SAN FRANCISCO – Shortly after noon Aug. 12, U.S. District Chief Judge
Vaughn R. Walker announced that he would lift the temporary “stay” or delay
enforcement of his Aug. 4 ruling on Perry v. Schwarzenegger that struck down
Proposition 8, the California law that passed in the November 2008 elections
denying same-sex couples the right to wed.
However, Walker placed a hold on that stay until 5 p.m. Aug.18 to give
U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ample time to consider arguments to place
another stay until that court decides on the validity of Walker’s decision.
Arguments on both sides of the issue were to be submitted Aug. 6.
Several same-sex couples were turned away from county clerks offices
throughout the state. Walker said that proponents of Prop. 8 have the burden of
proof as to whether lifting the stay would cause an irreparable damage.
Politicians from both the left and right side of the spectrum, including Gov.
Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown, urged Walker to lift the stay
and allow for the resumption of same-sex marriages. Three judges from the 9th
Circuit Court of Appeals would decide on whether to act on the appeal to the
lifting of the stay.
Proposition 8, which passed by a 52.3 percent margin, banned same-sex
marriages six months after the California Supreme Court ruled that the state
constitution allowed marriage for same-sex couples.
About 18,000 same-sex couples married in California during what some
called “the summer of love,” the months prior to the passage of the law. The state
Supreme Court upheld the ballot measure and the marriages legalized during
prior to the 2008 election.
Soon after, gay couple and a lesbian couple filed the federal challenge.
Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney Jerry Brown refused to defend Prop.
8.
Walker heavily relied on the trial testimony to determine the measure was
unconstitutional.
"Plaintiffs challenge Proposition 8 under the Due Process and Equal
Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment," Walker wrote. "Each
challenge is independently meritorious, as Proposition 8 both unconstitutionally
burdens the exercise of the fundamental right to marry and creates an irrational
classification on the basis of sexual orientation."
Because the Brown and Schwarzenegger have decided not to fight the
stay or the decision of the court to overturn the decision, and proponents of Prop.
8 are not part of the litigation, the Court of Appeals may not move forward with
either appeals from Prop. 8 supporters. In that situation, Prop. 8 supporters may
take their appeals to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, who has a
say on matters relating to 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
L.A. City Council Gives Neighborhood Councils More Say with DWP
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles City Council, voted 14-0 with Councilman Dennis Zine absent, Aug. 10, to amend the Rules and Elections Committee report by creating a ratepayer advocate for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to ensure that neighborhood council of community meeting and to make sure that the chief administrative and legislative officers work closely with the neighborhood council working group on the DWP.
The two proposals were introduced by Council President Eric Garcetti to establish a new, independent customer advocate’s office to oversee the DWP. The office would be established outside of the department or any
political office. Only the voters can change the charter, insulating the office from
future political or DWP interference.
A DWP budget reform motion also introduced by Garcetti would put on the
ballot an amendment to the city charter that would push public scrutiny of the
DWP budget and minimize the uncertainty in the city budget process. The
amendment would require DWP to publicly present its budget well in advance of
the budget deadline and change the current deadline that allows DWP to pass its
budget after the overall city budget is passed.
The proposed reform charter amendment would require the department to
present its proposed budget by April 20, which is when the Los Angeles Mayor
Antonio Villaraigosa is required to present the proposed city budget every year,
and would require the DWP Board of Commissioners to pass the department’s
final budget by June 1.
L.A. Council Approves Tax Holiday
The Los Angeles City Council voted 10-5 with Councilmen Tony
Cardenas, Tony Labonge, Bill Rosendahl, Greig Smith and Dennis Zine absent,
Aug. 6 to pass a business tax holiday and other business friendly tax reforms.
Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa created already the Internet Business Tax to
provide tax relief to existing, highly mobile companies and expanded the State
Enterprise Zone so more companies could take advantage of various state and
local taxes and power rate incentives.
"Today, the City Council answered the call to make Los Angeles a
stronger competitor to attract businesses and the vital jobs that come with them
by passing the Business Tax Holiday,” Villaraigosa said.
