Politics, Government & Business in California's Inland Empire
Sunday, July 13, 2014 – 10:00 a.m.
All the attention given to the over-hyped drama in the 31st Congressional District contest has admittedly been a distraction. But that contest is over and decided. Now CD-31 is likely to shift from republican to democrat hands in November.
But the numbers in another supposed democrat-contest of a republican-held seat appear to tell a different story.
Published: July 5, 2014 Updated: 9:55 p.m.
The latest attempt to let Riverside County supervisors fill vacancies in their ranks appears to be dead, potentially giving the governor the chance to appoint a supervisor by year’s end.
To read story by Jeff Horseman in the Press-Enterprise, click here.
By Jessica Calefati
jcalefati@bayareanewsgroup.com
Posted: 07/05/2014 04:00:00 PM PDT
Updated: 07/06/2014 06:47:14 AM PDT
SACRAMENTO — After state Sen. Leland Yee’s stunning arrest earlier this year, the Legislature’s highest-ranking member urged his colleagues to finally fix a long-standing problem in California politics — the corrupting allure of money.
Thursday, July 3, 2014 – 10:15 a.m.
Here’s some news flowing across the transom Thursday morning.
Official unemployment rate falls in June
According to the U.S. Department of Labor, 288,000 jobs were added in June. The number dropped the official unemployment rate (U-3) to 6.1%
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Tuesday, Jul. 1, 2014 – 12:00 am
Last Modified: Tuesday, Jul. 1, 2014 – 12:15 am
Eighty years ago, California voters tightened up the state’s weak civil-service system to counter the corrupt practice of politicians padding public payrolls with family members, friends and political supporters.
However, the Legislature was exempted from the ballot measure’s provisions.
By Daniel Rothberg
drothberg@sacbee.com
Published: Friday, Jun. 27, 2014 – 12:00 am
Last Modified: Friday, Jun. 27, 2014 – 6:54 am
Fueled by partisan and geographic differences, satisfaction with the Legislature continued a downward swing that began after a state senator was arrested on corruption charges earlier this year, according to a Field Poll released Friday.
Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
June 20, 2014
Gov. Jerry Brown, California lawmakers and other elected officials will be getting a two percent raise this year.
Melody Gutierrez
Updated 1:39 am, Tuesday, June 17, 2014
(06-16) 18:47 PDT Sacramento — Republican state lawmakers had a lot to say about the state budget, saying it contained “insidious” back-room deals, spent too much and saved too little. But, their opinions were all they had. Their votes weren’t needed.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Monday, Jun. 16, 2014 – 9:45 pm
Last Modified: Tuesday, Jun. 17, 2014 – 7:16 am
The political infighting over the next state budget began Sunday night, just minutes after the Legislature passed one that would spend $156.4 billion – $200 billion-plus when federal funds are included – in the fiscal year that begins July 1.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Sunday, Jun. 15, 2014 – 12:00 am
The state constitution bans changing voter-passed initiatives unless voters agree, or the initiatives themselves allow legislative amendment.
Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
June 13, 2014
Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders made it clear Friday that they have reached an agreement on a new state budget.
By Jim Miller and David Siders
jmiller@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Jun. 12, 2014 – 11:16 pm
Two years after Gov. Jerry Brown first proposed using carbon-reduction revenue to prop up California’s beleaguered high-speed rail project, Brown and legislative leaders reached budget agreements Thursday that include the controversial funding plan, as well as money to pay overtime for in-home supportive services and increase welfare-to-work grants.
Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
June 12, 2014
Against the backdrop of a ruling declaring California’s teacher dismissal rules unconstitutional, the Assembly on Thursday unanimously passed and sent to Gov. Jerry Brown legislation speeding the teacher firing process.
By Jessica Calefati
jcalefati@bayareanewsgroup.com
Posted: 06/10/2014 06:51:33 PM PDT
Updated: 06/10/2014 08:04:40 PM PDT
SACRAMENTO — The knockdown, drag-out partisan fights, stretching on for months, are history. These days, state budget negotiations are downright cordial.
By Jim Miller
jmiller@sacbee.com
Published: Monday, Jun. 9, 2014 – 12:00 am
Last Modified: Monday, Jun. 9, 2014 – 6:13 am
With less than a week before the constitutional deadline to pass a budget, the Democrats in control at the California Capitol are at odds on the big questions: how much money the state will take in, how it should be spent, and how major programs should be structured.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Sunday, Jun. 8, 2014 – 12:00 am
Approval ratings of the California Legislature, as measured in periodic polling, were in the teens a few years ago but have since improved.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Jun. 5, 2014 – 9:58 pm
It’s risky – perhaps even foolhardy – to read much into the results of an abysmally low turnout primary election.
Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
June 4, 2014
Last election cycle, the main story was Democrats claiming a decisive two-thirds supermajority in both houses of the Legislature.
Wednesday, June 4, 2014 – 09:00 a.m.
Here’s a recap of the June 3 Primary Election results for contests of interest.
Record low, and we mean low, turnout was projected, and it happened!
But no one expected it to be this low.
Melanie Mason, Patrick McGreevy
June 3, 2014
Republicans were the top vote-getters in early election returns for key legislative primary races Tuesday, indicating an uphill battle for Democrats seeking to regain their supermajority in November.
Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
May 27, 2014
California’s legislators have seen their incomes go up and down in recent years due to decrees by the state’s salary commission, but remain the highest paid in the nation, according to a new survey by Stateline, a Pew Charitable Trusts website.
Published: May 25, 2014 6:58 p.m.
Law enforcement leaders across Riverside County, including Sheriff Stan Sniff, have withdrawn their endorsements for District Attorney Paul Zellerbach in the wake of Indio police recommending six criminal charges be filed against Zellerbach in a campaign-sign tampering case.
To column by Jeff Horseman in the Press-Enterprise, click here.
Published: May 23, 2014 Updated: 6:28 p.m.
As the June 3 primary election nears, two Inland races are becoming money magnets attracting special committees with distant addresses and deep pockets.
Independent expenditure committees have spent almost $800,000 as of Wednesday to help or hinder two feuding Republican candidates in the 28th state Senate District, which will represent southwest Riverside County and the county’s desert communities.
To read story by Jeff Horseman in the P-E Political Empire Blog, click here.
May 22, 2014 7:43 PM
STAFF REPORTS
APPLE VALLEY • Michelle Ambrozic, candidate for 33rd Assembly District, will host a rally Saturday at the corner of Apple Valley and Bear Valley roads, according to her campaign team.
Patrick McGreevy
May 19, 2014
California officials would have to say “no” if offered free tickets to a Beyoncé concert, Dodgers game or Disneyland, under new gift rules approved Monday by the state Senate.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Monday, May. 19, 2014 – 12:00 am
Each year, the California Chamber of Commerce publishes a list of several dozen bills it calls “job killers,” targeting them for defeat or severe amendment.
Carla Marinucci
Updated 8:23 am, Saturday, May 17, 2014
Preparing for looming budget battles with the Democratic-controlled Legislature, Gov. Jerry Brown warned Friday that lawmakers must balance “desire and need” for expensive social programs – even as he defiantly doubled down on support for the increasingly unpopular high-speed rail system, saying it remains emblematic of his passion to “build great things” in his final term as governor.
Chris Megerian
May 16, 2014
The Legislature on Thursday unanimously approved a new proposal to help cushion the state from economic downturns and pay off billions of dollars in debt and long-term costs.
Chris Megerian
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
When Gov. Jerry Brown releases his latest budget plan Tuesday, he will already have a major fiscal victory under his belt, having cut a deal to strengthen the state’s reserve fund.
By David Siders
dsiders@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, May. 8, 2014 – 10:36 pm
Last Modified: Thursday, May. 8, 2014 – 10:46 pm
An agreement between Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders on a rainy-day fund Thursday came uncharacteristically early in the state’s annual budget-making process, with none of the public rancor that seemed likely only recently.
Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
May 8, 2014
Responding to a campaign finance transgression that produced an unprecedented fine, the California Assembly voted on Thursday to ban fundraisers at the homes of lobbyists.
April 29, 2014 10:30 PM
SHEA JOHNSON, STAFF WRITER
A supporter of 33rd Assembly District candidate Scott Markovich recently filed a complaint with the Fair Political Practices Commission alleging that a research group made disparaging remarks about three other candidates during a phone call last week and refused to disclose who was paying for its services.
Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
April 27, 2014
ANAHEIM – Tim Donnelly said Sunday that his frontrunner status among Republicans running for governor is evidence “people want a fighter,” and he blamed the media for what he said is negative coverage of controversies that have riddled his campaign.
By Doug McIntyre, Los Angeles Daily News
Posted: 04/26/14, 5:05 PM PDT |
Californians are not a judgmental lot.
Unless we’re judging lunatic legislators in Florida, Texas, and those other Red States. Then judge away.
