Last month, I took Asm. Kevin Jeffries to task (in this Capitol Weekly column) for a bill to address California’s maze of sign ordinances. ACR 93 asks the League of California Cities, California State Association of Counties, and FPPC to develop a model campaign sign ordinance to be used by all of California’s local governments. As I explained in the piece, I never doubted the Assemblyman’s intentions. A California-wide guideline for sign ordinances might be helpful. Too often campaigns for State Assembly or Congress must deal with a dozen different city and county sign ordinances. However, I was deeply concerned that ACR 93 was asking the inmates to run the asylum. After all, local governments routinely pass the most restrictive and blatantly unconstitutional sign ordinances. Take a … Read More

In sports, a high five is internationally recognized as meaning "good job." It’s almost as popular as the symbol for "bad job," seen on roadways around the world. But,that’s the subject of another, more politically oriented blog.

Assemblyman Jeffries became a candidate for the Sports Hall of Fame with his introduction of AB 1852, Decriminalization of Sports Betting Pools. This bill will change the penalty for operating a low level, not for profit, sports betting pools, such as Super Bowl pools or March Madness Brackets, from a misdemeanor to an infraction. This bill was prompted by two constituents being prosecuted for operating a small betting pool inhis district.

That’s one of those slap-your-head and wonder, "Why didn’tI think of that?" ideas.

I urge everybody who reads this to give the Assemblyman a high five when you see him over the next couple of days. As a matter of fact, I will buy a brew for the first few to capture a picture of a good high five. We can toast at a sports bar over the NBA finals. I’ll bet theremight even be a pool… Read More

The Supreme Court is currently hearing and deciding on the Second Amendment’s Right to bear arms. It is a potential landmark decision as it seeks to overturn the 1970’s law passed in Washington DC that effectively disallows citizens to own handguns within the city limits. My boss, Assemblyman Benoit, has introduced AJR 46, urging the legislature to support overturning the ban. Resolution Supports Second Amendment Assemblyman John J. Benoit

I believe the most important function of government is public safety. Not much else matters in life if you feel afraid to walk through your own neighborhood, take your kids to school or the local park, or even leave your loved ones alone in your own home.

As your representative in the state Assembly, I am working hard every day to keep you and every Riverside County resident safe from dangerous criminals who would cause harm to you and your family. Prior to serving in the Assembly, I spent 31 years fighting crime as a law enforcement officer, retiring as the California Highway Patrol Commander in Indio. Clearly, maintaining the safety of every California… Read More

Claremont is in Eastern Los Angeles County . It is a mix of college town and senior centers. It’s nice place, but it’s going to get uglier. The town fathers have found a scourge that needs to be removed from the city. Too many adult bookstores? I don’t think they have any? Too many liquor stores? Nope.

The answer: Too many day spas and nail salons. And yes tanning salons.

You wouldn’t know it but, there are Republicans on this City Council that are going along to limiting these kinds of establishments to second floors of commercial buildings and yes alleys.

Everybody wants to enter an alley on the… Read More

I will tell you that it is really awesome to have Ray Haynes as a contributor to the FlashReport. His columns are thoughtful, and usually “nail it” when it comes to politics and policy here in the Golden State.

On Tuesday, Ray had a column that ran in the D.C. Examiner, Big Companies Use Earth Day Camoflage To Greenwash Profits, which fascinated me — enough to share it with FR readers.

The piece (fully reprinted below) talks about the hypocrisy of big companies that “greenwash”, which is defined over on Wikopediaas, "…the act of misleading… Read More

I will be making presentations on 527s, Independent Expenditures, Issue Advocacy, and Tax-Exempt Organizations and Politicial Activity, at an Election Law Seminar to be held onApril 16 in Santa Monica at the DoubleTree at 1707 4th St. in Santa Monica.

The day-long event will include presentations on California and Federal election law, voting systems and voting procedures, initiatives and referenda, and a practicum on regulation of political advertising and voter persuasion.

Confirmed speakers include Chuck Bell, senior partner of Bell, Hiltachk, LLP and general counsel of the California Republican Party; Daniel Lowenstein, a tenured Professor of Election law at UCLA Law School, one of the co-authors of the California Political Reform Act, and the first Chairman of the Fair Political Practices Commission; Robert Stern, another co-author of the California Political Reform Act, principal drafter of the City of Los Angeles’ ethics and public campaign finance laws and President of the Center for Government Studies; and political consultant Allan Hoffenblum, publisher of the California Target Book. The moderator of and another presenter at the event is Janice… Read More

I will tell you that it is really awesome to have Ray Haynes as a contributor to the FlashReport. His columns are thoughtful, and usually “nail it” when it comes to politics and policy here in the Golden State.

On Tuesday, Ray had a column that ran in the D.C. Examiner, Big Companies Use Earth Day Camoflage To Greenwash Profits, which fascinated me — enough to share it with FR readers.

The piece (fully reprinted below) talks about the hypocrisy of big companies that “greenwash”, which is defined over on Wikopediaas, "…the act of misleading… Read More

Shortly after I was born, my father retired from the Air-force, he served 20 years as a fighter pilot, including a number of tours in the Vietnam war. Unlike my older siblings, I never experienced the fear of my dad not returning or the horror of a friend’s dad becoming a prisoner of war.

I guess it was a curiosity for what this must have felt like that drove me to read the pale blue book on my parents bookshelf at an early age. They Wouldn’t Let us Die, was written in 1973 by war critic Stephen A. Rowan, who set out to tell the story of the prisoners of the Vietnam War. My parents had the book because the best man at their wedding, Bob Craner was profiled in the book (to this day my dad has yet to read the book) and lived 18 inches and a wall away from John McCain for more than 2 years.

It was this book that introduced John McCain’s story to me, more than 25 years ago and personalizes his presidential campaign for me today.

McCain wasn’t your… Read More