L.A. Schools Awarded $5 Million inEducation Reform Grants
LOS ANGELES – The LA Compact, a nonprofit partnership, awarded, Aug. 6, a
federal investing in innovation grant.
The Compact is one of only 49 grant recipients out of nearly 2,000
applicants. The grant program awards creative and forward thinking in public
education, and the $5 million in grant monies will go towards enhancing the
Public School Choice program, as well as funding new pilot programs and
initiatives.
This grant of $5 million is expected to support 60,000 students at some
LAUSD schools by funding the Public School Choice selection process. The
Public School Choice program was approved and implemented in 2009. The
program calls for organizations that operate schools, including LAUSD, to
compete to run new and failing schools. An application and evaluation process is
used to determine the best candidates to operate these schools.
The second round of the Public School of Choice process began recently
with a Request for Proposals and a public comment period. Mayor Antonio
Villaraigosa, along with other groups, submitted recommendations for improving
the process, such as focusing on more reform-oriented and data-driven
proposals. Full applications for the second round of the process will be due in
December.
The L.A. Compact is a coalition of leaders in public education, higher
education, business, labor and civic life.
"The LA Compact is an innovative partnership that unites all stakeholders
under a common goal: to put our children first and make their education our top
priority," Villaraigosa said.
Congress Passage Of Jobs Bill Expected To Bring $1.2 Billion To California
Washington D.C. – The Aug. 11 passage of H.R. 1586, the Education
Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act is expected to save and create 320,000 jobs nationwide, including more than 160,000 teacher jobs. The Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act passed in the U.S. Senate, was approved by the House in a 247-161 vote, and signed into law by the
President Barack Obama Aug. 11.
California is expected to receive about $1.2 billion to save or create more
than 16,500 teacher jobs. While some educators are concerned with the process
of how the funds will be used and how the hiring and rehiring of teachers will take
place, city official say it’s a good start in fostering relief.
“These job-saving and job-generating measures are exactly what we need
to ensure we stay back on track to economic recovery,” Mayor Villaraigosa
said. “With children all over Los Angeles heading back to school in the next
month, this bill comes not a moment too soon.”
SAN FRANCISCO – Shortly after noon Aug. 12, U.S. District Chief Judge Vaughn R. Walker announced that he would lift the temporary “stay” or delay enforcement of his Aug. 4 ruling on Perry v. Schwarzenegger that struck down Proposition 8, the California law that passed in the November 2008 elections denying same-sex couples the right to wed.
However, Walker placed a hold on that stay until 5 p.m. Aug.18 to give U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals ample time to consider arguments to place another stay until that court decides on the validity of Walker’s decision. Arguments on both sides of the issue were to be submitted Aug. 6.
Several same-sex couples were turned away from county clerks offices throughout the state. Walker said that proponents of Prop. 8 have the burden of proof as to whether lifting the stay would cause an irreparable damage. Politicians from both the left and right side of the spectrum, including Gov. Schwarzenegger and Attorney General Jerry Brown, urged Walker to lift the stay and allow for the resumption of same-sex marriages. Three judges from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals would decide on whether to act on the appeal to the lifting of the stay.
Proposition 8, which passed by a 52.3 percent margin, banned same-sex marriages six months after the California Supreme Court ruled that the state constitution allowed marriage for same-sex couples. About 18,000 same-sex couples married in California during what some called “the summer of love,” the months prior to the passage of the law. The state Supreme Court upheld the ballot measure and the marriages legalized during prior to the 2008 election.
Soon after, gay couple and a lesbian couple filed the federal challenge. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Attorney Jerry Brown refused to defend Prop. 8.
Walker heavily relied on the trial testimony to determine the measure was unconstitutional.
"Plaintiffs challenge Proposition 8 under the Due Process and Equal Protection Clauses of the Fourteenth Amendment," Walker wrote. "Each challenge is independently meritorious, as Proposition 8 both unconstitutionally burdens the exercise of the fundamental right to marry and creates an irrational classification on the basis of sexual orientation."
