The Chief Justice on California's Government

It's not just you or me calling our state government "dysfunctional." it's our Chief Justice. Here's the Los Angeles Times article.

Constitutional Conventions in New York and California

Professor Thad Kousser has this interesting article, from the Los Angeles Times, comparing New York's experience with constitutional conventions to that of California. It seems some people in New York actually like the most controversial features of California's government: limits on raising taxes, the initiative, etc.

More on the Part-Time Legislature

Should California be more like Texas? That's one of the questions explored in this Sacramento Bee article on the part-time Legislature initiative. It turns out, by the way, that the per capita amount Texans spend on their legislature is more than in California, even though it meets only every other year.

State and Local Residency Requirements

Here is an interesting article from the Los Angeles Times concerning an investigation of Sen Roderick Wright and the interplay of state and local residency requirements for public office.

Privacy Interest Doesn't Trump Disclosure of Medical Records

In Manela v. Superior Court (here), the Court of Appeal has held that the State's interest in protecting the children of divorcing parents trumps the privacy interest of a father in his own, non-privileged medical records. In this divorce proceeding, the wife contended that the husband suffered from seizures that limited his ability to have custody of their child. She sought her ex's medical records from two doctors. The court granted discovery as to one doctor, because the husband had been examined by the doctor in the wife's presence, and had therefore waived the doctor-patient privilege, but denied discovery as to the other doctor. Then the Court held that although the husband had a protectible privacy interest in the medical records that were no longer privileged, that interest was outweighed by the state's interest in protecting the child in determining custody

Con-Con Backers Delay Initiatives

So says this report from the Sacramento Bee.

More Briefs in Line Item Veto Case

Here are more briefs in the line item veto case: the petition in intervention filed by the legislative intervenors (here) and the amicus brief filed by Children Now(here).