By Christopher Cadelago
ccadelago@sacbee.com
Published: Sunday, Apr. 27, 2014 – 12:00 am
Last Modified: Sunday, Apr. 27, 2014 – 7:33 am
Al Muratsuchi took a traditional path to the state Capitol, serving as a prosecutor and school board trustee before his election two years ago to the Assembly. When Democratic Sen. Ted Lieu announced his bid for Congress, Muratsuchi considered launching a campaign for the seat covering coastal Los Angeles.
By Beau Yarbrough, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Posted: 04/24/14, 8:33 PM PDT |
Gun enthusiast, Assemblyman and gubernatorial candidate Tim Donnelly, R-Hesperia, has introduced a bill that would standardize the requirements for residents to get a handgun carry license.
April 24, 2014
A state agency has fined a former Corona assemblyman $1,000 for accepting tickets to a San Francisco 49ers football game arranged through a lobbying firm, a penalty the ex-lawmaker called politically motivated.
To read post by Jeff Horseman in The PE Political Empire Blog, click here.
April 22, 2014 10:14 PM
SHEA JOHNSON, STAFF WRITER
Assembly candidate Michelle Ambrozic on Tuesday said she’s received a mostly positive response to her campaign signs depicting the silhouette of a woman aiming a rifle equipped with a scope, but she also revealed that her staff was forced to file a police report after two men in Apple Valley were spotted taking them down.
Crowded field jockeys for votes in June primary
April 22, 2014 6:05 PM
SHEA JOHNSON, STAFF WRITER
SPRING VALLEY LAKE • Hosting GOP candidates in local races on Tuesday, leaders of Hi-Desert Republican Women, Federated, stressed the importance of showing support for the party in general as the June primary looms.
Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
April 22, 2014
The scandal-ridden state Senate took a step toward cleaning up its image Tuesday, when a key committee approved several bills aimed at purifying the role of money in California politics.
By Melanie Mason
April 21, 2014, 5:28 p.m.
SACRAMENTO —Tim Donnelly arrived at the Assembly in late 2010 with big plans.
First on his list: a sweeping crackdown on illegal immigration. A plan to dismantle the state’s air quality board was close behind.
By Fenit Nirappil, The Associated Press
Posted: 04/20/14, 11:32 AM PDT |
SACRAMENTO >> Lawmakers return from their spring recess this week focusing on hundreds of bills that have to pass from one house to the other by the end of May, but the most contentious issues will come later.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Sunday, Apr. 20, 2014 – 12:00 am
When you get past the political fuzz and buzz, the Capitol’s quest for a new rainy-day fund to store excess state revenue is an admission that politicians have failed in the past and can’t be trusted in the future.
Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
April 18, 2014
The state agency overseeing campaign finance rules in California says Republican Tim Donnelly has failed for more than a year to file campaign finance statements for a political action committee he formed in 2012.
By David Siders
dsiders@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Apr. 17, 2014 – 10:47 pm
When the Legislature returns next week from spring break, it will pick up with the drudgery of its shortcomings right where it left off, with ethics training in the upper house.
Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
April 16, 2014
Gov. Jerry Brown on Wednesday called a special session of the Legislature for next week to address his effort to put a rainy-day fund constitutional amendment on the November ballot.
Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
April 16, 2014
One month after splitting with his campaign manager in his run for governor, Republican Tim Donnelly has fired Alex Vassar, his legislative chief of staff, sources said.
April 11, 2014; 04:59 PM
The 40th Assembly District wasn’t supposed to be an open seat this year.
That changed when incumbent Assemblyman Mike Morrell, R-Rancho Cucamonga, ran in a special election to serve out the unexpired term of state Sen. Bill Emmerson, R-Redlands. Morrell won in March, leaving the district covering all or parts of Rancho Cucamonga, Redlands, Highland, Loma Linda, Mentone and the city of San Bernardino without an assembly member.
To read story by Jeff Horseman in The Press Enterprise, click here.
AP California News
Apr 10, 7:51 PM EDT
By FENIT NIRAPPIL
Associated Press
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — A bill that would force political nonprofits to reveal the names of campaign donors no longer applies retroactively under an amendment pushed by Republican lawmakers and approved Thursday by the Assembly.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Thursday, Apr. 10, 2014 – 9:56 pm
Last Modified: Friday, Apr. 11, 2014 – 12:01 am
When the Legislature’s 2014 session began about three months ago, the Capitol’s dominant Democrats and their allies had high hopes that it would bear legislative fruit – with good reason.
Melody Gutierrez
Updated 7:01 am, Thursday, April 10, 2014
Sacramento– Public opinion of the California Legislature has taken a sudden, negative turn since a San Francisco senator was charged with corruption and arms trafficking, according to a Field Poll released Thursday.
By Chris Megerian
April 9, 2014, 3:10 p.m.
