"Shut your fucking mouth! We can lose you in here" becomes even more poignant as the constitutionally challenged National Defense Authorization Act for 2012 sits on President Obama's desk. As it currently stands, spokespeople for Obama have stated he would not veto it. more ›

Our state laws regarding cellphone use while at the wheel of our cars, and while we're riding on two wheels, are staying status quo. Tuesday, Governor Jerry Brown vetoed State Bill 28, which would have seen fines for illegal cellphone use while driving double. The bill also included new legislation that would have applied to bicyclists' use of cellphones. more ›

The budget package passed Wednesday by Democratic legislators has been vetoed by Gov. Jerry Brown, sources say, according to the L.A. Times. more ›

Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger apparently slipped in an embedded and hidden "fuck you" in a veto message to San Francisco Assemblymember Tom Ammiano and now the San Francisco Chronicle is taking a stab back. A hidden message in their in-print editorial today reads "Grow Up Girlie Man." And maybe the state's frat boy squad can get back to work now. (h/t LAObserved) more ›

Although two major gay rights bills were signed by Governor Schwarzenegger this weekend, two dealing with transgender issues were vetoed. One would have aided transgender people to revise their birth certificates and the other would have provided protections for transgender people in prison. more ›

Governor Arnold Scwharzenegger last night vetoed a bill that would have limited the options of completing the 710 Freeway, which is considered the missing link of the regional freeway system, according to the L.A. Times. If signed, the bill would have stopped any possibility of a surface route, therefore increasing chances of a 4.5-mile tunnel under South Pasadena, connecting to the 134/210 freeway exchange. more ›

Although the legislature last week approved two bills meant to help California obtain 33 percent renewable energy by 2020--a goal provided in legislation from 2006--Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger today announced that he will instead sign an executive order mandating the same goal that will use different methods. more ›

A state legislator is suing the Governor over budget cuts and so is everyone else, it seems. Today, you can add AIDS Project Los Angeles to the list. They contend that Schwarzenegger went beyond his authority by cutting $85 million from HIV/AIDS programs. Citing the state's Legislative Counsel Bureau, the APLA says Schwarzenegger was only allowed to make budget cuts to original budget appropriations, not to a bill passed last February. “In exceeding his power, the governor has singlehandedly dismantled a critical array of programs that protect the health of all Californians -- programs that ultimately save the state from far more catastrophic spending,” APLA Director Craig E. Thompson said. “The effects will be nothing short of devastating.” Los Angeles County has the second largest AIDS epidemic in the country and 7,000 people statewide are estimated to become HIV positive. A rally will be held at Pershing Square in downtown tonight at 7 p.m. followed by a short march to the Reagan State Office Building on Spring Street. 2,000 demonstrators are expected. more ›

Schwarzenegger has been signing and vetoing bills all week and has until the end of the day today to finish. Among the bills passed was the transportation sales tax increase proposal on to LA County's ballot and forcing fast food and chain restaurants to post calorie information. Of the bills vetoed, six of them were voter related, something Secretary of State Debra Bowen, who is the state's head election official, is not happy with. more ›

Although Republican Assemblyman Bill Maze of Visalia introduced a bill that would fine people driving with animals on their laps $35, the Governor is giving it the ol' veto. more ›

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wanted three things to be in this morning's state budget that finally passed a record breaking 78 days later into the fiscal year. All three regarded provisions over the rainy day fund to be used in fiscal trouble and one of them were not included. Therefore, he " is expected to announce this afternoon that he will veto the state budget passed by the Legislature early this morning, setting the stage for an unprecedented confrontation in California's Capitol, said people familiar with the situation," reported the LA Times. more ›

For those of you following AB 2321, a state assembly bill that would allow Metro to put a proposed half-cent sales tax increase on November's ballot (they say it could raise $30-40 billion dollars over 30 years), it passed out of the state senate this afternoon, according to Steve Hymon at the Bottleneck Blog. more ›

In order to get the State Legislature to pass the budget, which was due by July 1st, Schwarzenegger threatened to veto any bill that came across his desk until it passed. But that meant he would have to veto bills that he supported like the bill to update the High Speed Rail proposition (SF to LA in under 3 hours) or his water bond bill. Then today he reversed course... for his pet bills, of course. For those following the Metro sales tax story, Streetsblog LA has some hope that the bill that would allow voters to approve or deny public transit funding will be signed. more ›