by Robert in Monterey [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

The so-called "bipartisan" effort to change the way California's legislative districts are drawn is being almost entirely funded by major Republican donors and backers of Republican Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, according to new reports filed with the Secretary of State.

As noted here last week, the biggest backer so far is the New Majority PAC, which kicked in $150,000. On its website, the PAC says its "continued priorities include increasing Republican voter registration in targeted communities, identifying quality Republican candidates with an emphasis on bringing diversity into the Republican Party and supporting legislative Republican leadership in targeted races." The Governor's campaign committee also has kicked in $50,000.

Those Republican interests received additional backing last week, when another major donor, David Horowitz of the Horowitz Group in Laguna Niguel, added his support with a $5,000 check. Horowitz has given more than $100,000 to Schwarzenegger's campaign efforts since 2006 and more than $30,000 to the New Majority PAC. Horowitz has also given thousands to right-wing Republicans including State Sen. Tom McClintock, Assemblymember Chuck DeVore, and Assemblywoman Mimi Walters.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Yesterday Democrats failed to get the 54 votes they needed to get the yacht tax loophole closed, as GOP Leader Mike Villines urged his party to close ranks and vote to keep giving yacht buyers a tax break. Pundits say it is surprising that Assembly Republicans have moved to the right of their irresponsible yahoo brethren in the State Senate (where some Republicans broke and united with Democrats to close the loophole). But a closer look at the vote totals shows a stunning lack of political courage by some in the Assembly GOP.

Assemblymember Chuck DeVore, an eloquent anti-tax conservative, spoke at length in the Budget Committee last week on the reasons to close the loophole. Yet yesterday, "Chicken Chuck" DeVore -- despite being on the Assembly floor -- thumbed his nose at his constituents and refused to vote either for or against the bill.

There's more...

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Many Painful Cuts

By Frank D. Russo

Yesterday, Republicans in the California State Senate withheld their votes for the package of bills that passed out of committee in the special session on this year’s state budget deficit, saying they had just been handed the legislation and had not had time to analyze the provisions in them. Earlier today, the Assembly Budget Committee, has passed a series of bills identical to those passed by their counterparts in the State Senate, most of them with the unanimous support of all on the committee who were in attendance, including Republican votes.

Some Republican Assemblymembers even voted to repeal the yacht tax loophole, causing Democratic Assemblymember Dave Jones to note this may be the first time he has been on the same side of an issue like this with Republican Member Chuck DeVore.

Republicans acknowledged in today’s hearings that these were painful cuts being made. Both Republicans and Democrats spoke with passion about many of these cuts—sometimes expressing hopes that when next year budget is adopted that some of the cuts can be reversed. The need for speed was acknowledged by all, as California is in danger of running out of funds to pay ongoing expenses.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

It looks like the Republican's favorite tax cut -- a tax cut for yacht buyers -- is going to be history. Both the Senate and Assembly Budget committees have voted for its elimination.

Only Republican Assemblymember Roger Niello struggled to make a logical argument protesting its elimination while moments before slashing benefits for the lowest-income Californians (he eventually stayed off the bill). But even GOP stalwarts like Assemblymember Chuck DeVore and four other Assembly GOP'rs ended up voting for it.
 
Kudos to Assemblymember Dave Jones and others for spearheading the drive to rid our tax code of this provision.

Image courtesy Costumzee.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Assemblymember Chuck DeVore's initiative to allow the rapid construction of nuclear power plants in California bit the big one yesterday.

With no support and no funding, the initiative -- largely considered a publicity stunt by the right-wing Assemblymember -- was yanked. DeVore told the press he would reintroduce it if his legislation didn't get signed into law next year. And given the distaste for nuclear power among California citizens, it looks like the most DeVore will get out of it will be another few headlines.

DeVore cites nuclear power as clean energy that will help ease the global warming crisis. However, DeVore's concern about global warming seems to end when it comes to actually doing something about it: he joined all but one Republican legislator in opposing AB 32, California's landmark greenhouse gas emissions control law.

Image courtesy CorrosionCost.com.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

California Republican Assemblymember Chuck Devore and other proponents of a ballot measure to repeal California's 1976 nuclear safeguards act -- which prohibits new reactors until there is a permanent solution to the problem of disposal of high level radioactive waste -- yesterday quietly withdrew their proposed initiative from circulation. Apparently having trouble getting sufficient signatures to qualify, and enough financial backing and public support to pass, they pulled the plug on the effort.

Dan Hirsch, President of the Committee to Bridge the Gap, one of the initiative's opponents, hailed the withdrawal as being of "national significance," and as indicative that the national movement to build new nuclear plants may be running out of steam.