SACRAMENTO — Charles Munger Jr., one of California Republicans’ biggest donors, is chipping in some of his wealth to ensure his party has candidates on the ballot in more Assembly districts.
April 07, 2014; 11:16 AM
Rep. Mark Takano used the recently concluded “How I Met Your Mother” TV show to mock House Republicans.
On April 2, Takano, D-Riverside, took to the U.S. House of Representatives floor to stage a How-I-Met-Your-Mother-style “intervention.” Characters in the long-running CBS sitcom would stage interventions for everything from bad behavior to an ugly hat.
To read column by Jeff Horseman in The Press Enterprise, click here.
Monday, April 7, 2014 – 09:30 a.m.
At this point, there doesn’t appear to be any significant contest shaping up to replace Mike Morrell in the 40th Assembly District.
By NORIMITSU ONISHI
APRIL 3, 2014
SACRAMENTO — One state senator was charged with conspiring to traffic in arms from the Philippines, and taking bribes from undercover F.B.I. agents including one who posed as a marijuana dealer. Another was accused of taking bribes from federal agents impersonating Hollywood film executives. And a third was convicted of perjury and voter fraud after lying about where he lived when he ran for office.
Thursday, March 27, 2014 – 09:00 a.m.
Personal loans are the primary funding source for the two main candidates to succeed Assemblyman Tim Donnelly in the 33rd Assembly District.
Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
March 26, 2014
Tim Donnelly leads the field of Republicans bidding to unseat Gov. Jerry Brown early in this year’s gubernatorial race, according to a new poll.
By Jim Miller
jmiller@sacbee.com
Published: Monday, Mar. 24, 2014 – 12:00 am
As the California economy continued its recovery and state revenue grew last year, the Assembly awarded about $1.2 million in raises to a quarter of its full-time employees, including some of its highest-paid staffers, salary records show.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Monday, Mar. 24, 2014 – 12:00 am
The Legislature reconvened for its election-year session nearly three months ago but so far has been operating in slow motion.
March 18, 2014
Malaysian Airlines Flight 370 is still missing. But it somehow found its way into the 28th Senate District race.
To read post by Jeff Horseman in The PE Political Empire Blog, click here.
By Beau Yarbrough, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Posted: 03/17/14, 7:49 PM PDT |
There’s a week to go until five candidates square off to replace Bill Emmerson as the state senator from District 23, but campaign donors have already voted, supporting Assemblyman Mike Morrell, R-Rancho Cucamonga, in a landslide.
Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
March 17, 2014
In an historically significant decision, Assembly Democrats on Monday voted to make Assemblywoman Toni Atkins their next speaker.
March 14, 2014; 06:05 PM
It’s taken only two years for two California Assembly members from western Riverside County to become entrenched in their districts.
Both 60th District Assemblyman Eric Linder, R-Corona, and 67th District Assemblywoman Melissa Melendez, R-Lake Elsinore, will run unopposed in the June 3 primary election because no one filed candidacy papers to challenge them, according to the Riverside County Registrar of Voters’ office.
To read story by Michael J. Williams in The Press Enterprise, click here.
By Michael Finnegan and Seema Mehta
March 16, 2014, 5:13 p.m.
BURLINGAME, Calif. — The audience reaction told the story: For Neel Kashkari, polite applause; for his GOP gubernatorial rival, Tim Donnelly, a prolonged roar of cheers.
Posted: 03/14/14, 7:07 PM PDT |
Chaffey Community Republican Women, Federated club will meet March 26 at the Magic Lamp Inn, 8189 Foothill Blvd., Rancho Cucamonga.
Capitol Alert
The latest on California politics and government
March 14, 2014
By David Siders
dsiders@sacbee.com
BURLINGAME – Tim Donnelly, who has made gun rights a centerpiece of his campaign for governor, has a complicated history with firearms.
By JULIET WILLIAMS, Associated Press
Updated 10:47 pm, Wednesday, March 12, 2014
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) — The campaign manager for a Republican state lawmaker running for California governor announced Wednesday that she had quit the campaign just days before the state Republican convention, although Assemblyman Tim Donnelly characterized the split as “a mutual thing,” saying he was merely caught off guard by the timing.
March 10, 2014; 03:12 PM
There will be contested races for every Inland county supervisorial seat up for election in the June 3 primary, candidate filings show.
To read story by Jeff Horseman in The Press Enterprise, click here.
By Melanie Mason
March 10, 2014, 3:28 p.m.
