State Capitol, Sacramento. (Photo: David Monniaux)ANALYSIS: Senate Leader Darrell Steinberg of Sacramento and Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez of Los Angeles are both Democrats, but the two are hardly friends. The events of the last week captured the uneasy, though often productive, working relationship between the two leaders.
Three state Senators – one convicted of voter fraud and perjury and the other two facing federal corruption charges – were suspended from office Friday effective immediately. The Senate voted 28-1 to suspend Sens. Leland Yee of San Francisco, Ron Calderon of Montebello and Rod Wright of Inglewood – all Democrats.
State Sen. Ron Calderon, whose Capitol offices were raided as part of an FBI undercover sting, says federal authorities illegally leaked information and pressured him to wear a hidden microphone in a purported corruption probe of Senate Leader Darrell Steinberg (above) and a colleague. Calderon said he refused, prompting retaliation from federal agents. On Thursday, a judge ordered federal authorities to respond to Calderon’s allegations. (Photo: Rich Pedroncelli/AP)
Sacramento, K Street The measure, SB 743, was offered as a district bill sought by Senate Leader Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, for a local project to make the city attractive to the NBA’s Sacramento Kings. Gov. Brown later signed the measure. But SB 743 actually has statewide implications and the exemptions could affect cities seeking to build projects – sports related or otherwise — in transit priority areas on so-called “infill development” sites.(Photo: Steve, Wikimedia)
Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis, is carrying SB 33, which focuses on infrastructure finance districts, while Assemblymember Luis Alejo, D-Watsonville, has authored AB 1080, which is similar to SB 1, but focuses on poverty and deterioration rather than transit areas as a standard for determining redevelopment areas.
The state Senate on Monday approved and sent to Gov. Brown a bill that would restore key provisions of the California Public Records Act, following an outcry from the media and others that officials had tried to block the public’s access to government business.
The bill, SB 71 by the Senate Budget Committee, removed