- California’s legislature: The withering branch | The Economist
- California’s legislature must therefore have undergone a stunning decline in the past three decades. What role the initiative process had in this deterioration is a chicken-and-egg question. In Hiram Johnson’s day initiatives seemed to be needed as a check on a venal legislature. Now perhaps a dysfunctional legislature is triggering a plethora of initiatives as citizens take matters into their own hands.
The alternative view is that the initiative process, by mutating into a virulent form after Proposition 13, caused the decline of the legislature.
- Quick summary of bills passed before sine die | Blog For Arizona • by AZ BlueMeanie
- The Tea-Publican legislature refused to fix Arizona's unemployment compensation statute with a one word amendment, asserting there was not enough time. …
[They] did have time, however, to designate "Arizona" by Rex Allen Jr. as the state centennial song…And…to approve 10 new specialty license plates…, designate an official state holiday for Statehood Day, HB 2700, and designate an official state gun, the Colt single-action Army revolver, SB 1610.
…Everyone needs to call and e-mail the Governor's office immediately urging a veto of…"Son of TABOR," HB 2707, [which] was approved late Tuesday and sent to Gov. Jan Brewer. This bill would allow state government to increase its spending only for population growth and inflation. It would start with a spending level that is comparatively low now because of the Great Recession's hit on revenue. …
- Medicare Vouchers Will Fund More Anti-Healthcare Reform Campaigns | Politicsusa – By Ray Medeiros
- Not only is this a give a way to private health insurance companies, this is a way for our own federal government to fund campaigns against any further health insurance reform. The Citizens United Supreme Court decision ruled that corporations can now use general funds to promote or attack politicians. Corporations will now be able to use their profits to promote an agenda that solely benefits themselves and their bottom line.
[My bookmarks live at delicious.com/camryl. In case it needs to be said: I don't agree with every word of everything I link to. Also, signal boosts are awesome! --L.]
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