While California Dreams: A weekly update on the goings-on in Sacramento

[courtesy of California Progress Report]

Key bills and issues we’ve been following during the past week and beyond

By Hannah Beth Jackson

Now that the regular session of the legislature has ended and a variety of bills are waiting the Governor's approval or veto, the special session is in full gear. The big battles over water and health care reform have taken over the stage front- and -center. And with Hillary Clinton's unveiling of her version of healthcare reform, the issue has become even more prevalent in political debate not only in California, but nationwide.

With a new report from the Public Policy Institute of California this week as well, we've seen how the failure to produce meaningful healthcare reform and a swift resolution of the annual budget stand-off has impacted the popularity of our Governor and the legislature. Not good news for either side.

Talk of ballot initiatives already moving along, plus threats of new ones emerging for 2008 continue to gain public attention and comment. With the veto last week by the Governor of the Iraq War initiative, which would have allowed Californians to register their opinion on that military and political fiasco, some of the interest has been muted in the early measures, but there is still enough out there (not the least of which are the Presidential primaries) to keep the public interested for the next several months.

SB840/Universal Health Care and AB8 and the Governor's Special Session

The latest polling from the well-respected Public Policy Institute of California (PPIC) confirms what most of those in the political world have long-known: healthcare is just about at the top of the heap when it comes to the public's interest in state policy. Although trailing immigration by about a point or two among likely voters ( 19% say immigration is the top issue facing the state, healthcare comes in at 18%) the debate has intensified as the healthcare crisis in California and nation-wide continues to escalate. The poll shows that almost 1/2 of Californians are following the healthcare debate closely.

Another non-surprise is the demand by Californians for major reform in the healthcare system. Regardless of party affiliation, the people of our state want major changes. And for those of us who like numbers to go with claims, 69% want major changes- with 77% of Dems and 63% Reps. calling for major changes. Add to the mix that 68% who identify as "independents" want to see major reforms to the system.