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Setting Records for Legislative “Extraordinary” Sessions
At seven, the California Legislature has a record number of special sessions this year.
The previous record was five during one two-year legislative session and, now with the special session on water, lawmakers are at seven –in just this year alone.
These “Extraordinary sessions,” as they’re known, are called by the governor to focus legislative attention on a particular issue. Read more »
Legislature to Governor: Don’t Smoke ’em If You Got ’em
Occupying legislative office space above the central courtyard of the governor’s office and Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s smoking tent can be a drag – literally – a drag off a bunch of big cigars.
Smoke crawls up the chimney-like enclosure and enters the Capitol ventilation system, infusing the upstairs offices with a very pronounced eau du cigar. Read more »
The San Francisco Symphony Gets a Break Under New Law
Champagne corks will be popping at the San Francisco Symphony November 2 – Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed legislation allowing the symphony to accept monetary contributions and alcoholic beverages from makers of beer, wine and distilled spirits.
A small portion of the symphony’s facility has a retail license to sell alcohol, which prevents them from accepting alcohol from manufacturers under California’s “tied house” laws. Read more »
Think of How Crowded the Freeways Will Be
Within 25 years, California’s population will reach 50 million, according to estimates by the state Department of Finance.
By 2050, 60 million.
The state’s roads, highways, schools and other public works are designed to serve 25 million — about 14 million fewer people than already live in California.
To accommodate this projected population growth requires 220,000 new homes to be built each year, 19 new classrooms added every day for five years, delivery of an additional 200,000 acre-feet of water to the Central Valley and Southern California and construction of enough highways to handle 42 percent more vehicles. Read more »
Self-Imposed Hospital Fee to Benefit Kids, Medi-Cal
Continuing one of the oddest bill signing months ever, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has so far only publicly announced his action on three of some 700 bills sent him by the Legislature before they adjourned for the year September 11.
The GOP governor has until midnight October 11 to act – about 81 hours from 4:00 PM October 8. Read more »
Bill to Help Small Business Loan Guarantee Program
Supporters of California’s Small Business Loan Guarantee Program hope that on October 12, when the state senate next meets, Republican senators will relax their pledge not to vote for any two-thirds majority bills and approve a measure allowing the program to continue guaranteeing loans.
Backers of the bill, SB 66, include ethnic chambers of commerce and bankers. Read more »
To Sleep, Perchance to Drink, in Senate Session
The Senate will reconvene in special session on October 12, Senate President Pro Tempore Darrell Steinberg, a Sacramento Democrat, announced October 6.
The upper house could also meet October 13 and October 14 at the call of pro tem, Steinberg’s announcement said.
Special sessions are called for a purpose. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has called one to consider the tax law changes recommended by the Commission on the 21st Century Economy, for example. Read more »
Clock is Ticking for Governor to Act on Legislation
The California Legislature adjourned for 2009 on September 11. The governor has until October 11 — 30 days — to act on the 700-odd measures that were sent to him.
As of the afternoon of October 2, with nine days left to deal with the bills before him, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has publicly announced the signing of three. Read more »
In Politics, Things Aren’t Always What They Seem
A lot of legislation in 2009 and previous years is aimed at protecting children and minors.
Among them, so it would appear, was an effort to make it harder for minors to buy liquor by banning the sale of alcoholic beverages from self-service check-stands.
The measure, AB 1060, was placed on the Senate Inactive File on September 11, the final day of the legislative session, according to the Senate webpage. Read more »
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