Assemblyman Chad Mayes, R-Yucca Valley, talks with then-Assembly Minority Leader Kristin Olsen on Sept. 1, 2015. (Rich Pedroncelli The Associated Press)

Incensed that Assembly Republican Leader Chad Mayes supported a Democratic plan to renew a key climate change policy, California conservative activists are calling for his resignation and raising allegations of an affair with his predecessor.

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From left, developer Jeff Burum, Mark Kirk, former chief of staff to Supervisor Gary Ovitt. former assistant assessor Jim Erwin and former supervisor Paul Biane appear in San Bernardino County Superior Court in Colonies bribery case. File photo. (David Bauman/The Press-Enterprise)

By Joe Nelson, The Sun
and Richard K. De Atley, The Press-Enterprise
Posted: 07/17/17 – 12:02 PM PDT |

Defense attorneys in the San Bernardino County Colonies bribery case rested Monday after about one hour of presentation, setting the stage for final arguments in mid-August.

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From left, developer Jeff Burum, Mark Kirk, former chief of staff to Supervisor Gary Ovitt, former assistant assessor Jim Erwin and former supervisor Paul Biane appear in San Bernardino County Superior Court in this file photo during the Colonies corruption trial.

By Joe Nelson, The Sun
and Richard K. De Atley, The Press-Enterprise
Posted: 07/15/17 – 4:29 PM PDT |

Called “the biggest public corruption case in San Bernardino County history” when it was filed in 2010, the marathon Colonies case nears an end after seven months of trial, with defense attorneys saying bribery wasn’t proven while prosecutors say nothing can erase years of dirty dealing.

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James Erwin, is the former chief of staff for county Supervisor Neil Derry and a former assistant assessor for San Bernardino county. (Courtesy photo to The Sun/SCNG)

By Joe Nelson, The Sun
and Richard K. De Atley, The Press-Enterprise
Posted: 07/06/17 – 4:07 PM PDT |

The judge in San Bernardino County’s Colonies corruption case on Thursday dismissed a felony charge of forgery against former assistant assessor Jim Erwin, one of four defendants fighting to have their charges tossed on grounds of insufficient evidence.

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Mark Kirk, the former chief of staff for San Bernardino County Supervisor Gary Ovitt (Staff file photo by Rick Sforza, The Sun/SCNG)

By Joe Nelson, The Sun
and Richard K. De Atley, The Press-Enterprise
Posted: 07/05/17 – 7:46 PM PDT |

A bribery charge in the San Bernardino County Colonies public corruption case was dismissed Wednesday against Mark Kirk, the one-time chief of staff for former county Supervisor Gary Ovitt in 2006 when supervisors approved a $102 million settlement favorable to the land developer.

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Colonies bribery trial defendants and their attorneys gather outside a courtroom in San Bernardino Superior Court during a recess. File photo. (Photo by Rick Sforza/The Sun)

By Joe Nelson, The Sun
Posted: 06/29/17 – 12:13 PM PDT |

SAN BERNARDINO >> After nearly seven months of sometimes confounding testimony, the prosecution rested this week in San Bernardino County’s Colonies bribery case.

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A push by Democrats to impeach President Trump at this point could ultimately backfire on them. (Photo: Pete Marovich, Bloomberg)

By Willie Brown
June 10, 2017

It was great entertainment, but for all the hype, the Senate Intelligence Committee hearings that featured former FBI Director James Comey failed to deliver a knockout punch.

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“Ted Viera’s” LinkedIn profile. “Viera” is the maiden name of former Hesperia mayor Tad Honeycutt’s mother. In September 2007, Honeycutt and C. Steven Cox, the founder of California Charter Academies, were indicted on 117 felony charges related to $5.5 million in taxpayer funds the pair allegedly mishandled. Five years later, Honeycutt went back into the education business, using the name “Ted Viera.” The Viera LinkedIn page was shut down Friday afternoon. (Screenshot)

By Beau Yarbrough, The Sun
Posted: 06/09/17 – 5:48 PM PDT |

RANCHO CUCAMONGA >> Five years after he was indicted on 34 charges related to the failure of the largest chain of charter schools in California and facing up to 20 years in prison, former Hesperia mayor Tad Honeycutt went back into the education business.

