[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Californians can be proud that our state has one of the nation's highest minimum wage rates —nowat $8 per hour as of the New Year—and with marginal indexing, we willdo a better job of keeping up with cost of living, the Sacramento Beereports. This isn't always the story we hear out of the business lobby,some of whom had to be dragged along kicking and screaming, but we areconfident in the resilience of the California economy.

Governor Schwarzenegger signed more than 700 bills last year—and vetoed over 200—many of which went into law yesterday,the Bee reports. In addition to the minimum wage increase, we can lookforward to eased restrictions on kangaroo skin, increased use of solarwater heaters, new consumer rights concerning gift cards, big fines forlighting up in a car with minors (sorry, smokers) and an anti-classroomdiscrimination bill that has drawn the ire of the right.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Higher Education Governance Accountability Act Signed Into Law

By Leland Yee, Ph.D.
Assistant President pro Tem
California State Senate

A few days ago, the Governor signed into law legislation I authored in response to the recent executive pay scandals at the University of California (UC) and the California State University (CSU). Senate Bill (SB) 190, the Higher Education Governance Accountability Act, is designed to bring major reforms to the governing boards of the two higher education systems and to end the continuing executive pay hikes that have recently tarnished our public institutions.

The Legislature and the Governor have now sent a very clear message to the UC and CSU: it is time to end the culture of secrecy and arrogance. No longer should the students, faculty and staff – the backbone of our public universities – be left to bear the burden, while top execs live high on the hog.