by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

As we brace for the Governor's executive order slashing state employee salaries, the Senate Governmental Organization committee wants some answers.

Anticipating that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today will sign an executive order to cut state worker pay and terminate about 22,000 temporary, part-time and contract jobs, the Senate's Governmental Organization committee has called on Schwarzenegger to explain his rationale. The committee, chaired by Senator Dean Florez (D-Schafter), has scheduled the hearing for Monday at 10 a.m. Schwarzenegger is invited. Controller John Chiang and leaders of state worker unions will testify, according to a press advisory.

Florez, who sought the advisory opinion from the legislative counsel about this move (which showed that John Chiang has more than enough constitutional authority to deny the wage cut from going through), said in his press statement: "I think the Governor owes the public a full explanation as to why he has singled out the state's workforce with his executive order to cut their salaries."

Right on.  Which is why you should keep calling Arnold and ruin his birthday by demanding an explanation of your own.

This is a good move by Florez, both from the standpoint of policy and politics.

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

The Sacramento Bee has a breaking story that Governor Schwarzenegger’s office has scheduled a signing ceremony for an Executive Order that would result in approximately 200,000 state of California workers being paid at the federal minimum wage—lower than the state’s own minimum wage—until the state budget is passed. Whether or not this actually happens or there will be some way to avoid the train wreck that could result is unclear.

However, if the Governor signs such an order, it will be delivered to the office of Democrat John Chiang, California’s elected State Controller, who has announced he will not comply—based on legal opinions and the authority he is given under the California Constitution to manage the state’s cash flow, pay its bills, and draw warrants on the state treasury. Once the State Controller has notified the Governor that he will not be complying with the order, it will then fall to the Governor to take this matter to the state courts, and a legal battle will take place with briefs probably already ready or about to be readied on this area of the law.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

I don’t know about you, but when word leaked out last week that Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger had prepared an executive order reducing the amount the state would pay its workers to the federal minimum wage and paying them the rest they are owed under their employment contracts only after a state budget is passed, I was dumbfounded. It seemed like such an inept move from a political, public policy, and even a legal perspective.

The drumbeats are beating from Democratic President pro Tem Don Perata who said this had never been part of any discussions—which he has had on a daily basis with the Governor and described it as “an act of war”--to the grassroots who are on fire.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

They definitely know how to party at the state's Lottery Department,but unfortunately, taxpayers have to pick up the bill, the SacramentoBee reports. Democratic Controller John Chiang is pushing the LotteryDirector to repay the costs of some of the exorbitant activities.

Assembly Republicans are "working" on a plan to give more funding to schools without raising taxes, the San DiegoUnion Tribune. Whether this plan will make any sense policy-wise, andwhether it fulfills the spending minimums currently in place, remain tobe seen.

Right-wing crusader Tom McClintock, always the under-dog, may get a boost in his carpet-bagging Congressional bid if wealthy GOP opponent Doug Ose's personal spending triggers the "millionaire's amendment,"allowing McClintock to triple his contributions, the Bee reports. Someare taking to calling Ose a "liberal millionaire" for his somewhatmoderate record last time he was in Congress.

There's more...