The Latest on the La Jolla Seal Deal from AP

By GILLIAN FLACCUS  Associated Press Writer Published: Thursday, Jul. 23, 2009 – 11:51 am 

SAN DIEGO — A judge on Thursday delayed an order to remove federally protected harbor seals from a La Jolla cove, minutes before a deadline expired that would have required city officials to begin dispersing the seal colony.    Read more »

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Schwarzenegger signs La Jolla Seal Deal Bill

Saying that even though solving the state’s budget problems was his first priority, GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzengger signed a measure July 20 to help resolve one of La Jolla’s most vexing crises — what to do about the enclave of harbor seals that have taken over a small cove near the intersection of Coast Boulevard and Jenner, just shy of Scripps Park.    Read more »

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Commission Weighs Major Tax Overhaul, Flat Income Tax Rate

While lawmakers and the governor lurch toward a budget compromise, the Commission on the 21st Century Economy is starting to wind up its work to transform California’s Depression-era created tax system.

At the 14-member commission’s penultimate meeting in Los Angeles June 16, its members appeared to narrow its potential recommendations, due July 31, to two proposals.    Read more »

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And After Fixing That Pesky Budget Thing, How About the Unemployment Insurance Fund?

The awful economy that has contributed to the state’s record budget gap of $42 billion and, now $24 billion, has also driven the state’s unemployment insurance fund deeper into insolvency.

A new report by the state Employment Development Department estimates that the fund will end 2009 $6.2 billion in the hole and $17.8 billion in the hole if no action is taken to change the way it’s financed.    Read more »

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Safe Surrender of Infants — Again

Give Assemblyman Alberto Torrico an “A” for effort: His fourth attempt to increase beyond 72 hours California’s safe surrender of children was approved June 3 by the lower house on a bipartisan vote.

The three previous attempts by the Fremont Democrat to increase the amount of time in which parents can give up their children without penalty have been vetoed by GOP Gov.    Read more »

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Spay and Neuter Redux

Nothing seems to inflame political passions more than pets.

Even though heavy on exemptions, a measure by Sen. Dean Florez aimed at encouraging more spaying and neutering of dogs and cats faced a rocky hearing on the Senate floor.

On nearly every other issue, Florez, a Hanford Democrat, would have had the unflinching support of at least 21 of his fellow Democrats, assuring passage in the 40-member house.    Read more »

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Hello? Rome Is Burning

As a special two-house conference committee met to consider ways to close a $24 billion budget gap, the Assembly spent the first hour of its June 1 session approving 12 pieces of legislation.

Among them, AB 21. 

The measure orders the Department of Pesticide Regulation to “conduct a review” of the “assessment undertaken pursuant to the 8th meeting of the Conference of the Parties to the Vienna Convention for the Protection of the Ozone Layer and the 20th meeting of the Parties to the Montreal Protocol on Substances that Deplete the Ozone Layer by the Technology and Economic Assessment Panel regarding methyl bromide.”    Read more »

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Didn’t Think It Could Get Any Worse? Think Again

As though the state’s fiscal condition weren’t dire enough, Controller John Chiang sent a letter on May 29 to the governor and legislative leaders saying that on July 31 the state will be $1 billion short of meeting its payment obligations to schools, local governments and vendors.

“Based on the May Revision revenue and expenditure estimates provided to us late last week by the Department of Finance and taking into account the actual cash receipts and expenditures my office tracks, it is clear the health of the State’s treasury has significantly deteriorated since the adoption of the (budget), a mere three months ago,” Chiang wrote.    Read more »

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Is the Fate of La Jolla’s Seals Sealed?

On May 27, a San Diego Superior Court judge reiterated his 2005 ruling that the city removes seals from a La Jolla cove that is supposed to be a children’s bathing area.

The judge, Yuri Hofmann, scheduled a June 15 hearing to consider the city’s proposed plan to chase the seals off through recordings of dogs barking and jets of water.    Read more »

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Suspense Over the Assembly Suspense File

The state is grappling with something teetering darn close to fiscal Armageddon.

On the heels of closing a $43 billion gap between spending commitments and revenues in February, a new $24 billion gap has emerged thanks in part to further sinking of the economy over the past few months and voter rejection of three ballot measures on May 19 that accounted for $5.8 billion in budget solutions.    Read more »

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