[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Robert Cruickshank

In the 1930s, during the Great Depression, California believed it could solve its economic crisis by deporting 2 million Mexican and Mexican American residents - including many US-born citizens. It did absolutely nothing to ameliorate the Depression - you cannot exclude your way to prosperity - but nevertheless the deportations went on throughout the decade.

The Assembly Republicans, better known as the Yacht Party, appear to be heading down the same failed path. They have come up with the foolish idea that the budget crisis can be balanced by attacking immigrants:

Assembly Republicans this week promoted nearly two dozen bills they said would reduce the "negative impact" that illegal immigrants have on the state budget and border security. The proposals range from requiring individuals to show proof of citizenship when receiving state-funded benefits to repealing a law enabling undocumented students to pay in-state college tuition....

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Gil Cedillo

California State Senator

Four weeks after the deadline to introduce legislation, a group of Republican Assemblymembers have revealed a package of twenty anti-immigrant bills touted as “common sense” despite an obviously biased intent. Many of the proposals are reruns of anti-immigrant legislation that have either been questioned in legal courts or unable to garner majority support, even among other Republican legislators.

The revelation of the anti-immigrant package coincides with the launch of a national clearinghouse for refuting immigration falsehoods entitled “Truth in Immigration.” Sponsored by the Mexican American Legal Defense and Education Fund (MALDEF), the website seeks to “refute legal and factual inaccuracies about immigrants and/or Latinos” noting that “hateful dialogue threatens to drown out reasonable and thoughtful perspectives on immigration reform and other key policy issues.”

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Hey all.  Sitting here in the spin room at the Kodak Theater prior to tonight's Democratic debate.  The place is kind of swamped with media, and I guess Blitzer's doing his live show just outside, so there are a lot of sign-holders afoot.

Earlier today I was down at Los Angeles Trade Technical College, a community college near downtown, to watch a townhall meeting with Senator Barack Obama.  A lot of his Southern California supporters were on hand, including Assemblyman Ted Lieu, labor leader Maria Elena Durazo, Congressmen Xavier Becerra and Adam Schiff, LA City Councilmembers Yvonne Burke and Bill Rosendahl, and State Senators Dean Florez, Gil Cedillo, and Majority Leader Gloria Romero.  I have as much respect for Senators Cedillo and Romero as anyone in the State Senate.  They have been at the forefront of taking on tough issues; in the case of Sen Romero, prison and sentencing reform (Obama expressed support for eliminating the crack/cocaine powder sentencing and for a more intelligent criminal justice system that deals with nonviolent offenders in a different way), and in the case of Sen. Cedillo, immigration measures like driver's licenses and the DREAM Act (which Obama said he would sign).  It means a lot to me that they are on board Obama's campaign.

More...

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

I'm blogging live here from Sonoma County, Rohnert Park to be exact. Sen Carole Migden was, as always, very excited about making her presentation. She spoke for quite awhile about her various accomplishments. The speech was a bit rambling and disjointed, but was well received over-all.  Asm. Leno spoke in a practiced, well-rehearsed tone. He spoke of his efforts on foster care. Again, it was well-received by this very well behaved crowd of all ages.

Flip it for some questions.
First, a question was asked about Sen. Gil Cedillo's driver's license bill. Sen Migden says she supported the bill, and encourages immigrants to learn English to get the best jobs.  Asm. Leno spoke of his co-authoring of the bill, and how we need to approach the issue of immigration.
 

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Call it rapid response, or simply desperation, but the state RepublicanParty has filled the position of Chief Operating Officer, after itsfirst pick resigned due to problems with immigration law (as in, he wasbreaking it). The new guy, Bill Christiansen, has experience in Arizona and Orange County (above), according to the Sacramento Bee. We'll know he's doing his job if we never read about him in the paper again.

For those who think California coddles illegal immigrants (a fittingtransition), the Assembly couldn't even get a bill on drivers' licensefor non-citizens out of committee yesterday due to the heat surroundingthe issue, the Bee reports. Unfortunately, some tend to choose ideology over common sense,so Sen. Gil Cedillo didn't have the votes to move forward. His bill wasalso tied to to controversial Real ID act, which  rightfully makes manyDemocrats uneasy.

On the subject of staying out of the papers, a former aide to Rep. JohnDoolittle handed over documents to prosecutors this week over theCongressman's supposed ties with disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Stay tuned.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Gil Cedillo
California State Senator

Recently the Los Angeles Times ran an editorial, “For Citizens Only,” on the California Dream Act (SB 160) which misrepresented facts and promoted a policy position out of step with reality and mainstream opinion in California.

Just one week after the LA Times declared their objection to increasing access to higher education for all Californians, the California Public Policy Institute (PPIC) issued a definitive analysis citing a critical gap in the number of college grads the state will produce. PPIC warned that California will not meet the economic demand for highly skilled workers with current immigration and graduation rates; they recommended swift action on the state’s behalf to intervene.

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics: Soapblox California - Front Page]

I bet you were wondering where Health Care Tuesdays went...but never fear.  So, I know I talked about doing the whole myth of moral hazard, but then I saw this article about one of my favorite state senators, Gil Cedillo (D-LA).

State Sen. Gil Cedillo was at his wit's end. Hospital officials were threatening to move his septuagenarian mother to another hospital because of an insurance snafu, and her family was not sure her heart was strong enough. Having lost his wife, Ruby, to cancer in 2002 after a long battle, Cedillo knows more than he cares to about the frustrations of navigating the health care system and dealing with insurance companies. Cedillo was able to resolve his mother's problem -- with the help of a highly placed former colleague... But health care advocates and providers say their stories illustrate that no one is exempt from the vagaries of the system. (SacBee 5/29/07) 

Flip it...