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Colonies defendants and their attorneys gather outside of a courtroom in San Bernardino Superior Court during a recess in the Colonies corruption trial. File photo. (Photo by Rick Sforza/The Sun)

By Joe Nelson, The Sun
and Richard K. De Atley, The Press-Enterprise
Posted: 06/08/17 – 5:05 PM PDT |

SAN BERNARDINO >> A prosecutor in the San Bernardino County Colonies bribery case on Thursday attempted to recoup the credibility of key witness Adam Aleman after days of defense attorney battering of the former assistant assessor’s accounts of alleged corruption a decade ago.

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By Joe Nelson, The Sun
and Richard K. De Atley, The Press-Enterprise
Posted: 06/07/17 – 3:08 PM PDT |

SAN BERNARDINO >> The dismissal of an alternate juror in the Colonies bribery trial on Wednesday did not hinder testimony, in which defense attorneys continued drilling key witness Adam Aleman on his honesty and credibility.

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Attorneys Stephen Larson, middle, and Jennifer Keller, left, discuss their case with defendant Jeff Burum, one of four defendants currently on trial in the Colonies corruption case in San Bernardino. File photo.(Stan Lim, The Press-Enterprise/SCNG)

By Joe Nelson, The Sun
and Richard K. De Atley, The Press-Enterprise
Posted: 06/01/17 – 3:45 PM PDT |

SAN BERNARDINO >> Defense attorneys in the Colonies bribery trial on Thursday attacked the credibility and character of key witness and former San Bernardino County Assistant Assessor Adam Aleman, claiming he was shaping his statements to conform to the prosecution narrative of the case and “making things up as he went along.”

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By Joe Nelson, The Sun
and Richard K. De Atley, The Press-Enterprise
Posted: 05/31/17 – 9:10 PM PDT |

SAN BERNARDINO >> A defense attorney on Wednesday continued challenging the credibility of former San Bernardino County Assistant Assessor Adam Aleman on claims he heard and saw details that pointed to bribery in settling a $102 million lawsuit between the county and developer Colonies Partners in 2006.

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Colonies trial defendants and their attorneys gather outside of a courtroom in San Bernardino Superior Court. File photo. (Photo by Rick Sforza/The Sun)

By Joe Nelson, The Sun
and Richard K. De Atley, The Press-Enterprise
Posted: 05/30/17 – 7:17 PM PDT |

SAN BERNARDINO >> A defense attorney in the Colonies corruption trial on Tuesday grilled former San Bernardino County Assistant Assessor Adam Aleman on his repeated lies to district attorney investigators and a civil grand jury investigating allegations of malfeasance at the Assessor’s Office in 2008.

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By Richard K. De Atley, The Press-Enterprise
Posted: 05/22/17 – 5:41 PM PDT |

SAN BERNARDINO >> Former San Bernardino County Assistant Assessor Adam Aleman told jurors Monday in the Colonies bribery trial that, like his former boss Bill Postmus, he was testifying under a plea agreement with prosecutors.

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By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
May 20, 2017 – 5:25 PM

One might think that a political party wielding virtually total control of the nation’s most populous state – i.e. Democrats in California – would be satisfied.

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Capitol Alert
By Christopher Cadelago and Angela Hart
ccadelago@sacbee.com
May 19, 2017 – 8:35 PM

State Democrats’ three-day convention had a raucous start Friday, as liberal activists booed and heckled Democratic National Committee Chair Tom Perez after marching from the state Capitol to promote a universal heath care program.

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Attorneys Stephen Larson, middle, and Jennifer Keller, left, discuss their case with defendant Jeff Burum, one of four defendants currently on trial in the San Bernardino County’s Colonies corruption case. (File)

By Joe Nelson, The Sun
and Richard K. De Atley, The Press-Enterprise
Posted: 05/16/17 – 1:55 PM PDT |

SAN BERNARDINO >> Former San Bernardino County Board of Supervisors Chairman Bill Postmus testified Tuesday in the Colonies corruption trial that he never thought a $102 million settlement favorable to a Rancho Cucamonga developer 11 years ago would result in kickback money to him — a statement that goes to the heart of the six-year-old case.

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By Marisa Lagos
May 4, 2017
Share

California is one step closer to having the third presidential primary in the nation, after the state Senate today overwhelmingly approved a bill to schedule future primary votes in March.

