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Sacramento -- After weeks of wrangling and partisan bickering, two of 14 holdout Republican senators agreed today to support a $145 billion spending plan, giving it the bare minimum number of votes for passage. The budget bill passed the Senate on a vote of 27 to 12, ending one of the longest budget stalemates in recent state history. The state Assembly already approved the budget on July 20, but follow up legislation will probably be considered today in the state's lower house to match actions in the Senate. Today's Senate vote essentially ends a 52-day delay in adopting a state...

Ackerman, meanwhile, has maintained remarkable unity, despite the defection of one senator -- the proof being the growing frustration among Democrats and in the Governor's Office. Although Ackerman had been under fire for being too cozy with Schwarzenegger and Democrats and retained his leadership position by a single vote, his mild-mannered stubbornness has made him a force. Núñez and Perata may say they won't negotiate further, but they have almost no capacity to force Republicans to budge, given their safe districts and their lack of personal stakes in the budget's details. Perata's declaration that he won't take up other legislation...

Senate Democrats enlisted environmentalists Wednesday to chastise Republicans for holding up the state budget, arguing that the GOP is seeking a rollback of a Ronald Reagan-approved environmental law at the behest of business interests. Despite a pledge by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to veto spending in the Assembly-approved plan, Republicans also are demanding a provision to prevent cities and counties, as well as developers and businesses, from being sued on climate change for the next three years. Republicans cite concerns about Attorney General Jerry Brown's use of the California Environmental Quality Act to stall local development projects. They worry that Brown...

The Governor and the Democrats are both charging that the only way you can get to that zero operating deficit you're looking for is by cutting education. Do you agree with that?No. In fact we gave them numbers last night [Friday]that got it to zero without cutting education. The Senate Republicans survived a night of lock-in in chambers. Not a single Senator changed his vote. Is this a victory for you guys?I think it's not necessarily a victory, but we all knew going in there was going to be no votes for the budget. The Democrats obviously didn't believe us...

Amid Monday's swearing-in festivities, a lot of people looked lost. Uncounted guests and visitors swarmed the Capitol. Phil Angelides wandered by, looking for the Assembly floor. Meanwhile, a small cadre of reporters huddled outside Senate Leader Dick Ackerman's office outside the Senate gallery as they awaited word on the political fate of the Senate leader. After two hours of deliberation and "several votes," Ackerman once again fended off a challenge from Sen. Jim Battin, R-La Quinta. But it wasn't just a victory for Ackerman. It was also a victory for Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland. Perata actively sought...

George Plescia is the Assembly Republican Leader, Dick Ackerman the Senate Republican Leader Assembly Bill 32, co-authored by Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez and Assemblywoman Fran Pavley, will force California businesses to comply with costly and unattainable mandates to reduce carbon emissions. They will have to meet 1990 levels by the year 2020, threatening jobs and opportunity for thousands of hard-working Californians. Unaccountable state Air Resources Board bureaucrats will be given nearly unlimited powers to track and enforce the mandated emissions levels. Not only will AB 32 drive businesses and jobs to Idaho, Utah, Montana, Arizona, New Mexico and other states...

An original column penned for the FlashReport by Republican State Assemblyman Ray Haynes. The first question for those of us who believe in conservatism is what specific values we believe in. Do we believe in small government? Do we believe in fewer taxes? Do we believe in individual liberty? If we believe in these things, how does that translate into actual public policy? Proposition 90 begins with the first fundamental premise; no government--federal, state or local--should be allowed to take a private individual’s property, and turn it over to another private individual, no matter how good a reason the government...

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and a bipartisan delegation of legislative leaders flew around the state yesterday to promote the $37.3 billion public works bond package approved last week for the November ballot. “When I ran for governor, people always said it would be impossible to bring Democrats and Republicans together,” the Republican governor told an airport news conference in San Diego. “But we've proven again that we can come together.” Schwarzenegger highlighted school construction money that would go to San Diego if the education component of the package is approved in the November election. “For San Diego, this means that for...

A breakdown in protocol caused two Republican senators to miss last Wednesday night's important floor session on bonds. The incident has led to a contrite sergeant at arms and a discussion over the ubiquity of Blackberry wireless devices in the Capitol. More importantly for Republicans, it caused a spat between Senate minority leader Dick Ackerman, R-Irvine, and Senator Tom McClintock, R-Thousand Oaks, the party's candidate for lieutenant governor. It all started last Wednesday afternoon as Senators were waiting for an announced Wednesday night session to try to work out a compromise on the infrastructure bond. Shortly after 5 p.m., Secretary...

Small business beware, your larger cousin, big-business has dropped their arrows, washed off their war paint and even shot their horses (presumably for food since there will be a long cold winter ahead). Recent media reports suggest that business and industry in California are no longer going to put up a fight against union demands that hurt our overall economy and end up costing jobs. Bill Dombrowski is the President and CEO of the California Retailers Association. He recently told the Orange County Register that the governor's proposal to increase the minimum wage in the state by $1 an hour...

The state Senate GOP leader's withdrawal makes Irvine's Campbell the front-runner for Cox's congressional seat when he takes over the SEC. State Senate Republican Leader Dick Ackerman announced today that he is dropping out of the race to replace Rep. Christopher Cox, who is expected to resign his seat to become head of the Securities and Exchange Commission. Ackerman, an Irvine resident, became the early front-runner when Cox's nomination to the SEC top post was announced by President George W. Bush on June 2. But that began to change Friday, when state Sen. John Campbell entered the race and immediately...

LEGISLATURE: The La Quinta lawmaker emerges as a candidate to succeed Dick Ackerman. SACRAMENTO - State Sen. Jim Battin, R-La Quinta, emerged as a leading candidate Wednesday to succeed Sen. Dick Ackerman, R-Irvine, as senate GOP leader if Ackerman runs for an Orange County congressional seat. Battin, who represents most of Riverside County, reportedly has lined up votes from a majority of the 15 Republicans in the upper house. Two other GOP senators also are interested in the post -- John Campbell of Irvine and Dave Cox of Fair Oaks. "Battin will win it, I'm told," said Assemblyman Ray Haynes,...

The ripple effect of President George W. Bush's selection for the next director of the Securities and Exchange Commission could send waves all the way to the Antelope Valley. Bush has picked Congressman Christopher Cox, a Newport Beach Republican, to head the SEC. If Cox is confirmed by the U.S. Senate, the California state Senate could lose one its members, if Sen. Dick Ackerman, R-Tustin, succeeds in replacing Cox in a special election. That would leave a vacancy in Ackerman's present position as Senate Minority Leader, the GOP leader in the state's upper house. State Sen. George Runner, R-Lancaster, is...

Simon Rally Reports 11/02/02 - Santa Barbara, Monterey, San Jose, Modesto, Fresno Feel free to post your comments on today's rallies for our California statewide candidates... SAN JOSE Freepers NormsRevenge, Mediaqueen, and yours truly, along with many more, welcomed the GOP statewide ticket to the San Jose area headed by (hopefully) our next governor, Bill Simon. Many camps were at the San Jose Hyatt north of downtown for their candidates as well as many local races such as Linda Rae Hermann (to unseat Congresscritter Mike Honda) and Douglas McNea (to unseat Congresscritter Zoe Lofgren). Signs, stickers, and buttons were in...