Rights and Liberties

Judge confirms the ‘California rule’: Pensions can only go up

A state judge on Monday did a split-the-baby routine with San Jose’s voter-approved pension-reform law: “SAN JOSE — In a landmark ruling that could help shape city budgets around the state, a judge invalidated key parts of San Jose’s voter-approved

L.A. Times’ undermining of ‘climate change’ claims could affect court fights

Wayne Lusvardi February 24, 2014

It wasn’t the intention of the Los Angeles Times, but the newspaper has provided historical drought data with implications for a U.S. Supreme Court case that was heard Monday, Feb. 24 — “U.S. Chamber of Commerce v. U.S. EPA.”

Bill would stamp ‘Veteran’ on CA vet licenses

John Seiler February 21, 2014

AB 1637 would stamp a “Veteran” designation on the drivers licenses of Californians who served. It’s by Assembly members Jim Frazier, D-Oakley, and Richard Bloom, D-Santa Monica. According to the Chronicle: “The hope, Frazier said, is that the license designation under

Push to restore CA bilingual education dubious in more than one way

Chris Reed February 21, 2014

When software tycoon Ron Unz’s Prop. 227 campaign to end bilingual education in California won landslide approval in 1998, one reason was that a lot of Latinos and white liberals shared Unz’s fundamental view that bilingual ed wasn’t working well

‘We are destined to live with a growing and permanent underclass’

Chris Reed February 19, 2014

It may be building very slowly, and years later than it should have first appeared. But there is beginning to be a groundswell of a broad understanding in California that there is a link between job creation and what the

iPads in LAUSD just small part of CA school bond scandals

Chris Reed February 17, 2014

The GOP assemblyman who’s upset about the misuse of 25-year borrowing to pay for hundreds of millions of dollars worth of iPads in Los Angeles Unified has an unfortunately narrow perspective on the problem. But at least Assemblyman Curt Hagman,

9th Circuit upholds right to bear arms

John Seiler February 14, 2014

The 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is the most liberal in the federal system. Yet here’s what it just did, as the Chronicle reported: “California must allow law-abiding citizens to carry concealed firearms in public, a federal appeals court

Federal judge confuses Declaration with Constitution

John Seiler February 14, 2014

You can’t make this stuff up. Why do we have to live under the rule of people who don’t know the difference between the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution? Here’s the story from Breitbart: “A federal judge struck down Virginia’s ban

Will AG Kamala Harris sign up for trial lawyers’ obesity shakedown?

Chris Reed February 13, 2014

The attorneys general of California and 15 other states are being implored to join in a legal crusade that holds food manufacturers responsible for obesity. Politico has the details: “Lawyers are pitching state attorneys general in 16 states with a

Cop vs. firefighter

John Seiler February 12, 2014

Maybe the unity public safety workers present when they want raises and high pensions is breaking down. The U-T reports: CHULA VISTA — A California Highway Patrol officer handcuffed and detained a Chula Vista firefighter for refusing to move his engine