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Observations on California and its politics
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
April 29, 2017 – 2:00 PM

Tax more, spend more and regulate more.

As state legislators completed their initial committee reviews of bills last week, it became evident that this year’s session may be the most liberal in California history.

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By Teri Sforza,
tsforza@scng.com, @ocwatchdog, terisforza on Twitter
Posted: 04/27/17 – 10:01 PM PDT |

‘Tis better to give than to receive, they say — especially when you’re giving someone else’s money.

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By Monica Solano and Shea Johnson, Staff Writers
Posted:     Apr 15, 2017 at 4:32 PM
Updated:  Apr 15, 2017 at 4:32 PM

• Not since 2012, the second full year in office for former Victorville City Councilwoman Angela Valles, has the tension in council chambers been so palpable and sparring matches so frequent.

VICTORVILLE — Nearing six months on the dais, neophyte Councilwoman Blanca Gomez first had to upend an incumbent’s re-election bid. But now her election maybe inadvertently threatens another overturn: the recent run of decorum between city leaders.

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Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon (D-Paramount), left, Gov. Jerry Brown and Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles) were the forces pushing for a new transportation funding bill. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

Patrick McGreevy, Melanie Mason and John Myers
April 9 , 2017

In one of the biggest legislative victories of his storied political career, Gov. Jerry Brown pushed through an ambitious plan last week that will increase gas taxes and vehicle fees to raise $52 billion over the next decade for the repair of California’s system of crumbling roads, highways and bridges.

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Democratic state Senators Ricardo Lara, of Bell Gardens, left, and Richard Roth, of Riverside, confer off the Senate floor in Sacramento. By a razor-thin margin, lawmakers late Thursday, April 6 approved a $5-billion-a-year boost in California’s gas and vehicle taxes to pay for major road repairs. (Rich Pedroncelli, Associated Press)

By Jeff Horseman / Staff Writer
Published: April 7, 2017 – Updated: 11:41 a.m.

Riverside County will get $420 million for transportation infrastructure projects, and four cities will finally get their vehicle license fee revenue back, thanks to a deal struck with two Democratic lawmakers to get their votes for a massive transportation funding package.

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San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos

Posted: 04/07/17 – 6:07 PM PDT |

The assault of Francis Pusok in 2015 by San Bernardino County sheriff’s deputies was televised for the entire country to see. Unlike some cases in recent years in which one could plausibly explain away and even justify use of force by officers, the beating of Pusok was indisputably excessive.

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Capitol Alert
By Jim Miller, Christopher Cadelago and Taryn Luna
jmiller@sacbee.com
April 8, 2017 – 12:01 AM

California drivers will begin paying 12 cents per gallon more in gas taxes later this year, the first of several tax and fee hikes contained in this week’s road-funding bill that eventually will cost the average motorist about $120 a year.

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Capitol Alert
By Taryn Luna and Alexei Koseff
tluna@sacbee.com
April 6, 2017 – 7:00 PM

The state Legislature on Thursday passed a sweeping $52 billion transportation plan that will raise California gas taxes after leaders struck deals with wavering lawmakers to fund road projects in their districts.

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Sarah D. Wire
April 6, 2017 – 10:24 a.m.

Reporting from Washington—

Democrat Kia Hamadanchy announced he’ll run for the 45th Congressional District Thursday, becoming the third Democrat this week to announce plans to challenge Rep. Mimi Walters (R-Irvine) for the seat.

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By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
April 3, 2017 – 3:22 PM

During Barack Obama’s presidency, Republican congressional leaders easily passed repeals of Obama’s landmark health insurance law, knowing they were DOA.

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San Bernardino County District Attorney Mike Ramos.

By Joe Nelson, The Sun
Posted: 03/30/17 – 8:08 PM PDT |

A senior prosecutor’s assertion that the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department fosters a “culture of violence” outraged a local law enforcement labor union, prompting a swift apology from the supervising deputy district attorney and a public statement from the district attorney himself.

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AP Top News
By Thomas Beaumont and Bill Barrow
Mar. 27, 2017

The Republican Party of “no” for Democrat Barack Obama’s eight years is having a hard time getting to “yes” in the early Donald Trump era.

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By Jeff Horseman / Staff Reporter
Published: March 21, 2017 – Updated: 10:09 p.m.

