Posts Tagged: members

High Court upholds redistricting panel

Congressional districts in the Inland Empire, approved by California's redistricting commission in 2011. (Map: Ballotpedia)

by JOHN HOWARD posted 06.29.2015

That whooshing sound you hear is the sigh of relief from California political reformers. The U.S. Supreme Court today rejected an attempt by the Arizona Legislature to dismantle that state’s voter-approved, independent commission that draws the political boundaries for legislative and congressional districts. Arizona lawmakers had argued that the commission – which California used as a model for its own redistricting commission — was unconstitutional because it cut them out of the map-drawing process.

A pension reform initiative filed last week requires voter approval of termination fees, the big upfront payment demanded by CalPERS when a plan is closed to new members. CalPERS says it needs the money to ensure payment of the pensions promised members who remain in the closed plan. The termination fee is calculated by dropping the pension fund earnings forecast from the current 7.5 percent to as low as 2.98 percent.

Taking vacation time — on the campaign trail

State Capitol, Sacramento. (Photo: David Monniaux)

by JOHN HOWARD posted 05.20.2015

Summer and the Thanksgiving-Christmas holidays – prime time for people to relax. But in the intense, politics-driven culture of the Capitol, by far the most popular time to sign up for vacation or leave is during period surrounding the general election, when the staff members’ bosses may be up for reelection. Then, some two-thirds of the Assembly’s work force put in for at least some amount of vacation time during 2014, according to Assembly figures reviewed by Capitol Weekly.

Lobbyists and the legislators they lobby generally act responsibly and in compliance with applicable state and federal laws. However, because there is so much scrutiny on politics and the legislative process, when something improper does occur, it gets into the public domain quickly. As a result, when there is an alleged violation of the law, it becomes a high profile matter that garners public attention and discussion.

Class convened: A primer on the role of the California Legislature

The state Capitol, Sacramento. (Photo: AMadScientist, via Wikimedia)

by CHRIS MICHELI and REX FRAZIER posted 02.18.2015

Legislators may serve a maximum of twelve years in the Legislature. Someone could serve six, two-year terms in the Assembly, or three, four-year terms in the Senate, or some combination of terms in both houses. This system replaced a more chaotic term limits system of six years in the Assembly and eight years in the Senate, which resulted in Assembly members constantly seeking to “jump” from the Assembly to the Senate in what fairly can be described as a non-stop series of elections and musical chairs.

OPINION: By accelerating the development and deployment of alternatives to oil, California’s Low Carbon Fuel Standard—which the Air Resources Board will consider this week —helps untangle us from regimes that do not share our values. It helps make our nation stronger by weakening regimes that use oil to pay for their murderous acts, and makes the world a little bit safer.

Court ruling could jeopardize California redistricting

by JOHN HOWARD posted 01.26.2015

California and Arizona are two states that couldn’t be further apart in temperament and size. But in one crucial issue – the drawing of political boundaries – they are joined at the hip, as California’s redistricting commission made clear Friday to the U.S. Supreme Court.

The apparent suicide last week of Alfred Villalobos, who faced a bribery trial next month, is a sad end for a former CalPERS board member paid more than $50 million by firms seeking money from the big pension fund. Most of his fees came from private equity firms during the years leading up to the financial crisis in 2008. Some call the period private equity’s “golden years,” when leveraged buyouts of corporations yielded huge profits.

Calpensions: A new comparison with four other large public pension funds found that CalPERS, while scoring average on service, had high pension administration costs — $213 per member a year, nearly twice the average of $108 per member.

A stealth move to rewrite state law to allow the newly elected Long Beach mayor to hold a seat on the California Coastal Commission has emerged in the final days of the legislative session.