Free Republic

The state's largest public employee union, Service Employees International Union California, will launch a "seven-figure" ad campaign Friday targeting GOP members who could vote for a budget deal. Coupled with ongoing protests and rallies organized by the California Teachers Association, the SEIU ad campaign marks an aggressive new approach by Democratic allies in the days leading up to Gov. Jerry Brown's budget revision Monday. The ads will air on broadcast and cable television stations in the Sacramento-Stockton-Modesto market, as well as Fresno, Monterey, Santa Barbara and Palm Springs. SEIU also plans to air radio ads. The media spots play heavily...

Assuming he can hold Democrats in the Legislature in line, Brown needs four Republican votes--two from each chamber of the Legislature--to place a measure before voters in June that would extend income, sales and vehicles tax increases for five more years. So who are the three Republicans who haven't signed either pledge? Senators Anthony Cannella and Sam Blakeslee and Assemblyman Bill Berryhill. Last Friday, Brown acknowledged ... that Cannella and Blakeslee are key Republicans for getting the tax measure on the ballot. “But there are other ones,” he said.