A 17-year senior prosecutor in the San Bernardino County district attorney’s office is challenging his boss’s re-election bid in 2018.

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The Statehouse Capitol, in Sacramento. (Los Angeles Times)

Patrick McGreevy
March 16, 2017 – 11:00 a.m.

In a rare bipartisan agreement, the leaders of the Democratic and Republican caucuses of the state Senate and Assembly have united to fight a proposal by the state’s campaign watchdog agency to change the test for when a candidate controls a political committee.

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By Jeff Horseman
Posted: 03/14/17 –  4:30 PM PDT

Ed O’Brien, a former prosecutor turned public defender also announced Tuesday he will run for DA.

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Lovingood said Monday that the violations stemmed from a “disagreement centered on the definition of the word ‘income'” — or net versus gross revenue, of which he believed rules were framed by the former, and the Fair Political Practices Commission, the latter.

By Shea Johnson, Staff Writer
Posted:     Mar 6, 2017 at 6:07 PM
Updated:  Mar 6, 2017 at 7:04 PM

San Bernardino County 1st District Supervisor Robert Lovingood violated Fair Political Practices Commission rules by failing to timely disclose income sources of $10,000 or more to his staffing company in 2013 and 2014. He was fined and paid $6,000 to settle four counts lodged against him.

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Esmeralda Bermudez
March 6, 2017

A San Bernardino County supervisor has agreed to pay a $6,000 fine for not disclosing part of his earnings in state filings.

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Forty days into his term, the president won acclaim for delivering a presidential speech.

By Edward-Isaac Dovere
03/01/17 – 05:04 AM EST

President Donald Trump cleared a low bar: He read proficiently off a teleprompter, he looked human as he spurred long applause for the widow of the Navy SEAL killed in the raid he ordered, he didn’t get into a shouting match with any Democrats or slip off into a rant about reporters as the enemy of the people.

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California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra, seen during a confirmation hearing in January, has emerged as the leading candidate for the post in the 2018 election. (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

Patrick McGreevy
February 26, 2017

The race for California attorney general in 2018 has been shaken up by the so-called “Trump factor,” with the state’s newly appointed top lawyer, Xavier Becerra, seeing his profile boosted to the national stage by legal challenges to the Republican president.

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Chairman Jim Brulte leads a meeting at the California Republican Party convention in Burlingame in May. (Marcus Yam / Los Angeles Times)

Phil Willon and Christine Mai-Duc
February 24, 2017

Jim Brulte hopes to keep a job few would envy: As chairman of the California Republican Party, he’s tasked with trying to steer his party out of the wilderness in one of the bluest states in the nation.

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Christine Mai-Duc
Feb. 15, 2017 – 1:55 p.m.

The Republicans have named their top 10 most vulnerable incumbents in Congress, and three Californians are among them.

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By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
February 12, 2017 – 4:00 PM

After last November’s elections were over, the combatants filed year-end reports on what they had spent for and against legislative candidates and ballot measures and it was close to $700 million – nearly two-thirds more than spending during the previous election cycle.

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By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
February 9, 2017 – 2:51 PM

Gov. Jerry Brown devoted most of last month’s State of the State address to excoriating Donald Trump, who had been president for just four days.

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Xavier Becerra (Gary Coronado / Los Angeles Times)

Patrick McGreevy
Feb. 9, 2017 – 9:40 a.m.

California Atty. Gen. Xavier Becerra on Thursday formally announced his bid to run for election to the post in 2018, telling supporters he is ready to continue to battle the Trump administration when he thinks the president is trampling on rights.

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John Myers
February 5, 2017

During the depths of California’s budget crisis, talk in Sacramento about how many tax dollars were sent to Washington, compared with what the state received in services, generally sparked anger. But these days, it’s triggered fear.

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By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
February 2, 2017 – 4:52 PM

State budgets have been easy-peasy political exercises in recent years, thanks to hefty increases in revenue from an expanding economy.

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Marv Owen, a delegate from Los Angeles, left, listens to state GOP Chairman Jim Brulte at the California Republican Convention at the Hyatt Hotel in Sacramento in 2013. Randall Benton RBenton@sacbee.com

Capitol Alert
By Christopher Cadelago
ccadelago@sacbee.com
January 30, 2017 – 2:19 PM

For Democrats enraged and taking official action Monday to denounce President Donald Trump’s order temporarily banning travel from seven majority-Muslim countries, California Republican Party Chairman Jim Brulte has a message: “This is purely hypocritical, political posturing.”

