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Some legislators proudly refuse pay increases

Only in public office could the distinction of lowest paid be worn as a badge of honor. But Richard Roth, a Riverside Democrat, has refused every pay increase since being elected to the state Senate in 2012, making $90,526 per year

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Brown: State of the State is fiscal restraint

With a cautiously optimistic tone, Gov. Jerry Brown preached prudence on Thursday morning during his annual State of the State address. The speech — courteous in its brevity, clocking in at under 20 minutes — touted accomplishments and initiatives, like

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Proposed bill seeks to recoup costs of special elections

An assemblyman will soon introduce legislation aimed at curbing the cost to taxpayers when a legislator retires from their position early, forcing a special election — but it may stop short of recouping costs in other instances. The bill would require legislators —

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Sen. Huff: People are sick of partisan politics

2016 started with a bit of a bipartisan bump with Senate Pro Tem Kevin de León and former Senate Republican leader Bob Huff at center stage. When the Senate reconvened two weeks ago, de León of Los Angeles and other

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Glazer hopes to lead centrist movement

Correction: Due to a reporter error, an earlier version of this article mistakenly reported that Assemblywoman Catharine Baker supports the extension of Prop. 30 taxes. Baker does not, in fact, support the proposed extensions.  Steve Glazer – bald, bespectacled and

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Democrat lawmaker resigns to explore job market

A Fresno Democrat, who has frequently authored legislation on behalf of major interest groups, will resign his position in the state Legislature to take a job advocating in the Capitol. Assemblyman Henry T. Perea, a Central Valley Democrat, announced Tuesday his resignation

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Cal Chamber scorecard

The California Chamber of Commerce released its tally of legislators’ floor votes on 15 bills that the chamber determined were crucial to the business community. Checking the scorecard, a telltale story from the chamber’s perspective is not who was for

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Cap-and-trade funds targeted for high-speed rail project

Bills being introduced that monitor or change terms for the state’s high-speed rail project are a rarity. However, there are two bills brewing in the Legislature. One has a shot at passing. The other doesn’t. Senate Bill 400 would require

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Assemblyman denounces ‘bullying’ by committee chair

Assemblyman Matthew Harper, R-Huntington Beach, has accused Assemblyman Roger Hernández, D-West Covina, the chairman of the Assembly Labor and Employment Committee, of engaging in “outrageous bullying tactics” when Hernández denied Harper the opportunity to speak last week on a minimum

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Legislator warns against lawsuit abuse

When California’s Republican legislators warn that high taxes, onerous regulations and frivolous lawsuits are driving businesses out of California, they are not only talking about corporations like Toyota, which is relocating from Torrance to Plano, Texas. They are also concerned

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