From Michelle P. Connor, Legislative Advocate

Budget Update

Rumors for some time seemed to indicate that Democrat Assembly Speaker Karen Bass did not have her Democrat caucus in total lock step with her wishes and that this budget would really test her metal as an effective leader. To show that Speaker Bass was truly the leader of the Democrats and in a manner of swift justice, Speaker Bass reassigned Democrat Assemblywoman Para’s office space. Why?

On occasion, Democrat Assemblywoman Para has voted with the Republican Assembly Members. It has now become an apparent pattern for her to vote with the Republican Assembly. It is a bit of a shocker for Speaker Bass and the Democrat Assembly.

So, on last Sunday’s drill vote on the budget it was not a shocker that she did not vote for the budget bill. Democrat Assemblywoman Para’s district is home to many great Republicans and the many taxes proposed in the budget would be a nonstarter for them and would seem like an economic typhoon to hit her district.

Democrat Assemblywoman Para’s motive for not voting on the budget was getting a water bond put on the negotiating table AB 8. This Democrat bill contains a provision for water storage, which has been a Republican cause. We wanted it; they did not. The bill has been sent to the Committee on Water and Parks.

Over the past decades, normally retribution for getting on the wrong side of any assembly speaker was that the speaker in power would have the assembly member put in the worst office inside the Capitol. Democrat Assemblywoman Para, however, has been banished from the grounds and has been moved to the Legislative Office Building on N Street.

Assembly Minority Speaker Assemblyman Villines issued the following press release on August 20th:

“The proposal put forward today looks remarkably similar to the plan the governor’s office has been negotiating with the Democrats for weeks. Substituting one tax increase for another is not a bipartisan compromise, nor will it solve our long-term budget problems. This budget proposal will still leave a $7 billion hole next year despite nearly $10 billion in higher taxes and new revenue.”

“Increasing taxes on hard working Californians, whether temporary or permanent is not only unnecessary, it is irresponsible. Assembly Republicans continue to oppose tax increases because they will hurt families, kill jobs, hinder our economic growth, and feed the Democrats’ addiction to higher spending.”

“Assembly Republicans understand the importance of passing a responsible budget in a timely manner and will continue to work toward an honest budget that reforms our budget system, encourages economic growth, creates jobs, and rejects tax increases.”

Water Bond and Budget Drama to be continued ……

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Number 1 Poll Issue Illegal immigration

In my recent poll to members, the number one response was the illegal immigration issue. Here is an example of what happens in a “sanctuary city” such as San Francisco.

San Francisco's immigrant sanctuary policies played a "substantial" role in the slayings of a father and two of his sons by allowing city officials to shield the alleged killer from deportation, despite his violent history, according to a legal claim filed on behalf of the victims' family. Tony Bologna and his sons Michael and Matthew were shot to death on June 22, 2008. Edwin Ramos, who authorities say is a member of a street gang, has been charged with three counts of murder.

San Francisco’s sanctuary practices were denounced by the family after The San Francisco Chronicle reported that Ramos, a Salvadoran native suspected of being in this country illegally, had committed felony attempted robbery and assault as a juvenile. The Chronicle reported that officials with the Juvenile Probation Department, relying on their interpretation of San Francisco's sanctuary city ordinance, had not referred Ramos to federal immigration authorities for possible deportation. The ordinance bars city officials from cooperating with federal crackdowns on illegal immigrants.

The Bologna family's claim does not make a specific request for monetary damages. Lawyers for Bologna's wife and his two surviving children assert in the claim that the city's sanctuary policy was illegal, reckless and a "substantial factor" in the slayings. The claim further asserts that the city knew that federal Immigration and Customs Enforcement officials were targeting illegal immigrant gang members for removal from the United States and would have sought to deport Ramos immediately had they known of his juvenile record. The claim places blame on the city's Juvenile Probation Department for adopting "official and unofficial policies" that amounted to unlawfully harboring illegal immigrants who committed violent crimes.

The claim also cites a 2006 bulletin to police officers that limited how and when officers could communicate with immigration authorities and a directive issued by Mayor Gavin Newsom in March 2007, which prohibited "dissemination" of immigration information by police or other city departments to the federal government unless the agencies were required to do so by U.S. law.

The Bologna family contends that the city created an environment that was hostile to anyone who would report offenders for deportation because of the city’s sanctuary policies reinforced by an unwritten but enforced policy that discouraged police officers from reporting any illegal alien. The City of San Francisco has forty-five days to respond to the claim. Denial of the claim allows the family to proceed with litigation against the city.

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Republicans in the legislature have solutions to our budget crisis that do not involve tax increases. To learn more their proposals visit www.senaterepublicanbudget.com/

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CFRW Activities & Events

Mark your calendars

State
October 17 - 19, 2008,CFRW Fall Board of Directors Meeting
LAX Marriott, 5855 West Century Boulevard, Los Angeles, CA 90045

CFRW 34th Advocacy Workshop and Spring 2009 Board of Directors' Meeting, Hyatt Regency at Capitol Park, Sacramento, May 3-5, 2009

Northern Division
New events will be announced soon
Central Division
New events will be announced soon

Southern Division
New events will be annouced soon

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Republican Web Links

National Federation of Republican Women


SPECIAL ANNIVERSARY EDITION! DON'T MISS IT!
The Summer 2008 issue of the REPUBLICAN WOMAN is available ONLINE ONLY. This special anniversary edition celebrates the NFRW's 70 years of excellence with a comprehensive timeline that is accompanied by several informative sidebars and historic photographs. Please go to www.nfrw.org

Political Candidate
www.JohnMcCain.com


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Recent Legislative Updates

2008-08-25
2008-08-19
2008-08-12
2008-08-11
2008-08-04
2008-07-28
2008-07-21
2008-06-30
2008-06-23
2008-06-16


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