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California Tag

Posted by Leslie Eastman on April 11, 2017 15 Comments
When I wrote about California's senate mulling over a law that would repeal the state income tax for teachers, I predicted a new tax on fuel and electric cars was poised to slide through our legislature and become law. It did!
Faced with a personal appeal by Gov. Jerry Brown, a Senate panel on Monday gave the first approval to a measure that would raise gas taxes and vehicle fees by $52 billion during the next decade for road and bridge repairs. The bill by Brown and legislative leaders was approved in a 5-2, party-line vote by the Senate Appropriations Committee, which sent it to the Senate floor, where it is proposed to come up for a vote on Thursday.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on April 05, 2017 51 Comments
One of my favorite TV shows airing this season is "Feud", which depicts the legendary rivalry between Joan Crawford (Jessica Lange) and Bette Davis (Susan Sarandon) during their collaboration on the psychological thriller, What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? Another legendary feud is currently taking place between President Donald Trump and California's political leaders. The policy conflict has now substantially escalated after the state senate approved "Sanctuary State" legislation bill that bars local and state law enforcement from using their resources to help federal immigration authorities.
The 40-member body approved Senate Bill 54, introduced by Sen. President Pro Tem Kevin de León, on a 27-12, party-line vote. It now heads to the Assembly.

Posted by William A. Jacobson on March 30, 2017 19 Comments
The Democrat Attorney General Xavier Becerra of California has invented a new crime: Performing Undercover Video Journalism While Not a Democrat. Of course, he didn't call it that. Nor did his predecessor, now U.S. Senator Kamala Harris, when she launched an investigation of the undercover video operation to expose alleged fetal body part sales by Planned Parenthood. That investigation resulted in 15 felony charges that were just announced, as we covered the other day, California’s AG Charges Undercover Reporters Who Exposed Planned Parenthood Baby Part Selling.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on March 30, 2017 16 Comments
It probably comes as no surprise that California's politicians are doubling down against President Trump's immigration law enforcement policies.
State and local leaders in California struck a defiant tone Monday, saying they would continue to protect people in the country illegally despite an announcement by U.S. Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions that the U.S. Department of Justice would soon cut federal grants from so-called sanctuary cities. ...[I]n Sacramento the swiftest reaction came from state Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León (D-Los Angeles), who is championing legislation that would effectively make California a sanctuary state by prohibiting state and local police from enforcing federal immigration laws. He called Sessions’ statements “nothing short of blackmail.”

Posted by Leslie Eastman on March 27, 2017 9 Comments
When Californian's went to the polls this November to approve the legalization of marijuana for personal use, little did they realize it would morph into a battle between unions and business. The state is now slated to begin distributing licenses to marijuana businesses on Jan 1, 2018. Therefore, the Golden State's legislature is attempting to iron out discrepancies between the already existing medical marijuana rules and the approved ballot measure. The crux of the disagreement between the Teamsters union and business groups is deciding who is in charge of pot distribution.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on March 26, 2017 27 Comments
When I wrote that California's junior U.S. Senator was probably going to be worse than Barbara "Call me Senator" Boxer, little did I realize how quickly I would be proven right. She recently promoted an op-ed she prepared explaining why she wasn't going to vote to confirm Neil Gorsuch to the U.S. Supreme Court with the silliest tweet since Charlie Sheen's #Winning.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on March 25, 2017 13 Comments
While California's Governor Jerry Brown is in Washington, D.C., asking for the Trump administration for funding to help pay for storm damage repair and train construction, the state's legislators have been busy working against the American President. The border wall is the cornerstone of President Trump's campaign platform. This week, Sacramento politicians proposed a bill that that would divest its pension funds from companies engaged in the building of that wall.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on March 24, 2017 21 Comments
California Governor Jerry Brown has adopted an interesting approach to requesting fiscal assistance from President Donald Trump. Legal Insurrection readers will recall that our governor formally requested emergency funding for the storm damage that occurred in the state, which included deterioration of the Oroville Dam that led to a public evacuation of the surrounding area. Brown is also struggling to find monies for his legacy project, the California high speed train, after the Trump administration halted a grant slated for its construction. Brown traveled to Washington, D.C.to a address these matters directly with various members of the Trump administration. A sensible approach to take in this sitation might have been to politely focus on areas of agreement with the President.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on March 20, 2017 25 Comments
President Trump directed the Environmental Protection Agency to shelve aggressive vehicle fuel economy targets that have been a foundation for promoting climate change alarmism policies that have hurt the American automotive industry.
Trump revealed his plans during a speech at an automotive testing center near Detroit after discussing the issue during a round-table meeting at the American Center for Mobility with auto company executives and workers. "This is going to be a new era for American jobs and job creation," Trump said at the meeting.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on March 19, 2017 27 Comments
California has moved one step closer to becoming a sanctuary state, one in which its law enforcement agencies are prevented from cooperating with increasingly busy federal immigration agents.
With minor changes to win over moderates, a polarizing California bill to keep California’s law enforcement agencies from cooperating with federal immigration agents cleared a key hurdle Monday and will head to the full Senate for a vote.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on March 19, 2017 17 Comments
A few, short weeks ago, I reported that President Trump's Secretary of Transportation halted the transfer of millions of dollars in funding for the California bullet train, our governor's legacy project. However, those monies were not the sole source of funding. The main source of ongoing support for the train is the income from the cap-and-trade auctions that California sponsors. It appears as if the all the air (carbon dioxide included) has gone out of the cap-and-trade market:

