[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Decked out in red, white, and blue, dozens of Sacramento area seniors celebrated their ability to live independently on Independence Day, and called on their local legislators to fund critical programs that enable them to remain safely in their homes. Four days into the new fiscal year and with no budget resolution in sight, the seniors attending the 4th of July parade called on Senator Dave Cox (R-Sacramento) and Assemblymember Roger Niello (R- Sacramento) to come to the table with their Democratic colleagues to quickly find a resolution that will protect the state’s most vulnerable.

They called the budget proposal put forward in May by Governor Schwarzenegger unacceptable, saying it amounts to stripping seniors of the right to live independently and with dignity. The Governor’s proposal would hurt seniors by:

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Governor Schwarzenegger now faces a test on how serious he is about global warming, according to the Sacramento Bee. If Arnold does not find a reliablerevenue source for the state's new emissions standards, it essentiallybecomes an unfunded mandate. And all of the magazine covers andspeeches and carbon-offsets will not make the Governor anenvironmentalist unless he gets real about the cost.

The fight over gay marriage in California has reached the state Supreme Court, a good sign for advocates,  the San Francisco Chronicle reports. Butwith rapid shifts in public opinion toward greater gay rights, thecourt of public opinion may be the best approach to this delicate issue.

Democratic colleagues and friends—and even some Republicans—are singing the praises of Speaker-elect Karen Bass, who has devoted her political life to often-ignored causes such asfoster care, the Los Angeles Times reports. Bass is ready to lead—andit's a shame she only has two years to do the job before being termedout.

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Photo courtesy of commondreams