VIDEO: Dan Walters chronicles the reactions of some California politicians to this week's announcements of Comcast shutting down call centers and Campbell Soup closing a south Sacramento plant.
Three days are left for Gov. Jerry Brown and his pen, and the issue bringing advocates to the Capitol today can be summed up in one word: vaccinations.
Their event is being billed as a "bipartisan medical choice freedom rally." Their target is Assembly Bill 2109, Sacramento pediatrician Richard Pan's measure to require parents to receive information from a health-care provider before exempting their child from immunizations because of their beliefs.
On the left is Saturday Night Live alum Rob Schneider of Pacifica, who talked to Capitol Alert earlier this month about why he opposes the Democratic assemblyman's proposal. On the right are two Republicans -- Assemblyman Tim Donnelly of Twin Peaks and Tony Amador, who's challenging Pan in the 9th Assembly District. All three are scheduled to speak at the rally, which runs from noon to 2 p.m. on the Capitol's west steps.
Also on Brown's desk is Assembly Bill 2189, which would let some of the state's 2.5 million illegal immigrants get driver's licenses if they have special federal status.
A new Field Poll finds that California voters oppose giving driver's licenses and in-state tuition breaks to illegal immigrants, though most voters support a path to citizenship. Kevin Yamamura has details in today's Bee. To read the publicly released poll, click here. You'll find the statistical tabulations, compiled exclusively for Capitol Alert, at this link.
Mark your calendars, meanwhile, for Sunday. Not only is it the governor's deadline for acting on this session's bills, it's time for a candidate forum co-hosted by Asian Pacific Islander American Public Affairs Association and others. Organizers have invited candidates in Sacramento area races for Congress, including Democratic Rep. John Garamendi and Republican challenger Kim Vann, Democratic Rep. Jerry McNerney and Republican challenger Ricky Gill, and Republican Rep. Dan Lungren and Democratic challenger Ami Bera.
Garamendi, Vann, Gill, Lungren and Bera are confirmed to attend, according to this flier. Also confirmed are Pan and Amador, as well as Democrat Ken Cooley and Republican Peter Tateishi, who are facing off in the 8th Assembly District.
Topics include the three tax initiatives and other November propositions as well as the federal health care reform law. Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson will open the event, while Pamela Wu serves as M.C. and The Bee's Dan Walters is chief moderator. The forum runs from noon to 5 p.m. Sunday at Sacramento State's University Union. Capitol Alert will be there.
CAPITOL STEPS: The State Indian Museum and others are sponsoring the 45th annual California Native American Day, with cultural demonstrations and music, dance, story-telling and other cultural demonstrations from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. on the west steps. Maidu dancers will also perform at 5 p.m. at the grinding stone near N Street in Capitol Park.
CA24: Democratic Rep. Lois Capps and Republican challenger Abel Maldonado face off tonight at a public forum hosted by the San Luis Obispo Tribune and the League of Women Voters of San Luis Obispo County. The event starts at 7:30 p.m. at 3825 S. Higuera in San Luis Obispo.
CAKE AND CANDLES: Assembly Speaker John A. Pérez, D-Los Angeles, turns 43 today, and Assemblyman Jose Solorio, D-Santa Ana, turns 42.
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