Archive for the ‘State Legislature News’ Category

Republicans take control of the Senate:

Members of the Senate were sworn in on Monday, as Republicans took control of the Senate.

Supreme Court Justice Michael J. Gableman swore in the lawmakers and Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald (R-Juneau.)

With the change in control of the Senate, Sen. Mike Ellis (R-Neenah) was named president of the Senate, replacing Sen. Fred Risser (D-Madison.)

Fitzgerald predicted that many bureaucrats and lobbyists will be disappointed under a Republican majority that is intent on shrinking the size of government and eliminating a two-year $3.3 billion deficit. “There will be very real changes to the status quo,” he told senators.

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Republicans take control of the House:

Members of the state Assembly were sworn in Monday as Republicans take control of that chamber.

Supreme Court Justice David T. Prosser Jr., a former Assembly speaker who is running for re-election this year to the state’s highest court, swore in the lawmakers and Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald (R-Horicon).

Republicans now control the body 60-38 with one independent following their overwhelming win in November’s election. Nearly one-third of the body was sworn in for the first time.

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From the ArizonaRepublic:

Republican lawmakers Thursday sued the state panel that is charged with nominating candidates to redraw Arizona’s political boundaries, charging the group failed to produce a list of candidates who are qualified and willing to serve.

The suit, filed with the state Supreme Court just before the holiday weekend began, comes a day after the panel rebuffed requests by House Speaker Kirk Adams and Senate President-elect Russell Pearce to reconsider the list of redistricting candidates.

The lawmakers are asking the court for quick action, noting that Adams is bound by the state Constitution to make the first appointment to the Independent Redistricting Commission by Jan. 31.

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The RSLC will continue tracking special elections across the country in 2011. Check out RSLC.com see if there are any in your area!

After the November primary thinned the Republican contenders from three to one, Democratic Mayor Ken Cooley of Rancho Cordova and Republican Assemblyman Ted Gaines of Roseville will face each other Jan. 4 in the final vote to fill the seat vacated by the late Sen. Dave Cox.

Gaines led the pack in the primary in spite of the split Republican vote, but only led Cooley by 5,000 votes. Republicans Barbara Alby and Roger Niello had 140,000 votes between them that are now up for grabs.

Cooley said he doesn’t expect the votes to simply go to Gaines as the remaining Republican – while Niello endorsed Gaines after his primary loss, Cooley isn’t convinced Niello’s supporters will follow his lead.

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From SignOnSanDiego.com:

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has set a special election to fill the vacancy created in the state Senate when George Runner won election to the Board of Equalization.

Under California’s new open primary law, the top two vote-getters in a Feb. 15 primary will advance to an April 19 runoff election, regardless of party affiliation.

There will be no runoff if a candidate wins more than 50 percent of the vote in February.

Runner, a Republican from Lancaster, resigned his 17th Senate District seat Tuesday. The district covers parts of Los Angeles, Ventura and San Bernardino counties.

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From VermillionToday.com:

Sen. Nick Gautreaux will resign as a Louisiana senator, according to a Christmas greeting parish residents received Tuesday night.

The message does not say when is his last day, but sources close to Gautreaux say it could be W.

Residents began getting the greeting after 5:30 p.m. He wished everyone a Merry Christmas and then informed the person on the other end of the phone that he will resign as the state senator for the district to accept a new job with the Department of Motor Vehicles with the Jindal administration.

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The LA Times points out how the census has awarded traditionally Republican states seats in Congress while Democrat states have lost some. Thanks to massive gains in the election, Republicans are in good position for the Redistricting process.

The Democrats’ legal effort appears to be stronger and better organized now than the Republicans. History shows there is reason for Democrats to worry. Following the 1990 census, the GOP gained more than two dozen seats in the U.S. House attributed to the redrawing of district lines, a shift that paved the way for Republicans to take control of the House in 1994.

“We are in a position to exceed those gains,” said Christopher Jankowski, who directs redistricting for the Republican State Leadership Committee. He noted in an interview Tuesday that the GOP now controls 25 legislatures, up from just 14 before the November elections. “That’s more success than either party has seen in modern history,” Jankowski said.

The redrawn boundaries also could determine future control of the White House, as each state receives one electoral college vote for every seat it holds in the House of Representatives.

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From KansasCity.com:

Rob Olson, a state representative from Olathe, was elected Monday by Republican precinct leaders to fill a vacancy in the Kansas Senate from Johnson County.

Olson will replace Karin Brownlee of Olathe’s 23rd Senate District, who has been selected by Gov.-elect Sam Brownback to be the next secretary of the Kansas Department of Labor.

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From bizjournals.com:

New York’s highest court issued a unanimous decision Monday that means Republicans will control the state Senate starting next year.

In a 6-0 decision, the Court of Appeals affirmed lower-court rulings that had declared Republican Senate candidate Jack Martins the winner of a race in Long Island against incumbent Sen. Craig Johnson, D-Nassau County.

The victory for Martins gives Republicans a 32-30 majority in the Senate, effective when the new session starts early next month.

Republicans had controlled the Senate for more than four decades, before losing control in the 2008 elections.

Republican control will likely boost the Capital Region delegation, because five of the six senators representing the 11-county area are Republicans. The delegation also includes Sen. Neil Breslin, D-Delmar.

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A Republican wants Arkansas to join the at least 32 states that already have a similar program.

From TheCabin.net:

Lt. Gov.-elect Mark Darr calls a proposal that would establish a website to provide information about Arkansas’ spending and revenue “a good first start” in state government becoming more transparent.

The proposal for the upcoming legislative session by state Rep. Ed Garner, R-Maumelle, would require the state Department of Finance and Administration to develop the website by Jan. 1, 2012. Darr says such “an online checkbook” would help expose and prevent government waste.

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