California State Senate

Why Are Women Practically Nonexistent on L.A. City Council?

Of 15 City Council seats, the Valley's may soon have the sole female

How to Grow Weed in Los Angeles If Dispensaries Go Away

See Also: Medical Weed's Stay of Execution in L.A. Inside 420 W. Pico Ave. in downtown L.A., patients can pick their treatment from a menu; the strains of marijuana have names like "skittles," "sour diesel" and "sucker punch." The main attraction at Kush Connection, though, is "Master Yoda" -- known ... More >>

Prop. 28 Passes With Flying Colors: How California Legislators Tricked Voters Into Extending Their Term Limits

Update: Philip Blumel with the group U.S. Term Limits tells us Prop. 28 was "the most deceptive referendum that I've ever seen." More at the bottom. Like Big Oil-backed Prop. 26 in the 2010 election, another disastrous Trojan Horse made its way past California voters last night.

California Senate Bans the Word 'Retarded'

A bill that just passed the California State Senate would rid our medical vocabulary of the "R-word" -- on the grounds that it is "offensive and outdated." The State Senate, who is nothing if not retarded, approved the R-word ban unanimously this morning. For once, Democrats and Republicans could a ... More >>

Hardworking Trio Celebrates 50 Years at Taix French Restaurant in Echo Park

It's a weekday afternoon at Taix French Restaurant in Echo Park, and three employees in button-up shirts are reminiscing about 50 years of serving the restaurant's guests -- many of whom return time and time again. "They like the ambiance," says Bernard Inchauspe, a waiter. "Most of us, we're prett ... More >>

Koreatown Roars Against Gerrymander

Sleeping tiger says no more splitting

Roderick Wright, Inglewood Senator Accused of Sexual Harassment, Pays Woman $120K in State Money to Shut Up: Report

Bakersfield NowOK, ew.​The most infuriating part about the California State Senate's reported $120,000 payout on behalf of Senator Roderick Wright (D-Inglewood) last year -- just now revealed by the Los Angeles Times -- is that officials are treating it like nothing out of the ordinary. Wrigh ... More >>

DREAM Act (Part II) Passes State Legislature, Ready to Be Signed by California Governor

Associated PressAssemblyman Gil Cedillo celebrated the passage of Part I of the DREAM Act just last month.​Taxpayer dollars to fund the college careers of illegal immigrants? Yes, please!, said both the California State Senate and Assembly this week, giving their blessing to the DREAM Act's c ... More >>

California Redistricting Maps: Before and After

uncoverage.netCongrats, California Citizens Redistricting Commission!​The honorable commission of average Joes that's been slaving over California's out-of-wack districts for the last six months finally revealed a first draft of changes this morning, totally surpassing "Pretty Woman" for Best ... More >>

Your Facebook Info Could be Protected Under California Proposal

eigi​If you don't want Facebook to share your private information, a bill that would grant that wish hits the California Senate this week for a vote. But it will be an uphill battle. Sen. Ellen Corbett's SB 242 needs five votes for passage. It was already rejected and was granted reconsiderat ... More >>

Lies Abound About Why Senate Bill 18, to Limit and Ban Gifts to California Legislators, Was Killed by those Legislators

madashelland.comCalifornia legislators were awash in lies as they killed another gift-giving reform.​Remember the names Kevin de Leon, Fran Pavley, Curren Price and Ted Lieu among California legislators who helped kill Senate Bill 18, which would have banned their sleazy acceptance of luxury g ... More >>

Jamie Court: Browser Beater

Term Limits Hot Button Issue at West Hollywood City Council Debate, Incumbents Oppose Them

West Hollywood City Council candidate Mito Aviles​Term limits for West Hollywood City Council members was the hot button issue at a candidates' forum held at the West Hollywood Park Auditorium last night. Nearly all challenging candidates supported term limits while incumbents Abbe Land and ... More >>

Mission Drift at Gay Inc.

Is the most powerful gay lobbying group in California becoming irrelevant?

