Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) introduced a bill Monday that would require professional sports teams to pay off all debt involving taxpayer dollars to the municipality in which they are located before signing an agreement to move to another California city or county. bar one California city from issuing bonds to lure a professional sports team from another city in which existing bonds had not been paid. It would effectively require that the Sacramento Kings repay the city $77 million before the bonds approved by the Anaheim City Council could be issued. “It’s all about public dollars involved not just in the situation currently pending with regards to the (Sac

Today I testified before the Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 1 on Health and Human Services in regard to their plan to cut roughly a $1 billion of regional center services to people with developmental disabilities. Some of you may know me already. My wife, Azlina, passed away suddenly and unexpectedly just a month ago. Perhaps the saddest part of my personal tragedy is that my son Azrai, diagnosed with Autism three years ago, lost his mother, his best friend and a tireless advocate for him to receive all the educational and developmental services he needs to live a more-or-less normal life. As Melissa Mendoza wrote yesterday, there is tremendous cost involved in attaining services for a

Having set dozens of appointments with state assembly members and senators, the Sacramento Metro Chamber calls for the region’s business and civic leaders to join up for the annual State Legislative Summit, Wednesday, Jan. 27, as the Metro Chamber will lead a regional advocacy effort focused on increasing jobs in the region by advocating for policies that will help employers and workforce expand in the coming years. “All business—every sector and every size—needs access to our State House,” said Matthew Mahood, president & CEO. “We encourage business to take advantage of this once-a-year opportunity. The Metro Chamber is advocating for critical issues important to jobs and business in our

Democratic Assembly candidate Chris Garland is ringing in the New Year with his announcement that he has picked up the endorsements of key legislative leaders in his race for the Democratic nomination in the 9th Assembly District, including Senator Leland Yee, Assemblymember Anthony Portantino, and former Assembly Speaker Fabian Nunez. For more information, contact Phil Giarrizzo, 916-737-9325.

Back in February Gov. Schwarzenegger and the legislature passed a state budget that included a temporary one-cent hike in the state sales tax, well now the time has come to pay up. On April 1st the one-cent-on-the-dollar increase will take effect and will expire on either July 1, 2011, or July 1, 2012 depending on voter’s approval of the proposed Budget Stabilization constitutional amendment in a statewide election to be held on May 19, 2009. If Proposition 1A, also known as the Spending Cap Amendment passes on May 19th, more than sales taxes will be raised. Expect to see an additional 5% surcharge on state income taxes, an increase in the vehicle-license fee from 0.65% to 1.15%, $15 bill