On Earth Day, it’s only appropriate to write about some “green” legislation making its way through the legislature.

Assemblywoman Bonnie Garcia has introduced AB 2808, the “Green Schools” bill that would require public and private elementary and secondary schools to use “nontoxic cleaning materials.” According to the bill, cleaning materials include glass cleaner, all purpose cleaner, laundry detergent, and dishwashing liquid and detergent. “Nontoxic cleaning material” is defined as “a biodegradable and environmentally friendly product that is made with natural or naturally derived ingredients and free of ozone-depleting compounds and substances that contribute to air pollution or to the buildup of “greenhouse” gases.”

Last week the bill passed its first policy committee, Assembly Education, 6-1, with three abstentions.

The main supporter for AB 2808 is the… Read More

This week’s announcement that a group of large Republican donors are getting together to redo the image of the Republican Party is a tune that has been sung before. About once every three to five years, several donors say they are going to get together and try and rewrite who the Republican Party is by using their money and their influence to change "the direction of the party." The usual announcement is followed by a number of newspaper stories announcing the formation of the group, the newspapers call Allen Hoffenblum, a political consultant who hasn’t been involved in Republican politics in twenty years (except to criticize Republicans) who criticizes conservative Republicans and the effect they have had on the party, and then a series of columns by liberal Democrats, like George Skelton, congratulate these Republicans on their insight into the problem with Republicans. The biggest problem, according to George, is that Republicans are not like Democrats, and, so says George, if they were just like Democrats, they would win elections. So, any Republican that tries to reform the Republican Party to make it more like Democrats must be right.… Read More

Lions and Tigers and Bears: I am an animal person. Some of you may already know that. I have owned or sheltered or studied all manner of God’s creatures. And I have always been disgusted by cruelty towards animals and the senseless killing of them. So, I am the lead sponsor (along with Raul Grijalva, D-AZ) of the Bear Protection Act. All manner of bears in America have been poached in order to have their gall bladders used for ritual worship in some eastern cultures. The poachers will kill the bear simply for this particular organ, and just leave the rest of it there. The Bear Protection Act would make it a crime to transport certain bear organs across state lines. 33 states already have laws against this practice and this would align federal law and close a loophole through which the poachers continue to slaughter these noble creatures. For you hunters out there, this does not restrict legal hunting in any way. I hope we can get this bill through the House in the next few months. I will keep you posted.

Spending Limit: 43 out of the last 48 years, federal government spending has exceeded federal government revenues. For the… Read More

Listen to it here….… Read More

You really have to wonder what goes through the heads of extreme liberals like California State Assemblyman Gene Mullen, who was selected by Speaker Fabian Nunez as Chairman of the Education Committee. The San Francisco Democrat is carrying legislation that would tie a high school students “privilege” to drive a car to their performance in school.

Earth to Assemblyman Mullen: This is AMERICA. In this country, we believe in liberty and freedom. To be more specific, your legislation goes down the path of taking responsibility away from parents for the behavior of their children, and instead presumes that the “state” has the role of manipulating student behavior.

Look, I understand that Mullen is from San Francisco, which in many respects is a laboratory of left wing loony-ism. But hopefully Mullen understands that his proposed legislation is the kind of thing we would have expected in the old Soviet Union.

When we refer to the… Read More

Lions and Tigers and Bears: I am an animal person. Some of you may already know that. I have owned or sheltered or studied all manner of God’s creatures. And I have always been disgusted by cruelty towards animals and the senseless killing of them. So, I am the lead sponsor (along with Raul Grijalva, D-AZ) of the Bear Protection Act. All manner of bears in America have been poached in order to have their gall bladders used for ritual worship in some eastern cultures. The poachers will kill the bear simply for this particular organ, and just leave the rest of it there. The Bear Protection Act would make it a crime to transport certain bear organs across state lines. 33 states already have laws against this practice and this would align federal law and close a loophole through which the poachers continue to slaughter these noble creatures. For you hunters out there, this does not restrict legal hunting in any way. I hope we can get this bill through the House in the next few months. I will keep you posted.

**There is more – click the… Read More

Yesterday I drove out to Palm Desert to help my Aunt and Uncle celebrate their 50th Wedding Anniversary.

One cannot help but notice that Palm Desert has fallen prey to the affliction that strikes many communities this time of year — campaign signs everywhere.

That’s said, I was in a place where there is not just one but two contested Republican state legislative primaries in the offing. Assemblyman John Benoit and former Assemblyman Russ Bogh are duking it out for the State Senate, and Brian Nestande and Kelly McCarty are battling for Benoit’s Assembly seat.

I don’t know that there are “official” slates, but there may as well be. Everywhere you saw a Benoit sign, next to it was a Nestande sign. Everywhere you saw a Bogh sign, you saw a McCarty sign.

As they say, its us versus them. I’ll let you decide if you are with us or with them!… Read More

The FlashReport, Red County, and several other blogs have become information sources for many of us. We read the newspaper (sometimes on line), watch the news, and read blogs. That is the way we get most of our information.

In 1992 I went to work for newly elected Assemblyman Wm. J. "Pete" Knight of Palmdale as his Chief of Staff. Early on in our first year together the Assemblyman distributed a poem to members of the caucus that was viewed as racist. I first found out we had a problem when I heard our scheduling secretary say ,"Sir, Is there anything I can get you for the interview this afternoon with the LA Times?"

The next couple days were terrible. Calls came in from everywhere. They yelled, screamed, and hung upon us.

The one call I will never forget came from someone at the Assembly Republican Caucus that said they were going to keep the articles in the newspaper out of the news clips that morning. Having read all of them as soon as they were available at like 0400 that morning I really did not care but I was relayed this information like it was a favor.

The funny part about the way the situation was handled was… Read More