Curren Price Wins* California State Senate District 26 In Election 2010, Dropkicking Opponent Nachum Shifren Into Culver City Gutter

​We're calling it: Curren Price (D) of Culver City is your next representative for California State Senate District 26. He beat opponent Nachum Shifren (R) by a landslide. *OK, so we fibbed in the headline. The final results aren't in and the polls haven't closed. But thanks to sleazy incumb ... More >>

Alex Padilla Wins* California State Senate District 20 In Election 2010, Feeding Opponent Kathleen Evans To Lions Before Cheering Valley Crowds

​We're calling it: Alex Padilla (D) of the San Fernando Valley is your next representative for California State Senate District 20. He beat opponent Kathleen Evans (R) by a landslide. *OK, so we fibbed in the headline. The final results aren't in and the polls haven't closed. But thanks to s ... More >>

Kevin De Leon, Edward Hernandez Win* California State Senate Districts 22, 24 In Election 2010, Wishing They Had Opponents To Conquer

Edward Hernandez​We're calling it: Kevin De Leon (D) of South Pasadena and Edward Hernandez (D) of L.A. proper are your next representatives for California State Senate Districts 22 and 24, respectively. Both ran unopposed. *OK, so you can't exactly win a race in which no one else running.

Surprise: Rest Of The Shoo-Ins Win* California State Senate, Assembly And Congressional Districts In Election 2010, Banding Together For Mass Extermination Of Opponents

In a startling upset, Gerrymandering Congressman Howard Berman wins again​*OK, so we fibbed in the headline. The final results aren't in. But -- thanks to sleazy incumbent fixing of elections in California by the Berman brothers -- the new crop of California Senators, Assemblymen and Congressm ... More >>

Heal The Bay Releases Mockumentary Promoting Legislation Banning Plastic Bags In California

taberandrew via Flickr​ A mockumentary released today by Heal the Bay aims to promote the passage of AB 1998, a state measure that would ban the single-use of plastic bags in retail stores in California, according to a release by the nonprofit. Actor Jeremy Irons narrated the four-minute piec ... More >>

Villaraigosa's Five-Year Free Ticket Spree

The Los Angeles mayor's usurping of anticorruption rules could spread to pols across California

Proposition 14, the Open Primary

What happens to ossified Sacramento if California voters get to shop around?

On the Backs of Children

How UTLA's teacher-layoff rules are devastating inner-city L.A. schools

Villaraigosa Endorses Janice Hahn for Lt. Governor

The "big announcement" came several hours later than expected, but Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa has endorsed L.A. City Councilwoman Janice Hahn for lieutenant governor.L.A. City Councilwoman Janice Hahn​In a press release sent out last night, Villaraigosa says, "Janice Hahn knows what it ... More >>

Schwarzenegger's Pick For Lt. Gov. A Fail (For Now)

Sen. Abel Maldonado.​Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's pick for Lt. Governor, moderate Republican state Sen. Abel Maldonado, was rejected Thursday by the California Assembly. His nomination had passed muster earlier with the state senate, but Maldonado could only garner 36 and then 37 of 41 needed ... More >>

Obama Taps East L.A. Congresswoman Hilda Solis for Labor Post

The Wall Street Journal reported that President-elect Barack Obama has chosen California Democratic Rep. Hilda Solis as his Labor Secretary. "Like most Democrats, she is pro-labor," says political consultant Bill Carrick. "You would have a hell of a story if Barack Obama appointed someone anti-labor ... More >>

Shutting Down Public-Access TV

AT&T and L.A. City Hall quietly lead a national push to silence the little guy

Proposition 11: The Most Misunderstood

The League of Women Voters, Common Cause and AARP seek change in Sacramento

Diane Watson: Hillary's Gal

A talk with the 68-year-old congresswoman

From Silver Lake to Suicide: One Family's Secret History of the Jonestown Massacre

A cache of letters hidden in the basement brings to life a house, a family and the tragedy that would change everything

Space Race Two: SoCal Loses Fight for Private Space Terminal to New Mexico

State turns instead to manufacturing ships, suits, even diapers

The (Yes, It's Arrived) Latino Factor: Latinos Choose Hillary...

... bum out Obama, and give a little nod to McCain

Feeling Salamandered?

Out of the budget debacle’s ashes, a chance to end gerrymandering

Sacramento Bites Back

With Antonio preoccupied by an affair, L.A. loses its rail funds. You can thank Mike Villines

Tribal Purge

State Dems back gambling-rich Indians’ greedy wars of expansion

Living and Dying in L.A. - Part 1

A call for a new generation of Latino arts leaders

Go Canada!

Should American homosexual couples head north to elope?

An Oracle’s Mistake

Yes, it’s a scandal. But big enough to roust Gray Davis from office?

Drive-by Reporting

Mayor Hahn’s new press aide comes in with a bang

Heel!

Yanking Matthew Margolis' chain