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By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
January 26, 2017 – 2:22 PM

By devoting most of Tuesday’s State of the State address to denouncing Donald Trump and his policies, Gov. Jerry Brown fed rhetorical red meat to fellow Democrats.

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Capitol Alert
By Christopher Cadelago and Alexei Koseff
ccadelago@sacbee.com
January 24, 2017 – 10:44 AM

Gov. Jerry Brown, plunging into position as a Democratic bulwark against Donald Trump’s presidency, warned Tuesday of looming battles with Republican-controlled Washington, using his State of the State address to assuage fears that California would turn its back on progressive policies.

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Friday, January 20, 2017 – Noon

With full fanfare, Republican Donald J. Trump was sworn in as the 45th President of the United States at precisely Noon on Friday.

Trump replaces Barack H. Obama, who served from 2009 to 2017.

By Callum Borchers
January 19, 2017

Don’t mess with CNN.

That’s the unvarnished version of a message that the network’s president, Jeff Zucker, delivered to President-elect Donald Trump in an interview published on Thursday by New York magazine.

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Former Inland congressional candidate Paul Chabot is leaving for Texas. In a Facebook post, Chabot , a Republican, said he and his family are moving “to find a region of the nation that embraces our values and morals we cherish.” (File)

By Jeff Horseman / Staff Writer
Published: Jan. 13, 2017 – Updated: 10:43 p.m.

• Twice-beaten GOP congressional hopeful delivers some parting shots en route to Texas

Rancho Cucamonga Republican Paul Chabot, who ran unsuccessfully for Congress in 2014 and 2016, is moving to the Lone Star State – but not before dispensing some harsh words for California progressives.

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The outspoken Silicon Valley billionaire and Trump supporter has been discussing a prospective run with advisers.

By Alex Isenstadt
01/14/17 – 06:25 PM EST

Peter Thiel, the Silicon Valley billionaire and outspoken Donald Trump supporter, is considering a 2018 bid for California governor, according to three Republicans familiar with his thinking.

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President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a rally last year in Hershey, Pa. (Evan Vucci AP)

Capitol Alert
By Christopher Cadelago
ccadelago@sacbee.com
January 4, 2017 – 4:42 PM

With his party solidly out of power in Washington, a Democratic state lawmaker said he plans to introduce a bill that would again move up the presidential primary in California.

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Holder, leading a team of attorneys from the firm Covington & Burling, will cover potential conflicts between California and the federal government.

Melanie Mason
January 4, 4016

Bracing for an adversarial relationship with President-elect Donald Trump, the California Legislature has selected former U.S. Atty. Gen. Eric H. Holder Jr. to serve as outside counsel to advise on the state’s legal strategy against the incoming administration.

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Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer lamented a previous rule change by Senate Democrats which allows a president’s Cabinet picks to be approved by a simple majority. (Bill Clark/CQ Roll Call File Photo)

Bridget Bowman
Posted Jan 3, 2017 – 10:13 PM

• Minority leader says Democrats will push for ‘mainstream’ nominee

Senate Minority Leader Charles E. Schumer is preparing to block President-elect Donald Trump’s Supreme Court nominee if he or she is not in the “mainstream.”

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Gov. Jerry Brown, joined Monday, Dec. 5, 2016, by his nominee for Attorney General, Xavier Becerra, said California would collaborate where possible with President-elect Donald Trump but also uphold the state’s values.

Capitol Alert
By Christopher Cadelago
ccadelago@sacbee.com
January 3, 2017 – 10:28 AM

Gov. Jerry Brown formally entered his nomination of Rep. Xavier Becerra for California attorney general on Tuesday, setting the 90-day clock for the Legislature to act.

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By Aaron Claverie, The Press-Enterprise
Posted: 12/28/16 – 11:10 PM PST |

What can Southern California’s casinos expect from a Trump presidency?

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Clockwise from top left: Rep. Dana Rohrabacher, Sen. Dianne Feinstein, House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi, Rep. Grace Napolitano (Lauren Victoria Burke, Mark Wilson, Bill Clark/ AP, Getty Images, Roll Call)

Sarah D. Wire
December 28, 2016

So far, none of California’s 55 senators and representatives have announced plans to retire ahead of the 2018 election. But after weeks at home with family during the holidays to talk about the future, such declarations could come soon.