Because the Brown and Schwarzenegger have decided not to fight the stay or the decision of the court to overturn the decision, and proponents of Prop. 8 are not part of the litigation, the Court of Appeals may not move forward with either appeals from Prop. 8 supporters. In that situation, Prop. 8 supporters may take their appeals to U.S. Supreme Court Justice Anthony Kennedy, who has a say on matters relating to 9th Circuit Court of Appeals.
L.A. City Council Gives Neighborhood Councils More Say with DWP
LOS ANGELES – The Los Angeles City Council, voted 14-0 with Councilman Dennis Zine absent, Aug. 10, to amend the Rules and Elections Committee report by creating a ratepayer advocate for the Los Angeles Department of Water and Power to ensure that neighborhood council of community meeting and to make sure that the chief administrative and legislative officers work closely with the neighborhood council working group on the DWP.
The two proposals were introduced by Council President Eric Garcetti to establish a new, independent customer advocate’s office to oversee the DWP. The office would be established outside of the department or any political office. Only the voters can change the charter, insulating the office from future political or DWP interference.
A DWP budget reform motion also introduced by Garcetti would put on the ballot an amendment to the city charter that would push public scrutiny of the DWP budget and minimize the uncertainty in the city budget process. The amendment would require DWP to publicly present its budget well in advance of the budget deadline and change the current deadline that allows DWP to pass its budget after the overall city budget is passed.
The proposed reform charter amendment would require the department to present its proposed budget by April 20, which is when the Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa is required to present the proposed city budget every year, and would require the DWP Board of Commissioners to pass the department’s final budget by June 1.
L.A. Council Approves Tax Holiday
The Los Angeles City Council voted 10-5 with Councilmen Tony Cardenas, Tony Labonge, Bill Rosendahl, Greig Smith and Dennis Zine absent, Aug. 6 to pass a business tax holiday and other business friendly tax reforms. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa created already the Internet Business Tax to provide tax relief to existing, highly mobile companies and expanded the State Enterprise Zone so more companies could take advantage of various state and local taxes and power rate incentives.
"Today, the City Council answered the call to make Los Angeles a stronger competitor to attract businesses and the vital jobs that come with them by passing the Business Tax Holiday,” Villaraigosa said.
L.A. Schools Awarded $5 Million inEducation Reform Grants
LOS ANGELES – The LA Compact, a nonprofit partnership, awarded, Aug. 6, a federal investing in innovation grant.
The Compact is one of only 49 grant recipients out of nearly 2,000 applicants. The grant program awards creative and forward thinking in public education, and the $5 million in grant monies will go towards enhancing the Public School Choice program, as well as funding new pilot programs and initiatives.
This grant of $5 million is expected to support 60,000 students at some LAUSD schools by funding the Public School Choice selection process. The Public School Choice program was approved and implemented in 2009. The program calls for organizations that operate schools, including LAUSD, to compete to run new and failing schools. An application and evaluation process is used to determine the best candidates to operate these schools.
The second round of the Public School of Choice process began recently with a Request for Proposals and a public comment period. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, along with other groups, submitted recommendations for improving the process, such as focusing on more reform-oriented and data-driven proposals. Full applications for the second round of the process will be due in December.
The L.A. Compact is a coalition of leaders in public education, higher education, business, labor and civic life.
"The LA Compact is an innovative partnership that unites all stakeholders under a common goal: to put our children first and make their education our top priority," Villaraigosa said.
Congress Passage Of Jobs Bill Expected To Bring $1.2 Billion To California
Washington D.C. – The Aug. 11 passage of H.R. 1586, the Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act is expected to save and create 320,000 jobs nationwide, including more than 160,000 teacher jobs. The Education Jobs and Medicaid Assistance Act passed in the U.S. Senate, was approved by the House in a 247-161 vote, and signed into law by the President Barack Obama Aug. 11.
California is expected to receive about $1.2 billion to save or create more than 16,500 teacher jobs. While some educators are concerned with the process of how the funds will be used and how the hiring and rehiring of teachers will take place, city official say it’s a good start in fostering relief.
“These job-saving and job-generating measures are exactly what we need to ensure we stay back on track to economic recovery,” Mayor Villaraigosa said. “With children all over Los Angeles heading back to school in the next month, this bill comes not a moment too soon.”