Chris Norby concedes tightest Assembly race – photo credit: Chris Prevatt
by Brian Leubitz
With the concession of Chris Norby to Sharon Quirk-Silva, the Democratic supermajority in the Assembly was finalized. The Democrats will hold 54 of the 80 seats there. In the Senate, the situation is slightly more confusing. Senator Juan Vargas was elected to replace Rep. Bob Filner in Congress, so we’re looking at a special election in that Dem-leaning district.
That being said, what does the supermajority mean? Robert had a great take on the situation earlier this week. Tomorrow, I’ll discuss the supermajority on KALW’s Your Call radio. You can listen online here or tune in to 91.7 in San Francisco, or KUSP (88.9) in Santa Cruz.
Just a quick note on something which will no doubt cause several years (hopefully twelve!) of confusion.
Quirk vs. Quirk-Silva.
Not sure what the odds are, but the people of California elected both a Bill Quirk and a Sharon Quirk-Silva to the Assembly this year. No relation.
Assemblymember-elect Quirk-Silva was the Norbyslayer.
I look forward to tomorrow’s discussion of what the unexpected two-thirds in both houses can bring about…but it may be a while.
You point out the Vargas vacancy, but on the horizon could be others…
Senator Curren Price may be headed to the L.A. Council chambers. On the Assembly side, Bob Bumenfield is also running for a Council seat.
Plus, those Senate vacancies may be pursued by other Assemblymembers… Creating more vacancies in the Assembly.
May be a little while until all the dominos have fallen and there are functioning two-thirds majorities in both houses.
That doesn’t mean I’m any less hopeful about the direction of our state, or proud of my boss and Assembly teammates for doing what many claimed unthinkable. Just may be a few months, that’s all.
What are the chances that Democrats will act in a responsible manner ?
Listen to governor Brown
Let’s get some Real Reform enacted
Splitting the Property Tax rolls between commercial and private, housing property would be the biggie
It will require a vote of the people
But, DO IT !!
Maybe even the 2/3rs threshold for tax increases
60% would be reasonable and shouldn’t alarm anyone
(other than the Tea Party crazies like the Howard Jarvis group)
Can California Democrats produce needed reforms ?
Listen to Jerry Brown
Just a thought…
Isn’t THIS a Validation of the Re-Districting Commission ?
That was something pushed by the League of Women Voters and Common Cause and good government types
… and OPPOSED by Legislative Democrats
The voters were RIGHT about Redistricting
The Politicians were WRONG
MULTIPLE LIES COMING FROM THE DEMOCRATIC MAJORITY ASSEMBLY IN THE SANCTUARY STATE.
Stephen Frank Stated on 11/14/2012 on California deficits as follows at http://capoliticalnews.com/
In the past two months, the cash deficit of the State has gone from $22.3 billion to $24.7 billion-just for the first four months of the year.
Plus the State OWES $12.5 billion to K-12 education
It owes $15 billion stolen from Trust Funds to cover cash deficit
It owes $10 billion BORROWED to cover the rest of the cash deficit. The State owes the Feds $10 billion for the loan to the unemployment insurance fund-so California can continue to send out unemployment checks.
That is a total of $71.5 billion-and there is more. Yet, the State claims “California faces a $1.9 billion deficit through June 2014, significantly smaller than in recent years after voters passed two tax initiatives last week, the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst’s Office said last Wednesday”
They claim we will have this small deficit, instead of $71 billion because of the $9 billion Prop. 30 is going to bring in, in new revenues! Any wonder our kids are illiterate-this is the math taught in our schools. Government lies-and tries to make you feel good about being insolvent.
Seems like marijuana must be legal in government offices, he has studied.
HOW MANY LEGISLATORS ARE BRAZENLY LYING ABOUT THE TRUE DEFICIT IN THE 50 STATES?
California has the highest population of illegal aliens who have settled there. Thousands of children of illegal alien parents gaining automatic citizenship and the cost is thrown at the taxpayers. Health care and other free handouts that are the right of citizens is being disbursed to anybody who sneaks across the border or steps off a plane. None of the 50 states is exempt from this silent attack on our country or the pilfering of their general treasuries. Now the Democrats have their majority public entitlements will be pouring out across the state to all the “Freeloader voters” the spongers and the people who have no intention of finding a job. Obviously there is an exception to this rule, whereas there are special needs people, the sick and handicapped in some form or other. There are the homeless veterans and plenty other others, but we have become an public assistance nation, but some of the 49 percent that Mitt Romney talked about have scrounged their way through life and allowed the taxpayers to carry them. A great number have figured a way to deceive the welfare system, which is a stain on the real workers. Because the system could easily be thwarted, with stolen ID, the elderly and the sick lose their major assistance to the scroungers. When we cannot truly look after our troops returning from the warzones and still have millions of homeless without hope, then why are we either bringing in millions of legal immigrants, other than highly skilled workers that are always welcome?