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By Nolan D. McCaskill
12/26/16 – 03:53 PM EST

Hillary Clinton thanked her supporters Monday in an end-of-year email.

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Riverside County Supervisor John Benoit died Monday, Dec. 26, his office announced. He was 64 years old.

By Jeff Horseman / Staff Writer
Published: Dec. 26, 2016
Updated: Dec. 27, 2016 – 8:05 p.m.

• The former state lawmaker was diagnosed with pancreatic cancer in November.

Riverside County Supervisor John Benoit died Monday night, Dec .26 at age 64, his office announced.

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On Jan. 20, Donald Trump will take the oath of office having never released his tax returns, the first incoming president not to do so in four decades. | Photographer: John Taggart/Bloomberg via Getty Images

By Annie Karni
12/23/16 – 05:58 AM EST

• He is shining a light on how much of the American political system is encoded in custom and how little is based in the law.

President-elect Donald Trump has said he might do away with regular press briefings and daily intelligence reports. He wants to retain private security while receiving secret service protection, even after the inauguration. He is encouraging members of his family to take on formal roles in his administration, testing the limits of anti-nepotism statutes. And he is pushing the limits of ethics laws in trying to keep a stake in his business.

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Jim Brulte

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By Carla Marinucci
12/22/16 – 06:00 AM EST

SAN FRANCISCO — Jim Brulte, the current chair of the California Republican Party, once served as a high-profile backer of National Popular Vote, a movement that supports the elimination of the Electoral College.

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By Martin Wisckol, The Orange County Register
Posted: 12/21/16, 9:43 PM PST |

They are billionaires and generals.

Seven of the 23 named so far have no government experience. At least six oppose key policies of the agencies they’ve been nominated to run.

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Patrick McGreevy
California politics
Dec. 20, 2016 – 3:23 p.m.

Los Angeles County had more cases of politicians and others successfully prosecuted for violating campaign finance and ethics rules than any other county in California this year, the state Fair Political Practices Commission reported Tuesday.

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Pennsylvania elector Carolyn Bunny Welsh holds her ballot for Donald Trump before casting it at the State Capitol. (Jonathan Ernst/Reuters)

By Philip Bump
December 20, 2016 at 12:11 PM

On Monday, Faith Spotted Eagle became one of 117 people in U.S. history to receive a vote for president in the electoral college.

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President-elect Donald Trump speaks during a rally at the Ladd’ÄìPeebles Stadium, Saturday, Dec. 17, 2016, in Mobile, Ala. (AP Photo/Brynn Anderson)

By Martin Wisckol, The Orange County Register
Posted: 12/18/16 – 12:58 PM PST |

A new president usually lifts all boats in his party.

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Jim Brulte, the chairman of the California Republican Party on Dec. 4, 2013 in Sacramento. (Hector Amezcua hamezcua@sacbee.com)

Capitol Alert
By Taryn Luna
tluna@sacbee.com
December 16, 2016 – 4:53 PM

California Republican Party Chairman Jim Brulte is mounting a re-election bid and high-profile GOP figures are already lining up to back him.

Read the rest of this entry »

By Lisa Boothe (@LisaMarieBoothe) •
Published: 12/16/16 – 2:50 AM

The Democratic Party has latched onto reports citing anonymous CIA sources who allege the Russians tried to sway the 2016 presidential election. After blaming Fake News, the FBI, racism, sexism and the Electoral College, it appears the newest scapegoat for Hillary Clinton’s and the party’s crushing defeat is Russia.

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By Michael Barone (@michaelbarone) •
Published: 12/12/16 – 9:27 AM

One way to look at the election of Donald Trump is that it is a repudiation of the cult of political correctness that thrives — metastasizes might be a better word — on college and university campuses. One particularly egregious example, the bogus prosecution of Duke University lacrosse players in 2006 and 2007, seems to have had particular reverberations in producing election results this year, a decade later. For a definitive account of the disgraceful behavior of Durham County District Attorney Mike Nifong, Duke President Richard Brodhead and dozens of members of the Duke faculty, see KC Johnson and Stuart Taylor’s book Until Proven Innocent: Political Correctness and the Shameful Injustices of the Duke Lacrosse Rape Case.

