[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Governor Schwarzenegger has dropped a plan to release 22,000 prison inmates early, reports the Sacramento Bee."Not a single legislator in the state had expressed support for theidea."

East Bay residents may be forced to reduce their use of water by 20 percent under a rationing proposal by the East Bay MunicipalUtility District expected to be announced today. "We could have an evendrier year next year, and we could end up with even half that or less.So, we have to stretch every last drop," said EBMUD spokesman CharlesHardy.

The LA Times reports disappointment among many female supporters of Hillary Clinton in West Virginia. Clinton is likely to sweep West Virginia, but it won't make a difference at this point.

There's more... 

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Governor Scharzenegger declared a fiscal emergencytoday, requiring every state department to slash 10% of their budgetsin an effort to close California’s $14.5 billion deficit, reports theSan Francisco Chronicle. The Governor’s proposed budget will take $4.5billion away from public schools over the next year and a half, andresult in the early release of up to 35,000 prison inmates in the nexttwo years. In order to make the cuts to education, the legislaturewould have to vote to suspend Proposition 98, which mandates that 40%of the state budget must be spent on schools.

The California Progress Report is lamenting Governor Schwarzenegger’s proposal to cut funding for a state program which provides home careto hundreds of thousands of disabled and elderly people in California.The In-Home Supportive Services (IHSS) receives bipartisan support, butthe Governor has routinely cut funding for the program in order tobalance the state budget.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Patricia Mendoza

I’m 44 years old, and I live in Ontario. I worked as a Correctional Officer for 20 years.

My last assignment was at the California Institute for Men (CIM), a minimum through medium security prison in Chino. My job was to transport inmates within the prison compound, and to the NORCO facility nearby.

The prison inmates, of course, had to be transported in restraints. Part of my job involved carrying the heavy restraints. This was very physical work.

On March 12, 2004, I injured my lower and middle back while lifting prisoner restraints in a transport van.

An MRI found nerve damage, 3 bulging discs and bone spurs. My doctor said that immediate surgery was not recommended, but would be in the future. I did physical therapy, chiropractic and steroid injections into my spine. None of that helped very much. The doctor said there’s nothing more we can do for you.

I put my life on the line to protect society from convicted rapists, molesters and murderers. I worked double shifts, lost time from my family, and was in danger every time I drove through those prison gates.

I used to run 5 miles every other day, camped, rafted white water river rapids. Now, I can barely sit through a meal or a movie.

by David Dayen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

by shayera [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

With the Senate session starting to wind down, California legislators have been debating a huge number of bills to send up to the Governor.

The LA Times highlights just a few of them. And I thought I'd pass them on to you.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

An op-ed in the Los Angeles Times argues that the Constitution is in need of an overhaul. David O. Stewart walks us through the wince-inducing history of theelectoral college and makes a powerful case for doing away with it. One of the best arguments against the electoral system is itsunfairness:  "In 2004, each California electoral vote represented226,000 votes cast by Californians, while Alaska's electoral votesrepresented 104,000 Alaskan votes. One person, one vote? Hardly."

State Senator Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) has introduced a bill that would address mental illness in California prison inmates. Every year 3,000 seriously mentally ill people are sent to prison.  Thebill would invest in programs that identify and treat offenders' mentalhealth problems.  The bill would also create "mental health courts"that could decide if mandatory treatment and services would be aneffective alternative to jail time.  "If we expect to reduce recidivismand we expect to release inmates with a chance of succeeding insociety, then we need to address psychiatric issues that often led themto commit crimes in the first place," said Steinberg.