Posts Tagged ‘government’

Six bills would make it easier to pass tax increases
Friday, May 17th, 2013

MAY 17, 2013 By Katy Grimes SACRAMENTO -- The Senate Governance and Finance Committee on Wednesday passed six constitutional amendments to make it easier for local voters to pass various tax increases on property owners. "California didn't knowingly vote for centralized power," said Sen...

Assembly members objecting to corruption exemption in AB 173
Thursday, May 16th, 2013
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May 16, 2013 By Katy Grimes SACRAMENTO -- A corruption exemption remains in Assembly Bill 173, by Assemblywoman Shirley Weber, D-San Diego. But calls I made to all the members of the Accountability and Administrative Review committee, which had reviewed the bill, indicated resistance by...

Collective bargaining behind the scenes
Wednesday, May 15th, 2013

May 15, 2013 By Katy Grimes Government employees' salaries and benefits, and in particular, pensions, are financially unsustainable in California. It is clear that collective bargaining reform is needed. But in a state run by politicians elected largely with the financial support of labor and ...

Gov. Brown’s May budget revision balances only by ignoring unfunded liabilities
Tuesday, May 14th, 2013

May 14, 2013 By Katy Grimes SACRAMENTO -- Balancing the economic realities of the state budget with political influences surely is a challenging task. Unfortunately, in California it is a task which few administrations have managed in recent state history. Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown an...

Assembly budget secrecy ahead; 37 empty budget bills passed
Tuesday, May 14th, 2013

May 14, 2013 By Katy Grimes SACRAMENTO -- Another secretive budget is in the near future as Democrats passed 37 empty budget "spot bills" Monday. It was business as usual in the Assembly. Assemblyman Bob Blumenfield, D-Los Angeles, the author of AB 74, the budget bills, and Chairman of the...

Bill would strip corruption protections from university employees
Monday, May 13th, 2013
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May 13, 2013 By Katy Grimes SACRAMENTO -- Public contracts should always be subjected to stiff scrutiny. Without public scrutiny and oversight, spending other people's money is too easy. But a new Assembly bill would not only increase the amount of money California's public universities...

Lawmakers learn what farmers already know about sustainable agriculture
Friday, May 10th, 2013
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May 10, 2013 By Katy Grimes SACRAMENTO -- During two hours of expert testimony Wednesday, California Assembly members learned future commercial and housing developments should not be built on prime agricultural land, which should continue to be used for farming. The committee acted as if ...

Vindictive Obamacare bills speeding through Legislature
Thursday, May 9th, 2013

May 9, 2013 By Katy Grimes It's always good to see the California Legislature proposing more vindictive bills aimed at penalizing employers. The new "Walmart loophole" bill, AB 880, would require large employers to "pay their fair share when they dump workers onto Medi-Cal by cutting ho...

Lawmaker wants president to discharge student loan debt
Wednesday, May 8th, 2013

May 8, 2013 By Katy Grimes SACRAMENTO -- In 2006, a major rewrite of the federal bankruptcy law allowed for federal student loans to be dischargeable. Prior to 2006, student loans, along with taxes, were always required to be paid back in bankruptcy court. Now, Assemblyman Bob Wieckowski, D...

CA Obamacare penalty to cost employers more than plan
Tuesday, May 7th, 2013

May 7, 2013 By Katy Grimes As more regulations are discovered in the 2010 Affordable Care Act, more people are realizing the impact of the legislation. And California looks as if the law could hit it hard. CA medical claims will jump 62 percent  According to the Society of Actuaries, fi...