Politics, Government and Business in Southern California's Inland Empire
November 20, 2011 9:12 AM
From Staff Reports
SACRAMENTO • With a record number of California legislators earning failing grades, the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association issued A’s to two of the High Desert’s three state representatives.
By James Rufus Koren Staff Writer
Posted: 06/10/2011 09:42:17 PM PDT
After months of meetings and public input, the California Citizens Redistricting Commission on Friday released a first draft of what California’s new Assembly, Senate and Congressional districts could look like.
June 08, 2011 8:59 AM
Natasha Lindstrom
Staff Writer
The Victor Valley’s Republican state representatives on Tuesday blasted Gov. Jerry Brown’s renewed pitch to reduce prison overcrowding through a “realignment” plan that relies on five-year tax hikes.
March 31, 2011 5:13 PM
Natasha Lindstrom
SACRAMENTO • As Gov. Jerry Brown gives up on budget talks with Republicans, Victor Valley state representatives say they plan to spend the next month working aggressively toward an allcuts solution to the state budget mess.
James Rufus Koren, Staff Writer
Posted: 03/06/2011 10:25:59 PM PST
California’s political watchdog has released annual reports showing the gifts given to state lawmakers as well as their investments and income.
The forms, called statements of economic interest, show most San Bernardino County lawmakers are well-invested and commonly receive gifts from interest groups.
Friday, February 25, 2011 – 4:00 p.m.
Well, it’s finally started.
The republican kabuki dance to sell out the people of California has began in earnest.
Staff and wire reports
Created: 02/24/2011 08:14:29 PM PST
The battle to get a tax extension on a June ballot is heating up in Sacramento.
Just a day after a majority of Republicans in the Legislature formed a “Taxpayers Caucus” – basically refusing to put the measure on the ballot – Gov. Jerry Brown on Thursday attempted to convince GOP lawmakers to leave it up to the voters.
PolitiCal
On politics in the Golden State
February 23, 2011 | 11:05 am
Two-thirds of Republicans in the California Legislature announced Wednesday that they were forming a new group and pledged not only never to vote to raise taxes but also to block efforts to place a tax-hike measure before voters.
James Rufus Koren, Staff Writer
Created: 09/09/2010 06:34:15 PM PDT
The California State Assembly this week posted the salaries of Assembly members online, even though a bill requiring that action failed to get the Legislature’s approval last month.
But perhaps more interesting than the members’ salaries – Assembly members representing San Bernardino County all make $95,291 – are the salaries paid to Assembly staff members. Democratic lawmakers spend much more on staffers than do Republicans.
September 02, 2010 5:16 PM
Natasha Lindstrom
VICTORVILLE • Despite a lot of theatrics and little progress in Sacramento this week, two Victor Valley state representatives say they’re confident that the GOP will succeed in negotiating a no-tax budget by the end of the month.
“I truly believe there’s going to be enough Democrats to come over to see an all-cuts budget,” Assemblyman Steve Knight, R-Palmdale, said by phone Thursday. “We’re just not going to the tax increases.”
10:54 PM PDT on Sunday, August 29, 2010
By JIM MILLER
Sacramento Bureau
SACRAMENTO – A bill that would set new rules for the foreclosure process is the focus of a fierce end-of-session fight between the lending industry and consumer groups.
Loan delinquency and foreclosure rates are down from the worst of the housing downturn but Riverside and San Bernardino counties remain among the hardest-hit parts of the state.
James Rufus Koren, Staff Writer
Posted: 08/23/2010 06:47:40 PM PDT
The odds against a Democrat winning an Assembly seat in the High Desert probably lengthened late last week with a conservative blogger’s revelation that Palmdale Democrat Linda Jones declared bankruptcy early this year.
Republicans are now blasting Jones, pointing out that she reported owing $5,857 in taxes from 2008, and that despite filing for bankruptcy in February, she loaned $3,000 to her campaign in March and paid $2,650 in candidate filing fees the same month. Jones calls that “maliciously misleading.”
James Rufus Koren, Staff Writer
Posted: 06/17/2010 06:08:42 PM PDT
In 2008, Democratic candidate Linda Jones, a Palmdale teacher and school board member, nearly scored a huge upset: She came within about 3 percentage points of beating Republican Steve Knight in the 36th State Assembly District.
Knight, R-Palmdale, will face Jones again in November, in a rematch of one of 2008′s closest Assembly races.
Stephen Wall, Staff Writer
Posted: 01/18/2010 05:11:43 PM PST
San Bernardino County spent nearly $64 million in state and federal money last year to provide welfare benefits to the American-born children of illegal immigrants.
Illegal immigrants aren’t entitled to welfare. But their citizen children are.
Nationwide, one in three immigrant-headed households uses at least one major welfare program, compared with 19 percent of citizen households, according to the Center for Immigration Studies, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank that advocates immigration reduction.
By Capitol Weekly Staff | 12/17/09 12:00 AM PST
It’s that time of year again, when the editorial team and mathematicians here at Capitol Weekly go about the exercise of reducing our 118 legislators to simple numerical statistics. Yes, boys and girls. We are proud to present the Third Annual Legislative Scorecard.
Now for the usual round of disclaimers and preemptive apologies. Every political scorecard has its problems, and this one is no exception. The selection of bills is subjective, chosen after conversations with Capitol staff and experts, and our own observations of big debates over the last year under the dome. We also took our cues from other organizations who do this kind of thing on a regular basis. In fact, the Capitol Weekly scorecard is, in many ways, a compilation or synthesis of other scorecards that have been floating around insider circles in recent weeks.
Of 120 California lawmakers 73 get failing grade
November 27, 2009 8:50 AM
NATASHA LINDSTROM Staff Writer
SACRAMENTO • Assemblyman Steve Knight and Sen. George Runner are among the highest performing legislators when it comes to lessening taxpayer burdens, according to a new legislative report card by a taxpayer advocate group.
The Victor Valley’s other two representatives — Assemblyman Anthony Adams and Sen. Roy Ashburn — still earned some of top grades of all state lawmakers, with their votes supporting $12.5 billion in tax hikes shrinking their final scores.
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