by Bob Brigham [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

CMR will have more later. Here's the transcript:

"Like all of you, I've been worried a lot about the economy - falling home prices, rising gas prices -- and how hard it's getting for people to find a job.
I've talked with both Treasurer Lockyer and Controller Chiang about the state's cash situation -- and the need to do everything we can to reach an agreement on the budget.

A long stalemate is the last thing we need. Without a budget - we run out of cash - the richest state in America gone broke!

We won't be paying our bills - and we won't be giving our schools, our emergency rooms and our police the resources they need.

There's more...

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

Embattled State Senator Jeff Denham, who is dangerously close to being voted off the Senate island, pulled another classically boneheaded move today, filing frivolous criminal complaints against Senate President Don Perata and accusing him of improperly contacting state employees to engage in political activity.

Within hours of filing the charges, Senator Denham's campaign was essentially caught redhanded, engaging in the exact same activity of which they are accusing Perata.

Last week, Senator Denham's campaign manager, John B. Franklin, blast e-mailed the following to his campaign master list, which included several state employees and their state e-mail addresses (CMR obtained the email from one state employee who directly received the email on his state computer):

There's more... 

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Insurance take more in profits than benefits provided
Bill to restore disability benefits passes Senate committee

By Frank D. Russo

When the legislature passed Governor Schwarzenegger’s workers’ compensation bill in April of 2004, the Governor said it was not his intention to take away benefits from seriously injured workers—those with lifelong permanent disabilities. Although he has repeatedly promised to make sure that those workers do not fall between the cracks--often saying this in his veto messages of bills the legislature has passed to do so—no action has been taken and California stands fourth from the bottom in what we pay permanently disabled workers.

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

In case you missed it, Senate President Don Perata (D-Oakland), flanked by Senate President-designate Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento), other Senators and education leaders, launched a high-profile and highly-effective media offensive yesterday in a concerted effort to pressure the Governor and legislative Republicans to demonstrate some political courage and take meaningful steps to stave off devastating budget cuts in schools and children programs, which would effectively sacrifice a generation of schoolchildren on the altar of partisan meanspiritedness.
 
Well, it turns out yesterday’s high-energy Budget-palooza was just the beginning.
 
Today, Senate Democrats are announcing similar events tomorrow in San Anselmo (at Brookside Elementary School), Friday in Los Angeles and next Wednesday in Oakland.

by Brian Leubitz [courtesy of Calitics - Front Page]

Well, that didn't take long.  Yesterday, we pointed out a Capitol Weekly story indicating that Sen. Steinberg was planning to run to be the Senate Leader. Today, it appears to be a done deal.  The CA Majority Report is now citing "several legislative sources" that Senator Perata has "orchestrated" a smooth transition to Senator Steinberg, a fairly progressive Sacramentan. Sen. Steinberg will take over as leader on August 21, a few months before Perata is termed out of office.

Now, I guess we're left with watching the Assembly for all the "palace intrigue."

[courtesy of The California Majority Report]

According to legislative sources, Senate President Don Perata managed to orchestrate today what he said he wanted all along: an orderly and certain leadership transition at the end of the year. Today, the Senate Democratic Caucus agreed overwhelmingly to support Sacramento’s own Senator Darrell Steinberg as Senate President-designate, which is expected to occur on the August 21 date Senator Perata has already specified. In the meantime, Senators will be able to focus on issues, instead of palace intrigue. A formal announcement is expected later today.