[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

A poll released earlier this week shows 91% of Democrats, 85% of independents, and 61% of Republicans support strong state action to implement a reduction in greenhouse gases as required by the landmark bill passed by the legislature in 2006 and signed by Governor Schwarzenegger. The clear findings of this poll show that likely California voters not only support this action, but that they feel reducing global warming is very important to the future of the state, and that candidates and legislators who oppose action may not fare too well with the voters this fall.

by Robert in Monterey [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Peter Schrag

It's Super Tuesday, the pinnacle of what's now surely the most cockamamie election nonsystem ever devised by the mind of man (and woman, too, if you insist). Voters in California and 21 other states will ballot in primaries or caucuses to choose delegates allocated by varying formulas according to the whims of the respective parties.

In California, you get so many delegates for carrying each congressional district; so many for carrying the whole state, plus some others. For Republicans, it pays to focus on districts with few GOP voters, since winning there gets you the same number of delegates.

Of course, if you hadn't registered by the Jan. 22 deadline, well before last week's round of debates, you're out of luck. In some states, if you don't have a photo ID, or a raft of other documentation, you're disenfranchised.

In nine states on the other hand, among them Maine, Minnesota and Wisconsin, you can register at the polls on Election Day. Voting in those states runs about 12 percentage points higher on average than it does in states that don't have Election Day registration.

There have been a few instances of ineligible voters casting ballots, but most were the result of error, not fraud.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Assemblymember Chuck DeVore's initiative to allow the rapid construction of nuclear power plants in California bit the big one yesterday.

With no support and no funding, the initiative -- largely considered a publicity stunt by the right-wing Assemblymember -- was yanked. DeVore told the press he would reintroduce it if his legislation didn't get signed into law next year. And given the distaste for nuclear power among California citizens, it looks like the most DeVore will get out of it will be another few headlines.

DeVore cites nuclear power as clean energy that will help ease the global warming crisis. However, DeVore's concern about global warming seems to end when it comes to actually doing something about it: he joined all but one Republican legislator in opposing AB 32, California's landmark greenhouse gas emissions control law.

Image courtesy CorrosionCost.com.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

By Frank D. Russo

This is a story of David defeating Goliath. A feel good moment in the midst of a number of ugly vetoes. The fact that this bill barely passed both houses of the legislature--with exactly the number of votes it needed to reach the Governor's desk, and that it was not clear he would sign it, speaks volumes. It passed the Assembly on a 41-34 vote and the Senate on a 21-18 vote, both of them on largely party line votes with only one Republican legislator--Senator Abel Mald0nado voting for it.

It was a hard fought battle that won over Governor Schwarzenegger to sign AB 1108, by Assemblymember Fiona Ma, banning the use of phthalates--chemicals added to PVC to make toys soft and flexible--just the thing that makes them irresistible to children for chewing. Even though they are known to be toxic chemicals, they have been commonly used in baby products such as teethers, bath books, and rubber ducks available in California. Phthalates do not chemically bond to PVC molecules causing them to leach out, often directly into a child’s mouth.

But AB 1108 will now become law and California will join a number of European countries, Argentina, Fiji, Mexico, and Japan in banning these chemicals. This may also cause action to be taken in other states and will certainly increase the use of substitute producs that are safe.

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

• Evidence of Post Partisanship Between Governor and Legislative Democrats
• But Reflects That Not a Single Republican Legislator Voted for Entire Flood Package

Governor Schwarzenegger Shakes Senator Machado's hand after signing flood package surrounded by Democratic legislators--and Gary Patton of the Planning and Conservation League on the left

By Frank D. Russo

Democratic State Senator Mike Machado, author of one of the flood bills passed by the legislature and signed into law delivered the weekly radio address of Governor Schwarzenegger on the flood package.

A bit unusual--but entirely understandable. Out of the 47 Republicans in the Senate, there is not one that voted for all of the bills in the package of six that he signed. In contrast, the Governor had his pick amongst a number of Democrats who could host his radio spot.

Not only did the bills pass due to Democratic votes--all of them were authored by Democrats. So, the bipartisanship--post-partisanship--or whatever you want to call it is between the Democrats and the Governor on this one. This one speaks volumes as to how far out of the mainstream the Republican gang in Sacramento is when it comes to this issue.

by Julia Rosen [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]