SACRAMENTO — The Assembly gave final legislative approval Monday to a bill that aims to crack down on anonymous campaign money by giving California’s ethics and tax agencies more authority to conduct investigations.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Monday, Mar. 10, 2014 – 6:18 pm
When Jerry Brown signed legislation giving California’s public employees collective bargaining rights during his first governorship, he – wittingly or otherwise – began a major political shift.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Sunday, Mar. 9, 2014 – 1:00 am
Three years ago, as he began his third term as governor and faced a severe budget crisis, Jerry Brown prescribed fiscal medicine that his fellow Democrats had a difficult time swallowing.
By Beau Yarbrough, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
and Joe Nelson, The Sun
Posted: 03/07/14, 9:48 PM PST |
San Bernardino >> Friday was the filing deadline for candidates vying for seats at the state and local levels for the June 3 primary election.
BY MARTIN WISCKOL
STAFF COLUMNIST
Published: March 7, 2014 Updated: March 8, 2014 7:52 a.m.
Over the years, the Orange County GOP has sometimes made it a point of pride to rally around an O.C. candidate in state Legislature districts that straddle county lines.
Not this time.
By Laurel Rosenhall
lrosenhall@sacbee.com
Published: Friday, Mar. 7, 2014 – 12:00 am
Following a spate of ethical problems at the Capitol, a group of California lawmakers Thursday proposed a set of bills they say will change the way they do business.
By Patrick McGreevy
March 5, 2014, 10:00 p.m.
SACRAMENTO — Countering a series of scandals, including criminal charges against two of its members, state Senate Democrats plan Thursday to propose sweeping changes to the state Political Reform Act, including stricter limits on accepting gifts and campaign contributions.
By Seema Mehta
March 5, 2014, 11:40 a.m.
GOP gubernatorial hopeful Neel Kashkari on Wednesday called Republican rival Tim Donnelly’s comparison of President Obama to Hitler and Stalin “outrageous.”
By Patrick McGreevy
March 4, 2014, 4:15 p.m.
SACRAMENTO — Three months after Gov. Jerry Brown and lawmakers received a 5% pay raise, a state panel is set to meet next week to begin considering whether to provide further increases, and the chairman of the group says data from counties indicates California elected officials are underpaid.
By Jeremy B. White
jwhite@sacbee.com
Published: Tuesday, Mar. 4, 2014 – 11:00 pm
Last Modified: Tuesday, Mar. 4, 2014 – 11:11 pm
They toured renewable energy projects in Scandinavia, attended panels on public safety in Maui and learned about how dentists are trained in New York City.
By Dan Walters
dwalters@sacbee.com
Published: Tuesday, Mar. 4, 2014 – 10:01 pm
Last Modified: Tuesday, Mar. 4, 2014 – 10:52 pm
The past couple of years have seen a steady stream of resignations from the state Legislature, for one reason or another.
There’s already been one resignation this year and two state senators are in trouble with the law and could depart. When a vacancy occurs, the governor calls two special elections to fill it.
By Chris Megerian and Seema Mehta
March 4, 2014, 11:34 a.m.
SACRAMENTO — Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, a Republican candidate for governor, on Tuesday likened President Obama to dictators such as Adolf Hitler and Joseph Stalin on the issue of gun control.
By Patrick McGreevy
March 3, 2014, 4:22 p.m.
SACRAMENTO — While a state Senate panel considers further restrictions on gifts, California lawmakers reported Monday receiving thousands of dollars in sports tickets, meals, amusement park entries and other gifts, many from special interests that lobby state government.
By Greg Cappis, Inland Valley Daily Bulletin
Posted: 02/27/14, 7:37 PM PST |
Assemblywoman Cheryl Brown is abstaining from the game of musical chairs that has enticed numerous Inland Empire pols.
By Chris Megerian and Melanie Mason
February 27, 2014, 1:54 p.m.
SACRAMENTO — Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, a Republican candidate for governor, was back on the radio Wednesday to talk about firearms, this time fielding questions about his failure to register a handgun he illegally took to an airport in 2012.
News
Rancho Santa Margarita Councilman Jesse Petrilla was convicted of assault with a firearm when he was 17.
BY TOMOYA SHIMURA / STAFF WRITER
Published: Feb. 27, 2014 Updated: Feb. 28, 2014 9:31 a.m.
Republican Assembly candidate Jesse Petrilla, who is running to replace Diane Harkey in the 73rd District in November, said voters should not judge him based on his conviction as a minor on two felony counts of assault with a firearm.
Thursday, February 27, 2014 – 09:00 a.m.
The fallout from the scandal involving Sacramento lobbyist Kevin Sloat and his firm Sloat, Higgins, Jensen and Associates, has touched several Southern California legislators, in addition to the Governor himself.