Free Republic

The predominately Democratic California legislature is at it again, coming up with different ways to take your personal freedoms away for the sake of a few. On the heels of attempting to make spanking a misdemeanor, the legislature now wants to make it permissible for a landlord to prevent smoking in apartment buildings on the pretext of protecting other tenants from secondhand smoke. The spineless legislator who sponsored the bill didn’t have the courage to make it a crime under the state’s Health and Safety Code. The proposed legislation merely allows the landlord to make the decision, essentially making him...

State Sen. Debra Bowen, a candidate for secretary of state, is pushing efforts to reduce the advantage enjoyed by well-heeled special interests in qualifying ballot initiatives. Bowen, a Marina del Rey Democrat who is running against Republican incumbent Bruce McPherson, outlined her concerns Wednesday in a breakfast meeting with The Bee's Capitol Bureau. California's current process is a far cry from Hiram Johnson's vision when he created the initiative as a check on the power of railroads to control the Legislature, Bowen said. "Certainly, he did not have in mind that anybody who had a million dollars could qualify just...

Students who came to the country illegally could apply for state financial aid when they attend California colleges and universities under legislation approved Tuesday by the Assembly in a party-line vote. Supporters said immigrant children who have graduated and completed at least three years of high school in California should not be penalized for their parents' decision to bring them to the U.S. illegally. "It is one small measure to help these kids that are working their butts off to live the American dream," said Assemblyman Hector De La Torre, D-South Gate. The bill would build upon existing state law...