California Faultline

STATEWIDE

Gov. Schwarzenegger denied fellow Hollywood action star Clint Eastwood and brother in law Bobby Shriver from third terms as members of the State Park and Recreation Commission. [LA Times]

State Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner is forcing Allstate Insurance to give California customers an 18% rate cut because he believes their rates are too high. [KNBC]

Pregnant women in their third trimester and two months following birth could be entitled to handicapped parking spaces if Assemblyman Chuck Devore’s (R-Irvine) proposed bill is passed. [Sacramento Bee]

The progressive group Courage Campaign is asking why state Republicans are trying to push additional tax breaks for yacht owners while California is facing a signifigant budget crunch. [Blogging on Meds]

LOS ANGELES

The Glendale News-Press takes a glance at Assembyman Paul Krekorian’s (D-Burbank) legislative goals, including bills that would increase penalties for street racing and speeding, improve drinking water safety, and making it illegal to sell beef from sick or diseased cows.

LA City Council may soon pass an ordinance that would fine hospitals $25,000 for “dumping” homeless patients. [KNBC]

SAN FRANCISCO AND BAY AREA

The mayor and police of Oakland express frustration over loopholes in state law allowing for the proliferation of assault weapons. A California Dept. of Justice agent says, “You’re more likely to be hit by a stray round nowadays than an intended round.” [CBS5]

San Francisco is inching towards requiring large buildings to have “solar power, nontoxic paints and plumbing fixtures that decrease water usage.” [San Francisco Chronicle]

A year after banning city government from buying bottle of water, San Francisco Mayor Newsom is urging restaurants to stop selling bottles and - gasp - give away glasses of tap water for free. [San Francisco Chronicle]

LOS ANGELES AND ORANGE COUNTY

Barack Obama said he believed it was “pretty clear that O.J. was guilty” in an interview with ABC’s Nightline in an effort to seperate his views as being unique from that of many black Americans. [Top of the Ticket]

Plans to build a private, self contained, newly annexed suburb of the City of L.A. called Las Lomas were voted down by City Council on Wednesday. The city could be hit back with an expensive lawsuit. [KNBC]

US Attorney’s reps attempt to defend the decision to disband a corruption wing as former employees claim they’re being threatened if they go forward with the real reason. [LA Times]

The Long Beach school board has asked the state for a waiver on restrictions on how certain education funds could be spent. In the same meeting, the board ended an experiment with single-gender classes. [Long Beach Press Telegram]

OC Republicans are suing a Congressional candidate for putting the title “Mayor of Huntington Beach” on her resume -  they argue that since the post isn’t voted on (it rotates to different council members annually) it isn’t legally allowed. [OC Register]

SAN DIEGO 

San Diego’s growing number of properties being declared historical, allowing for dramatic tax deductions, the city is being deprived of signifigant revenue, a county grand jury determined. [San Diego Union-Tribune]

SAN FRANCISCO AND NORTHERN CALIFORNIA 

A Sonoma County community is getting all NIMBY about a proposed Vet rehab center, apparently fearing PTSD crazies will go all Rambo in wine country. [Daily News]

Gov. Schwarzenegger was met by dozens of hecklers in Pleasant Hill as he compared his budget plan to the path to heaven: “Everyone wants to get there, but nobody wants to do what it takes to get there.” [NBC 11]

State Senator Jeff Denham, R-Merced is facing a recall election after he failed to vote on the state budget last July. [Fresno Bee]

Mayor Newsom ordered all city agencies to cut payroll expenses by 8% which will likely result in hundreds of layoffs. [San Francisco Chronicle]

Are KFI’s John and Ken bigots? They’re getting some flack for depicting  Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, an Italian-American, as a Mafia gangster in ads that complain of his call for higher taxed. [Calitics]

At right, “LA’s Mayor Appreciates The Female Physique” from Glitterati Magazine.

NATIONAL

Hillary Clinton supporter Mayor Gavin Newsom explains that she has a better chance of winning in November because Clinton will be able to turn national intelligence reports, and thus the issue of security, in her favor. [Huffington Post]

LOS ANGELES

A foster teen whose plans to enlist in the Marine Corps were denied by a judge on the basis that she didn’t support the war in Iraq, has gained the support of L.A. County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich, who has called for a complete investigation into the matter. [Daily News]

SAN FRANCISCO & THE BAY AREA

On March 26th, John McCain hits the Bay Area for two fundraising events: a $1000 seat daytime event in Pebble Beach (fundraisers who bring in $46k or more can sit at the head table), and in the evening a $2300/plate dinner at San Francisco’s Ritz Carlton, with better seating for fundraisers bringing in $25k or $50k. [SF Gate Politics Blog]

A Sunnyvale man is suing his neighbors for not cutting down trees that are blocking solar panels on his roof, violating a never used “right to sunshine” law. The trees were planted long before the solar panels were installed in 2001, but have since grown above the neighbor’s roof. [Ask Mom, She Knows / CNN]

San Jose Assemblyman Joe Coto has proposed a bill to require all 18 year olds to vote in order to receive their high school diploma. [NBC11]

SAN DIEGO

Two San Diego County school districts announced teacher layoffs earlier this week. The tally: Poway Unified, 180 teachers, and a possible elimination of its ROTC program; and San Diego Unified, 614 teachers, plus an additional 300 or so principals, nurses, and other employees. Last month, San Marcos Unified announced layoffs for 130 temp teachers, but has shifted additional cuts to employees and staff. [SignOn San Diego]