Posted by Leslie Eastman on March 17, 2017 15 Comments
The California Senate may have taken "Teacher Appreciation" to a whole, new level. As Legal Insurrection readers are aware, California is one of the most heavily taxed in the nation. However, at least our teachers are poised to get a huge tax break if a proposed measure becomes law.
A Los Angeles state lawmaker has introduced a bill to exempt teachers from paying state income tax after five years in the classroom. Under Senate Bill 807, teachers and other educators would also be allowed a tax deduction for the cost of obtaining a teaching credential.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on March 15, 2017 8 Comments
Over the course of the last 2 months, the alt-left and their media minions have done nothing but rage against President Donald Trump. As a result, grass-roots leftists are now channeling their anger into verbally assaulting Trump's staff and destroying his property. Additionally, they are posting their atrocious behavior on social media.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on March 11, 2017 17 Comments
Never let it be said that California's Democratic legislature doesn't work hard on behalf of...its own interests. The latest proposal from Sacramento, Assembly Constitutional Amendment No. 10, would make the Golden Sate first in the nation to fully allow 17-year-olds to vote in elections.
"We want to expand the opportunity," said Assemblyman Evan Low (D-Campbell), author of the constitutional amendment that would have to be approved by a statewide vote in 2018.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on March 04, 2017 68 Comments
The last time we checked in on the construction of California Governor Jerry Brown's legacy project, the high speed train connecting Los Angeles to San Fransisco, it was already already $3.6 billion over budget and seven years behind schedule. In that piece, I a surmised that federal funding to help complete this project could be axed, as several pricey grants were sitting on the desks of administrators now working for President Trump (who has been defied and mocked by numerous California politicos, including our governor). Sure enough, the Secretary of Transportation has halted the transfer of millions of dollars in funding for the bullet train:

Posted by Leslie Eastman on February 26, 2017 21 Comments
The last time we checked in with the head of the California State Senate, Kevin de León, he was explaining that half his family would be subject to President Trump's policy on the actual enforcement of immigration rules. He is now proposing outlandish, energy-based legislation. Despite the limitations set by both technology and reality, he has submitted a bill that demands California be powered by 100% renewable energy by 2045.

Posted by Leslie Eastman on February 24, 2017 21 Comments
Just a few short weeks ago, the 9th Circuit Court in San Fransisco refused to overturn a lower court decision that halted the implementation of President Trump's Executive Order that would temporarily halt immigration from seven countries until "extreme vetting" procedures had been established. One of the reasons the judges cited was the hardships the travel restriction would cause and applied 5th Amendment protections to non-citizens. Here's is a snippet from Professor Jacobson's review as a reminder.
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