Why is not illegal entry a Felony? CAN ANYBODY ANSWER THAT QUESTION?
BEFORE ANY PASSAGE OF IMMIGRATION REFORM FINDS ITS WAY THROUGH THE CONGRESS, TWO BILLS ARE A NECESSITY TO EVENTUALLY STOP THE INGRESS OF ANY MORE FLOWS OF ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS. 1. THE LEGAL WORKFORCE ACT CONTAINING MANDATORY E-VERIFY AND HALT ILLEGAL ALIENS TAKING JOBS AND HOLDING EMPLOYERS ACCOUNTABLE. 2. A SIMPLE AMENDMENT TO END THE BIRTHRIGHT CITIZENSHIP BILL TO STEM THE INFLOW OF SMUGGLED BABIES EITHER UNBORN OR AS AN INFANT, INTO THE UNITED STATES TO GAIN INTENTIONAL RIGHTS TO BE A CITIZEN AND A MASSIVE FINANCIAL BURDENING THE U.S. TAXPAYER. 3. THE REINTRODUCTION OF FORMER PRESIDENT BUSH 2006 SECURE FENCE ACT IN ITS ENTIRETY. THIS IS A DOUBLE PARALLEL FENCE STRETCHING ALONG THE BORDER OF THE U.S STATES AND ITS SOUTHERN NEIGHBOR. AMERICA MUST REDUCE SANCTUARY CITIES, CHAIN MIGRATION AND THE ILLEGAL ALIEN INVASION. 4. A GOVERNMENT ISSUED PICTURE ID CARD, WHICH CONTAINS INFORMATION TO USE IN PROVING WHO YOU ARE?
Well, after the trolling post above, I don’t know if anyone is going to see this but…
@Frisco, why do we need to put it to the people? The Leg has the 2/3 they need, they should just do it. We’re not talking about a new tax, we’re talking about reforming an existing one. I’d rather not run the risk of voter manipulation through special interest campaigning.
I’m also inclined to want to reduce the sales tax if a retooling of Prop 13 is successful and generates sufficient revenue. But I think there will need to be a lot of house cleaning to get rid of a lot of the corrupt politicians in light of the UC Regent scandal. Also, we need to basically tell Wall Street (with support from the Feds) “we are basically declaring your illegal interest swap contracts null and void and wiping the slate clean.” I think it’s something that the Federal government should do with all of these bad contracts and debts (because it can). If Canada can do it (20 some-odd years ago) so can we.
vs. the (tentative) results from the competitive California districts. (For how I got my Partisan Factor [PF] ratings, check this diary.)
CA-03: R+2.3 (DEM win predicted, DEM win result)
CA-07: R+5.5 (DEM win predicted, DEM win result)
CA-09: R+0.8 (DEM win predicted, DEM win result)
CA-10: R+8.6 (GOP win predicted, GOP win result)
CA-24: R+3.7 (DEM win predicted, DEM win result)
CA-26: R+3.8 (DEM win predicted, DEM win result)
CA-36: R:7.9 (GOP win predicted, DEM win result)
CA-41: R+0.4 (DEM win predicted, DEM win result)
CA-47: D+0.7 (DEM win predicted, DEM win result)
CA-52: R+6.3 (DEM win predicted, DEM win result)
SD-05: R+6.9 (DEM win predicted, GOP win result)
SD-19: D+0.4 (DEM win predicted, DEM win result)
SD-27: R+3.0 (DEM win predicted, DEM win result)
SD-31: R+3.4 (DEM win predicted, DEM win result)
SD-39: R+0.0 (DEM win predicted, DEM win result)
AD-08: R+4.2 (DEM win predicted, DEM win result)
AD-16: R+0.6 (DEM win predicted, DEM win result)
AD-21: R+3.8 (DEM win predicted, DEM win result)
AD-32: R+4.3 (DEM win predicted, DEM win result)
AD-40: R+5.8 (DEM win predicted, DEM win result)
AD-44: R+5.8 (DEM win predicted, DEM win result)
AD-60: R+8.4 (GOP win predicted, GOP win result)
AD-61: D+1.4 (DEM win predicted, DEM win result)
AD-65: R+8.1 (GOP win predicted, DEM win result)
AD-66: R+4.1 (DEM win predicted, DEM win result)
AD-78: D+4.3 (DEM win predicted, DEM win result)
I also posted a comparison of my predictions to the results nationwide on Daily Kos.
Annother change that would improve California government would be a single chamber Legislature
Instead of having a Senate of 40 members and an Assembly of 80 members, why not have a Senate of 120 members ?
You’d only need to pass legislation through one chamber instead of two
Nebraska, a one-time Populist hotbed has a single chamber
California should too
I know, Fat chance
How about easing (or better yet removing) term limits ?
It would take a vote of the people
But, it should be done
I don’t think the anti-government Tea Buggers are that popular anymore
12 – 16 years seems reasonable