Free Republic

With no debate and bipartisan support, the state Senate voted 26-8 on Tuesday to raise the legal age to buy tobacco in California from 18 to 21. --SNIP-- Even as tobacco companies are increasing their influence again at the Capitol, shedding a once-toxic reputation, SB 151 received unanimous support from Democrats, as well as yes votes from four Republican senators: Tom Berryhill of Twain Harte, Ted Gaines of Roseville, Janet Nguyen of Garden Grove and Jeff Stone of Temecula. If SB 151 is approved by the Assembly and Gov. Jerry Brown, California would be one of the first states in...

<p>Arriving now in the mailboxes of more than 10.6 million California voter households: Sen. Leland Yee’s pledge to fight corruption.</p> <p>Yee, indicted earlier this month on corruption and conspiracy charges, paid $6,250 for a statement touting his secretary of state candidacy in the voter information guides that began going out Thursday for the June 3 primary.</p>

SACRAMENTO (Reuters) - The California Senate on Thursday passed a bill supporters dub the "anti-Arizona" law, which seeks to shield illegal immigrants from status checks by local police and challenges Republican-backed immigration crackdowns in other U.S. states. The Democrat-led state Senate voted 21 to 13 for the California Trust Act, which blocks local police from referring a detainee to immigration officials for deportation unless that person has been convicted of a violent or serious felony. The bill has the backing of about 100 immigrant rights groups, police chiefs and mayors. It has already passed the state Assembly in a 47-26...

SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- Voters along California's Central Coast on Tuesday turned back a Democratic attempt to gain more power in the state Legislature, electing a Republican to fill a vacant state Senate seat. The win by state Assemblyman Sam Blakeslee denies Democrats the opportunity to consolidate their power in the Senate and come within one vote of claiming the two-thirds majority needed to pass budget plans and tax increases.

Jesse Lee Peterson Radio Show! Uniting the Races with Truth Instead of Dividing them with Lies! THE JESSE LEE PETERSON RADIO SHOW TUNE INTO JESSE'S SHOW HERE 6 am to 9 am PST, 9 am to 12 pm EST BOND Action, Inc. has been created to educate, motivate and rally Americans to greater involvement in the moral, cultural and political issues that threaten our great country ”Rebuilding the Family by Rebuilding the Man”... Tickets for BOND's 20th Anniversary Fundraising Celebration are now available! Come join BOND Founder and President Rev. Jesse Lee Peterson and Special Guest Speaker Pat Boone for...

The three Republican U.S. Senate candidates will square off in a radio debate Tuesday afternoon in Costa Mesa on "The John & Ken Show" on KFI AM 640. The debate begins at 2 and will be streamed live. In Senate campaign news, Orange County Assemblyman Chuck DeVore announced the endorsement of former Rep. Duncan Hunter Sr., who did not issue a statement.

SACRAMENTO (CBS13)- A state senator from Southern California was arrested for allegedly driving drunk after leaving Faces, a gay nightclub in midtown Sacramento, early Wednesday morning. The California Highway Patrol pulled over Senator Roy Ashburn at 2:00 a.m. Wednesday after an officer noticed a black Chevy Tahoe swerving at 13th and L Streets. Ashburn, a father of four, is a Republican Senator representing parts of Kern, Tulare and San Bernardino Counties with a history of opposing gay rights When the officer stopped the state-issued vehicle, the driver identified himself as Senator Ashburn. He was arrested without incident and charged with...

In the LaMusga move-away case, the California Supreme Court is currently debating how to best preserve the bonds between children and their parents after a divorce. By contrast, Senate President Pro Tem John Burton (D-San Francisco) is trying to slip a bill through the legislature to make it easier for custodial parents to sever these bonds by slipping out of town. Burton's recently introduced Senate Bill 1367 will harm California children of divorce by limiting the ability of courts to determine children's best interests when considering custodial parent move-aways. The bill instructs courts that a custodial parent's request to change...

<p>SACRAMENTO (AP) - The federal task force investigating Enron has met with investigators with the state Senate committee probing the California energy crisis to review documents the committee obtained under subpoena, sources told The Associated Press Friday.</p> <p>Six investigators from the FBI and the U.S. attorney's office first met with state Senate investigators for four hours on July 15, and have had several telephone discussions since then, said a legislative source close to the investigation. Another source close to the investigation confirmed the meetings.</p>