t read the treasurer’s report on debt levels.

The water bond, which began at $9.4 billion in the Senate and was inflated to $11 billion in the Assembly, is part of what Gov.    Read more »

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