by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

by Bob Brigham [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Dozens of proposals under consideration at the Capitol would raise state fees,from traffic tickets to property insurance. The fee increases shouldgive legislators some breathing room as they discuss possible taxincreases.

Congressional Republicans are pushing for offshore oil drilling,hoping that a push for new domestic energy will help them comeNovember. But House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-CA) has pointed out thatoil companies have already leased areas for drilling that haven't yetbeen tapped. "Why should we be giving big oil additional leases todrill when they have 68 million acres under lease already that they'renot drilling on right now?" Pelosi said.

George Carlin, standup comedian and actor, has passed away in Los Angeles due to apparent heart failure.

There's more... 

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

We're seeing a real separation of those on the side of justice and those on the side of cover-ups in the FISA fallout.  On the side of justice, for example, is Patrick Leahy:

But after months of negotiations, the House today unveiled a new FISA bill that I cannot support. While I applaud the fact that this legislation includes some of the important surveillance protections we wrote into the Senate Judiciary Committee bill last year, it fails to hold the Bush-Cheney Administration accountable for its illegal wiretapping program.

I will oppose this new FISA bill when the Senate votes on it next week. We must do everything we can to protect Americans from the Bush-Cheney Administration's erosion of our civil liberties and callous disregard for the rule of law -- and this new FISA bill fails that test.

Of course, he was cut out of the decision-making on this "deal."

On the side of cover-ups is Nancy Pelosi (over):

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

State Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles) has concluded three days of talks in Washington DC with federal lawmakers in an effort to secure more federal funds for California. California currently receives only 79 cents for every dollar we pay in federal taxes. Speaker Bass met with Senator Dianne Feinstein, Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi and other members of the California Congressional delegation. The Speaker says her meetings focused on an extension of federal unemployment benefits, assistance for public safety programs, education funding and long-term solutions to California water issues. Bass said she was encouraged by her meetings. Here’s more in this Assembly Web Report.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

The California Field Poll released today shows that Barbara Boxer enjoys a net positive 17 point rating from California’s registered voters on their approval of her job performance. Field has the numbers at 48% approval and 31% disapproval with 21% having no opinion. Looking at the breakdown by party registration, Boxer does well with Democrats (70% to 12%) and does poorly with Republicans (20% to 62%). Most importantly, she does well with “non-partisan/others”—independent voters by 44% to 24%.

[courtesy of Blog for America]

(From Mark Leno's campaign blog.)

On Saturday, May 31, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi endorsed Assemblyman Mark Leno for the third state senate district. Mark now has the support of all three Congress members of the third district by joining Congresswomen Jackie Speier and Lynn Woolsey in supporting Mark Leno. Here are some of the photos from the rally. Click here for the video.