by Be_Devine [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

In less than two weeks, all couples in California finally will have the equal right to get married.

The California Supreme Court just denied the last-ditch effort by the religious right wing to stay the Supreme Court's decision and halt all marriages until after the November initiative is decided.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

At the California State Democratic Convention in San Jose today, two mothers with sons who were convicted for a third strike under California's draconian three strikes law spoke about an initiative to change the law for the better, the Three Strikes Reform Act of 2008.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger is expected to embrace Common Cause's latest attempt at redistricting, the "Voters First" initiative, at a press conference today. The initiative, if it qualifies, will be on the November 2008 ballot.

Schwarzenegger has endorsed every variety of redistricting to come down the pike. Nevermind the details that could likely tilt map-making into the hands of Republicans. Nevermind that there's no similar system anywhere in the United States. Nevermind that it would put the complex of drawing the state's lines into the hands of amateurs. Yet there's no doubt that the editorial boards will praise him to high heaven, given their fantasyland notion that redistricting alone will somehow transform California politics.

This initiative, however, has its own set of problems. It would put the power of redistricting largely in the hands of the State Auditor -- someone with zero experience in redistricting and who is nominated by the Legislature and selected by the Governor. So much for "independence."

And that's just the beginning.

Even progressives find it distasteful. Last month, Bob Bauer, counsel to Obama for America and the Democratic Senatorial and Congressional Campaign Committees, took a whack at the new Common Cause/VOTERS FIRST redistricting initiative on this "More Soft Money More Hard Law" website.

[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

California Republican Assemblymember Chuck Devore and other proponents of a ballot measure to repeal California's 1976 nuclear safeguards act -- which prohibits new reactors until there is a permanent solution to the problem of disposal of high level radioactive waste -- yesterday quietly withdrew their proposed initiative from circulation. Apparently having trouble getting sufficient signatures to qualify, and enough financial backing and public support to pass, they pulled the plug on the effort.

Dan Hirsch, President of the Committee to Bridge the Gap, one of the initiative's opponents, hailed the withdrawal as being of "national significance," and as indicative that the national movement to build new nuclear plants may be running out of steam.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

So what is the current status of the second coming of the electoral power grab initiative? According to the San Francisco Chronicle, the latest polling shows this latest incarnation has picked up right where its predecessor left off, coming in at well below the "Mendoza Line" of the GOP-base vote at 22% support in the polls.

We know that once again, all roads lead back to the Giuliani campaign. We know that the initiative’s backers are resorting to fraudulent bait and switch tactics in order to dupe Californians into signing the petitions. We’ve learned from news accounts that the backers could be in violation of campaign laws if they are in fact using names culled from people who signed the 2003 recall petition for their mailings. (If anyone knows someone who signed the 2003 recall petition and has received a mailing from the California Counts campaign, please contact the CDP Fraud Busters).