The League of Commun…er, I mean California Cities, not typically known for conservatism, has come out in support of Jessica’s Law. This, while also supporting nearly every bond and tax increase on the November ballot, as well as opposing the Prop 90 Save Our Homes Initiative (see thelist of the League’s positions).

It just goes to show that even when measured byan organization that will usually come out against anything the state does that could be construed as anti-local control (and this is where the League is often right), what a no-brainer Jessica’s Law is.

The Jessica’s Law press release could have been titled, "EVEN the League of California Cities Supports this Thing!" Here’s what the release does say:

SACRAMENTO – The League of California Cities has voted unanimously to endorse Proposition 83-Jessica’s Law which will toughen penalties on sex offenders and is a comprehensive approach… Read More

There are just less than 8 weeks to go before Election Day. While the Governor has a comfortable lead in his race and is raising money hand over fist, the down-ticket GOP candidates aren’t exactly in the same boat. They could all benefit from a little “love”—money and attention—from the governor.

But who was getting the governor’s “love” today? Oakland Mayor Jerry Brown, GOP Senator Chuck Poochigian’s opponent in the race for Attorney General. Brown was invited to attend an event at the Capitol today with Maria Shriver and Henry Renteria, director of the governor’s Office of Emergency Services, to mark the 30th anniversary of the creation of the California Conservation Corps.

Now, I’m sure that the governor’s folks will defend the event as “non-political.” But that argument would either be naïve or disingenuous.… Read More

I write today to add to the words of Publisher Jon Fleischman in today’s commentary.

Senator "Linc" Chafee’s primary win over conservative Steve Laffey is no cause for celebration in any quarter of the country, and is another reason why I hang up on RNC telemarketers and have contempt forthe national Republican Party.RNC Chairman Ken Mehlman says we need to keep our "majority" in the US Senate. Really? I didn’t know we had a "majority" in the Senate. Isn’t the Senate where all good legislation goes to die? How many bills have passed out of the House and died in the Senate? What has our Senate "majority" accomplished?

Part of the problem is how we now define the word "moderate". I’m always told that I need to support "moderates". Moderate in the GOP used to mean "pro – choice" on abortion and a general avoidance of social issues in politics. Now it means raising the minimum wage, opposing the war on terrorism, failing make tax cuts permanent, signing an ominousgreenhouse gas bill, giving special rights to transvestites, running deficits,… Read More

PROP. 90 – HAYNES AND ACKERMAN HAVE TWO DIFFERENT POSITIONS ON THIS MEASURE This November, there are a host of measures on the ballot. As you will hear from the contributors to this site over the next six or so weeks, most of them are worthy of a heave-ho, and a a "vote no" — but there are a few items on the ballot that we’ll be encouraging you to vote FOR. One of these is Proposition 90, the Save Our Homes Initiative. We’ve covered it on these pages before, and we will do so again. It is a measure that is about property rights, and about curbing the current system of abuse that is rampant — where government agencies trample the rights of private home owners. Is the measure perfect? Most aren’t? And legislating from the ballot … Read More

PROP. 90 – HAYNES AND ACKERMAN HAVE TWO DIFFERENT POSITIONS ON THIS MEASURE This November, there are a host of measures on the ballot. As you will hear from the contributors to this site over the next six or so weeks, most of them are worthy of a heave-ho, and a a "vote no" — but there are a few items on the ballot that we’ll be encouraging you to vote FOR. One of these is Proposition 90, the Save Our Homes Initiative. We’ve covered it on these pages before, and we will do so again. It is a measure that is about property rights, and about curbing the current system of abuse that is rampant — where government agencies trample the rights of private home owners. Is the measure perfect? Most aren’t? And legislating from the ballot … Read More

Republican Assemblyman John Benoit, who hails from Riverside County, is a pilot and actually commutes back and forth from his district to Sacramento in his own Cessna plane. Today the Riverside Press Enterprise has a pretty cool story about it, and how he will sometimes take other legislators to and from work, who happen to "live on the way."

Benoit is pictured here in this photo from the PE helping Assemblyman Kevin McCarthy onto his plane (I guess as the crow flies, Bakersfield is somewhere in between Sacramento and Riverside County). Anyways, you can check out the full story here, including an actual video of the Assemblyman coming in for a landing at Sacramento’s Executive Field (don’t get too excited about the video, though it is novel).… Read More

In case our Guest Editor and Los Angeles County Correspondent (along with Mike Spence) Brandon Powers needed some positive affirmation that he picked a good opinion-piece to feature as the Golden Pen Award Winner today on the main page, today’s Wall Street Journal Political Dairy selects a quote from the piece to feature in its daily e-mail:

Quote of the Day II

"Democrats are poised to take back the House. If that happens, however, conservatives will find several silver linings in the outcome…. The Congressional wing of the [GOP] lost its reformist zeal years ago and has been trying to win elections based on pork and incumbency. An election victory would reward that strategy, leaving the congressmen even less interested in restraining… Read More

FR friend Mike MeCey just fired this our way — the California Broadcasters Association and Sacramento State Unviersity are hosting the Debate on October 7th, a Saturday, from 6pm – 7pm.

Here is the release from the CA Broadasters:

SACRAMENTO, CA – Treasurer Angelides today accepted the California Broadcasters Association (CBA) offer to produce a live statewide debate, which follows Governor Schwarzenegger’s acceptance last week. The event will take… Read More