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Capitol Alert
By Christopher Cadelago
ccadelago@sacbee.com
December 13, 2016 – 4:37 PM

Steve Schmidt, the Republican strategist who advised John McCain’s presidential bid and helped elect Arnold Schwarzenegger governor of California, imagines a not-too-distant future where the GOP here ceases to wield the influence of a major party and instead becomes the state’s largest interest group.

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By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
December 12, 2016 – 4:30 PM

Well, we saw the first major impact last week, without Trump even lifting a finger.

Read the rest of this entry »

Chuck McFadden
December 12, 2016

Any hope that California would soon settle into some sort of accommodation with a Trump Administration is fading rapidly.

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Leaderless and lacking a strategy, top party officials worry they’re not ready for Trump’s first 100 days.

By Gabriel Debenedetti
12/12/16 – 05:06 AM EST

As Donald Trump’s inauguration draws near, Democrats fear they remain woefully unprepared to fight the new president’s agenda.

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By Rebecca Kheel
12/10/16 – 05:05 PM EST

Democrats are growing uneasy with the number of generals President-elect Donald Trump has tapped for his administration, citing concerns about the amount of sway the military will have in the government.

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Capitol Alert
By Christopher Cadelago
ccadelago@sacbee.com
December 9, 2016 – 11:37 AM

The Field Poll, which for more than a half-century has been the gold standard for public opinion research, is ceasing operations Friday, leaving behind a fabled track record of accurately reflecting the highs and lows of California’s biggest players and issues.

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By Jeff Horseman / Staff Writer
Published: Dec. 5, 2016 – 1:16 p.m.

The California State Legislature convened today with state senators and Assembly members taking the oath of office.

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By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
December 3, 2016 – 2:00 PM

Last month, California voters approved, by a nearly 2-1 margin, Proposition 54, which if faithfully followed would shine some light on the Capitol’s dark corners.

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Rep. Xavier Becerra. | AP Photo/Andrew Harnik

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By Carla Marinucci
12/01/16 – 05:17 PM EST

SAN FRANCISCO — With his nomination to become California’s first Latino attorney general, Rep. Xavier Becerra is now primed to be the public face of the Democratic resistance to Donald Trump on issues like climate change, health care and, most visibly, immigration.

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Rep. Xavier Becerra, D-Los Angeles, grew up in Sacramento, the son of Mexican immigrants.

Capitol Alert
By Jeremy B. White
jwhite@sacbee.com
December 1, 2016 – 9:00 AM

Gov. Jerry Brown has tabbed Rep. Xavier Becerra to serve as California’s interim attorney general, selecting the Los Angeles Democrat to fill a vacancy opened by the imminent departure of outgoing Attorney General Kamala Harris to the U.S. Senate.

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By Joe Nelson, The Sun
Posted: 11/30/16 – 4:58 PM PST |

San Bernardino County Supervisor Curt Hagman has fired his chief of staff, Mike Spence, after Spence was charged with driving under the influence of drugs and admitted to battling drug and alcohol addictions for more than 20 years.

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Capitol Alert
By Jeremy B. White
jwhite@sacbee.com
November 28, 2016 – 5:35 PM

Broadening the path to long-sought deals on affordable housing, transportation infrastructure and climate change, California Democrats have again captured a two-thirds supermajority in both houses of the Legislature.

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Capitol Alert
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
November 27, 2016 – 12:01 AM

Demography, it’s been said, is destiny – and the outcome of California’s election this month proves it again.

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By Niall Stanage
11/23/16 – 06:02 PM EST

Donald Trump won the presidency with an unpredictable approach, and he is sticking with it as he prepares to move into the White House.

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Ben Adler
Wednesday, November 16, 2016 | Sacramento, CA

It’s often said that “as California goes, so goes the nation.” But that’s rarely been less true than in last week’s election.

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Wednesday, November 16, 2016 – 09:15 p.m.

GOP Congressman Darrell Issa will retain his seat in the U.S. House of Representatives.

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Angela Valles

Wednesday, November 16, 2016 – 09:00 a.m.

Former Victorville City Council Member Angela Valles has conceded loss to San Bernardino County First District Supervisor Robewrt Lovingood.

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