As i get ready to doze off, and figure out if government grew while I slept when I wake up, I was just thinking that it is sure great that Tony Strickland won his seat in November. If he wasn’t in Sacramento, and instead Hannah Beth "Taxin’ Jackson" was up there — this would all be done, and Californians would have the honor of being the highest taxes Americans in the country.… Read More

UPDATE: Well, it’s not news. But if you are looking for something to do, click here and look to the bottom of the right hand column. You’ll see Dave Cox mentioned…

Well it would appear that the State Legislature is going to meet into the wee hours.

Conventional wisdom seems to be that in the Assembly, Republicans Villines, Adams and Niello are set to go up on $14 billion++ in tax increases. In the Senate, Republicans Cogdill and Ashburn seem ready to go up on the taxes, but the third vote is being elusive. It belongs to State Senator Dave Cox who is the only other Senate Republican who has not make it clear he is opposing the plan.

Currently Cox is proposing an amendment concerning how Proposition 10 monies are reallocated (a pet issue of his). Apparently Cox has a whole boatload of amendments, and I suspect that one of them… Read More

The debate has begun on the Assembly Floor.

You can watch it live here.

Here’s a screen shot of my Assemblyman, Chuck DeVore. Undoubtedly saying something very conservative!… Read More

State Senator Dave Cox, who has been talked about as one of three potential AYE votes for the $14++ billion tax package, has apparently filed some amendments at the desk to the Big Five Big Tax plan. Contents of those amendments? UNKNOWN.

That said, Senators Dave Cogdill and Roy Ashburn are presumably ready to support the package. Coincidentally, the two of them are off of the floor right now.

So all eyes are now on the Sacramento Area Senator — Cox.

In the meantime, is there enough solidarity in the Assembly Republican Caucus not to JAM the process. We’ll see how this goes!

As Drudge would report… Developing…… Read More

Update: Floor session on the Assembly side has just started debate a few minutes ago, with Speaker Bass up first,Iprayfor the best from tonights effort.

As the legislatures caucuses finish huddling right now, no doubt very heated huddlesas all sorts of rumorsand speculation fly,the effect of tonights proposals actually passing seem to create a rather bizarre circumstance that will likely manifest itself in a 2009 special election.

The 2005 special, which was painted and treated as a "very unpopular" one by the press and even by many that would normally seek some of the reforms that were contained in it…and thendrew an apology after its demise by the Governor for calling it, could prove as a harbinger for a 2009 version.

The budget spending limit concept we have sought as Republicans is finally moving forward to a vote barring a last minute blow up of some sort.We have a chance at what we asked for as Republicans, right? If we just compromise on taxes, we can get the spending limit we ask for…or do we.

Youmay… Read More

Ben Zycher responds to Genest in Round IV.

I will jump in here to say, again, that with all of these VERY REAL concerns about the cap being expressed by a noted conservative economist, isn’t it time to put on the breaks? Genest is a great guy, but it doesn’t change the fact that his office is under strong pressure to pass this "Big Five Big Taxes" budget deal… Zycher’s responses (he is responded to Genest’ points here): 1. Mr. Genest continues to insist that there would be no transfers from (or reduced transfers to) the BSF after 2010-11, unless the governor decides that there is a need to "cover a current services budget." Therefore, there will be such transfers from the BSF to the general fund as long as the governor decides that there is a "need." And "population plus inflation," as I noted earlier, is far more elastic that Mr. Genest is willing to admit, so that the current services baseline in reality will… Read More

Director of Finance Mike Genest’s latest volley back in the great Zycher-Genest Spending Cap debate. Genest is responding to a back and forth that can be seen here. No doubt will hear from Zycher soon. Genest and Zycher and their significant others are more victims of pushing through this plan on Valentine’s Day evening…

From Genest:

I have the actual bill, which is in print, ACA 1 in the 3rd extraordinary session. Look on page 4, lines 25 through 28: "For fiscal years commencing on July 1, 2011, this subdivision shall be operative only if a transfer of moneys from the budget stabilization fund to the general fund is authorized pursuant to subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (f)."

That means, after 2010-11, there will be no more transfers from the rainy-day fund unless needed to put just enough back in the general fund to cover a current services level budget. That’s not interpretation, it’s… Read More

Some folks are getting paid to provide some good coverage of the legislative session goings-on.

KQED Public Radio’s John Myers is twittering here. There are also updates from the Sacramento Bee’s Capitol Alert blog.

You’ll know pretty quick if, in fact, Republican legislators facilitate $14++ billion in new taxes on Californians.… Read More