CalClip TV

Schwarzenegger ends it on a downer

2010-12-07T07:11:00.001-08:00

Farmworker Overtime Goes to Schwarzegger

2010-07-03T14:47:00.001-07:00

Burton Says Dems Can't Match Whitman, Republicans "Whatever"

2010-07-03T14:45:00.000-07:00

Assembly votes down VLF increase

2010-03-23T08:44:00.000-07:00

Amazon Tax Debate

2010-02-19T14:05:00.000-08:00

Given that Bezo's first thought was to establish Amazon on an Indian reservation to avoid tax way back in the 90s I doubt the state will ever catch up to him. Plus, Google is rumored to be designing floating islands for offshore servers where no government has authority, the possibility that some country might set up as a tax free zone for servers, and other possibilities all make this seem like government conceit. One possible mitigator would be to lower the sales tax to about the same as the average cost of shipping. That would at least do away with the inequity with brick and mortar businesses that exists now.

Maldo rejected -- or was he? Courts may decide

2010-02-11T19:29:00.000-08:00

On February 11, 2010 the Assembly took up the nomination of Senator Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria) to fill the Lieutenant Governor's vacancy. The motion to confirm did not get 41 votes needed in the Assembly(37 aye-35 no). The Senate voted to confirm earlier in the day. Since there is not a majority against the nomination there may be an argument the language in Article 5, Section 5 of the Constitution requires a majority vote to reject a nomination. The Governor's office tonight is maintaining the Assembly failed to kill the nomination. A court rejected a similar argument when Dan Lungren was nominated to fill a vacancy as Secretary of State. The courts may have final say on this.

Maldo in the Hot Seat

2010-02-10T08:51:00.000-08:00

Assembly Rejects Global Warming Mitigation Delay

2010-01-12T09:12:00.000-08:00

Yesterday, the Assembly Natural Resources Committee rejected a bill by Assemblyman Dan Logue (R-Linda) to delay implementation of AB 32, California's Global Warming Solutions Act of 2006. The Democrats are united in supporting AB 32, but this issue is not going away. It is easy to imagine that insiders from the Bay Area will make a lot of money on green tech. How others can make a living from it is open to question. Will the green economy be a job engine for California, or will it lead to another Proposition 13 revolution?

Acorn in Fontana

2009-10-30T08:14:00.000-07:00

Interesting and diverse collection of interested parties at this one.

California Debates Marijuana Reform

2009-10-29T10:14:00.000-07:00

California Treasurer Rips Legislature

2009-10-22T15:40:00.001-07:00

Assembly kills oil deal for California

2009-07-28T13:52:00.000-07:00

On January 24 the Assembly killed a deal between environmentalists and PXP oil that would have brought at least $1.5 billion to the state in royalties over 14 years and $300 million in property tax revenue to Santa Barbara County. PXP also would have donated 4,000 acres of land and torn down the platform used for the extraction, plus three idle platforms.

The Assembly rescinded the action after the vote. Since the budget is already out of balance, this bill could come up again August. $100 million is guaranteed for the state in the first year alone.

Grumpy Legislators

2009-07-16T07:57:00.000-07:00

Senator Ellen Corbett (D-San Leandro) runs into difficulty exercising her power as Chair of Senate Judiciary Committee. In the era of term limits, new legislators aren't accepting the old rules.

Tempers flare as California goes to the brink

2009-06-30T13:05:00.000-07:00

Republicans Reject Partial Solution -- California Heading Over Fiscal Cliff

2009-06-24T14:23:00.000-07:00

On Wednesday morning, Senate Republicans refused to give the votes required for a 2/3 majority to approve the first bill of a package to address California's fiscal emergency. The Democrats assumed the Republicans would not reject a bill that contained cuts only. In 7 days, California will have to issue IOUs to keep state operations going.

Controller's Attempt to Issue High Interest Debt Fails

2009-06-19T08:45:00.000-07:00

Even though the Governor revoked his own authority last week to issue Revenue Anticipation Warrants to tide the state through the cash crisis, the State Controller wanted the authority to issue such debt at 12%. It looks like both sides had a support on the bill but Diane Harkey (R-Dana Point) convinced enough Republicans to vote no the bill could not get the 2/3 it needed to pass.

Dems Show their Hand

2009-06-18T08:14:00.000-07:00

Democratic Leaders Darrell Steinberg and Karen Bass will spread their budget solutions over 7 bills. The tax increases will be in a separate bill from the cuts and shifts. The Dems believe Republicans will not vote against cuts, so even if the tax increase bill fails to get 2/3, they can claim victory for putting the budget back into balance but with a small reserve, if any. Schwarzenegger recently indicated his $4.5 billion reserve proposed in his cuts package no longer exists because of sinking revenues. Therefore it is unclear whether the Dems' cuts will be enough to actually balance the budget enough that Wall Street will be willing to provide short term loans the state takes out every summer to manage its cash flow.

Overthrow of 2/3 vote for special taxes advances

2009-05-07T09:50:00.000-07:00

Assemblyman Jared Huffman's (D- San Rafael) Assembly Constitutional Amendment 9 would lower the voter threshold for approval of local special taxes passed the Assembly Local Government Committee and is heading for Assembly Revenue and Taxation Committee. If passed and signed by the Governor, the measure would go on the general state ballot for approval by the state's electorate.

Dems caution against immigrant bashing over pandemic

2009-05-04T12:59:00.000-07:00

Pandemic still possible in California

2009-04-30T16:09:00.000-07:00

Senate Committee kills flex work bill

2009-04-29T12:18:00.000-07:00

The Senate Labor and Industrial relations committee defeated a bill by Senator Benoit that would have created a simple scheme for non union employeees and employers to work out a flexible work schedule without violating overtime laws. Opponents argued current law works fine and does not need to change.

California Says Illegal Alien Parolees are the Fed's Problem Now

2009-03-02T16:15:00.000-08:00

BoE to Governor: We will not obey your furlough order

2009-02-05T12:05:00.000-08:00

At their monthly Sacramento meeting on February 3, the elected members of the State Board of Equalization expressed their resistance to the Governor's furlough order. On February 5, a Superior Court judge backed the Board. The Governor could go back to court. He may also fire civil service employees without union approval.

Schwarzenegger Threatens to Withhold Legislators' Pay

2009-01-16T12:36:00.000-08:00

Schwarzenegger -- State Almost out of Cash

2009-01-08T09:27:00.000-08:00