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GOP lawmaker: fund schools with high-speed rail bonds
A Republican lawmaker wants to turn money for California’s high-speed rail project into funding for schools. Assemblyman Scott Wilk, R-Santa Clarita, introduced Assembly Bill 6, which would cancel outstanding bond funds approved by Proposition 1A, a 2008 voter-approved initiative to fund the
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Lawmaker rejects per diem, tax-funded car
A newly-elected Bay Area lawmaker isn’t reveling in the perks of public office. She’s forgoing two of the best bonuses afforded to members of the California Legislature. As her first act in office, Assemblywoman Catharine Baker, R-Pleasanton, has declined per diem
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Vacancies trigger 2015 state Senate elections
The Nov. 4 vote didn’t end this election cycle, but sparked a new round. Three sitting state senators won seats in the U.S. House of Representatives: Sens. Mark DeSaulnier, D-Walnut Creek; Steve Knight, R-Antelope Valley; and Mimi Walters, R-Irvine. They will resign their positions in
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Chiang launches program to reclaim lost wages
John Chiang may be gearing up for his move to the state treasurer’s office. But that doesn’t mean he’s taking an early vacation from his job as state controller. Late last month, Chiang launched a new pilot program to aid victims of
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The upsides of low turnout
This election, your vote counted double. “When it’s 50 % turnout, your voting power is doubled #math,” Paul Mitchell of Political Data Inc., the state’s top political data firm, tweeted on Election Day. Increased voting power — it’s one of several
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Gov. Brown nominates Leondra Kruger to state Supreme Court
Governor Jerry Brown has nominated a U.S. Department of Justice official for a spot on the California Supreme Court. On Monday, Brown nominated Leondra R. Kruger, a Yale Law School graduate, to fill a vacancy created by the retirement of
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Does Chiang top field of Dem hopefuls?
Going by the metrics, John Chiang may be the strongest candidate to succeed Gov. Jerry Brown in 2018 or U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer in 2016. You’d never know it by the way the media have zeroed in on Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom and Attorney
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Assembly GOP Leader Kristin Olsen introduces new stars
2014 was a solid year for California Republicans. In the state Senate, the GOP prevented Democrats from regaining a two-thirds supermajority. And in the Assembly, Republicans defeated three Democratic incumbents, which also reversed a Democratic supermajority. “We unseated sitting Democrats for the
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CA gun dealers challenge handgun ad ban
Second Amendment advocates say California is infringing on their First Amendment rights. On Monday, four California gun dealers filed a federal lawsuit challenging a nearly century-old law that bans the display of handguns in store advertisements. Under state law, it’s perfectly
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Democrats lose super-majority in CA Assembly
Republicans, who have already blocked a Democratic super-majority in the California Senate, have also succeeded in defeating a Democratic super-majority in the Assembly. The only question remaining: How many seats will Democrats lose in the lower house? Buoyed by low voter turnout
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