Free Republic

The bipartisan glow that swathed the Capitol this year may give way to partisan rancor, as combative conservative Michael Villines prepares to lead Assembly Republicans in the next legislative session, political observers say. Villines, a Clovis Republican who was raised in San Jose, seized power by riding the support of conservative lawmakers, who rejected the more accommodating leadership of former minority leader, San Diego Assemblyman George Plescia. But the move may end up marginalizing the Republican caucus.Jim Brulte, a former Assembly Republican Leader and a key architect of the Poizner campaign, said Republican anger simply ignores the reality that California...

Assembly Republicans on Thursday ousted their party leader, selecting a more conservative lawmaker who has repeatedly clashed with Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the chamber's Democrats. The post-election move signals a more partisan shift by the minority party and comes the same day the Republican governor trumpeted his bipartisan dealmaking while on a trade trip to Mexico. Assembly minority leader George Plescia, R-La Jolla, had been in his post only since March before he was replaced by Assemblyman Mike Villines of Clovis. Villines is a former aide to Gov. Pete Wilson and Sen. Chuck Poochigian of Fresno, who lost a bid...

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...

Assembly Republican Leader George Plescia of San Diego announced Friday the members of a newly-formed task force on illegal immigration. The all-Republican group will hold town hall meetings across the state in the coming months to determine the costs illegal immigrants impose on local communities and the state, Plescia said in a news release. It will hear testimony from law enforcement, elected officials, business owners and the public. The information it gathers may be used to write legislation to address the issue, according to the release. The panel includes Assembly members Shirley Horton, R-Chula Vista; Chuck DeVore, R-Irvine; Audra Strickland,...

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...

As the weather heats up in Sacramento, so does the legislating. This month dozens of bills are moving from committees to the floor, across the rotunda and back again. This week Capitol Weekly is taking a look at some of the less-noticed measures up for consideration. And we start with everyone's favorites: sex, drugs and alcohol. Newly elected Assembly Republican leader George Plescia, R-San Diego, is pushing a measure to take popular erectile-dysfunction (ED) drugs like Viagra off the list of medications covered by state's Medi-Cal laws. The bill, A.B. 2885, would make it so Medi-Cal can only cover those...

Thanks to a number of conversations with members of the Assembly Republican Caucus yesterday, the FlashReport is pleased to congratulation San Diego Assemblyman George Plescia on becoming the new Assembly Republican Leader! I'm sure there will be discussions taking place between Plescia and his developing leadership team, and the outgoing McCarthy. McCarthy has been showing strong leadership during the debate on the Governor's proposal Strategic Infrastructure Growth Bond and early budget talks. How this transition takes place remains to be worked out. On the staff side, I haven't heard any news on whether there will be wholesale change at the...