California’s Plummeting GOP Registration – Part 2
Last April, I posted an article for Fox and Hounds noting the plummeting Republican registration in California, noting that not only was the statewide Republican registration of 31.1% a historic low, but for the first time there was not a single congressional, state senate or assembly district that had a majority Republican registration.
Needless to say, most Republican activists in this state at the time were in a rather funky mood.
Now, nearly a year later, President Barack Obama’s approval ratings have dropped considerably, a Republican won a U.S. Senate seat in very blue Massachusetts to succeed the late Ted Kennedy, and “tea baggers” along with their spiritual leader, former Alaska Governor Sarah Palin, have aroused passions among conservative activists throughout the nation, as well as California, that we have not seen in more than a decade.
Conservative passion may be on the rise, but according to a report recently released by the Secretary of State’s office, Republican registration continues to plummet, with statewide GOP registration falling below 31% to 30.8, while both Democratic and Decline to State (independent) registration slightly increased.
More importantly, Republican registration has continued to decrease in legislative districts that are expected to be target races this year.
Nervous Legislators Duck Maldonado Vote
Here’s a reminder for the seven Assembly members who didn’t bother to cast a vote Thursday on GOP state Sen. Abel Maldonado’s nomination as lieutenant governor:
The green button on your desk is for “aye” and the red button is for “nay.” But you’ve got to pick one of them. There’s no button in the middle for “both ways.”
The final tally was 35 Assembly members in favor of the nomination and 37 opposed. Since the “no” votes were a plurality, Democrats argue that Maldonado loses and the LG’s office stays vacant.
Not so fast, says GOP Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger, who made the nomination in the first place. Since there weren’t 41 votes against Maldonado, his argument is that since the nomination wasn’t turned down by a majority of the Assembly, Maldonado is the new lieutenant governor.
A Reason for the Con-Con: To Define ‘Refused Confirmation’
Finally a reason to support a constitutional convention: To rewrite Article V Section 5(b) of the state constitution to make clear what it means by the phrase “refused confirmation.” If we can dump that murky phrase we would know if California had a Lt. Governor or not today.
Since there was no majority of the Assembly to reject outright the nomination does that amount to the Assembly refusing to confirm the nomination? Does that mean that Abel Maldonado is the Lt. Governor of California? The Governor thinks so. The Assembly Democrats don’t agree.
So as all issues must in the natural order of things the confirmation result has come down to the lawyers.
Whether you agree or not with Maldonado’s positions on tax increases, it seems Democrats in the Assembly have lost the right to criticize Republicans for refusing to compromise. Here’s a Republican who voted with the Democrats yet they stick to politics and punish him.
For Public Health????
I received an alert from the ARB news service touting a recent employer citation and fine and was struck by a few comments in the article.
SACRAMENTO – The California Air Resources Board recently fined Rapid Harvest Company $16,500 for diesel emissions violations.
An ARB investigation showed Rapid Harvest, based in Salinas, Calif., failed to properly inspect their diesel vehicles in 2005.
Recently fined $16,500 for failing to properly inspect in 2005?! Where is the equity in this? I guess the fact that this employer apparently DID properly inspect their diesel vehicles in 2006, 2007, 2008, and 2009, as one would assume due to the lack of any fine or penalty levied for those years, didn’t matter?