Karen Bass

New lawmakers prepare to govern, cut spending, perhaps even compromise as hard work begins. The office name plates are posted, key committee assignments doled out and the staff members are ? more or less ? in place. For the history-making class of freshmen who flipped the House from Democratic to Republican control, now comes the hard part: governing in opposition to a president intent on his own re-election.

California lawmakers move to crack down on paparazzi hounding celebrities at home, workplace. Paparazzi could be arrested for loitering outside a celebrity's home or workplace under a measure moving through the California legislature.

BOSTON (Reuters) - The four lawmakers who engineered a bipartisan, although ultimately unsuccessful, solution to California's massive 2009-10 budget shortfall were lauded for their actions on Monday.

Calif. lawmakers who led last year's budget negotiations receive JFK Profile in Courage award. Four California lawmakers who stood up to their parties during last year's state budget crisis have been awarded the annual John F. Kennedy Profile in Courage Award.

AP Enterprise: Inmates with violent pasts among those released early under Calif. law. Inmates convicted of violent crimes are among those being freed early from California jails to save money, despite lawmakers' promises that they would exclude most dangerous prisoners and sex offenders.

New Assembly leader breaks barrier as first gay lawmaker to head Calif. legislative body. The first openly gay lawmaker to lead either house of the California Legislature has been sworn in as speaker of the state Assembly.

Rejection of Schwarzenegger's lt. gov nominee sets up clash between governor, state Assembly. The California Assembly on Thursday rejected Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's pick for lieutenant governor, setting up a potential legal showdown after the governor said he would attempt to seat his nominee despite the vote.

AP Exclusive: Records show dozens of Calif. lawmakers fail to report freebies from lobbyists. A California lawmaker and his wife were treated by the insurance industry to a two-night stay, with spa treatments, at an exclusive Pebble Beach resort.

AP Exclusive: Records show dozens of Calif. lawmakers fail to report freebies from lobbyists. A California lawmaker and his wife were treated by the insurance industry to a two-night stay, with spa treatments, at an exclusive Pebble Beach resort.

SACRAMENTO, California (Reuters) - California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed "draconian" spending cuts in his new budget on Friday to help close a crippling deficit and warned new cash shortages loomed in coming months.

SACRAMENTO, California (Reuters) - California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed "draconian" spending cuts in his new budget on Friday to help close a crippling deficit and warned new cash shortages loomed in coming months.

The California Assembly elected its first openly gay speaker on Thursday, Assemblyman John Perez, a Latino Democrat from Los Angeles, the 'San Francisco Chronicle' reported. The chamber's Democratic caucus unanimously agreed to support Perez, 40, last month. The 48 to 26 vote split mainly along party lines. Perez's ascension comes during his first term, an unusually fast rise that has caught many off guard. ?I can tell you he's ready,? Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, a Democrat from Baldwin Vista, said last month. ?He doesn't walk into this job as if this is the first thing he's ever done ? he has decades of experience serving in many leadership capacities.? After his selection, lawmakers from both parties showered Perez with a standing ovation. ?Thank you very much,? Perez said in a brief speech. ?Now let's get back to work.? Instead of voting for Perez, Republicans nominated caucus leader Sam Blakeslee as speaker. The nomination was purely symbolic since Democrats, who outnumber Republi

Democrats agree unanimously on the nomination of openly gay John Perez to Assembly speaker in California . The California Assembly's Democratic Caucus is unanimously behind the nomination of Assemblyman John Perez, an openly gay Latino Democrat from Los Angeles, to become the state's next Assembly speaker. The caucus decided on Perez, 40, at a Thursday meeting after Assemblyman Kevin de Leon, another Latino leader, agreed to step aside. De Leon was widely believed to be the front runner for the position, but failed to gain sufficient support from key Democrats. Perez's ascension comes during his first term, an unusually fast rise that has caught many off guard. ?I can tell you he's ready,? Assembly Speaker Karen Bass, a Democrat from Baldwin Vista, told the 'San Francisco Chronicle'. ?He doesn't walk into this job as if this is the first thing he's ever done ? he has decades of experience serving in many leadership capacities.? Gay activists praised the selection, calling it an histori

Democrats in California Legislature pick 1st openly gay Assembly speaker. The California Assembly has picked its first openly gay speaker.

Democrats in California Legislature pick 1st openly gay Assembly speaker. The California Assembly has picked its first openly gay speaker.

Schwarzenegger calls special legislative session to continue talks on Calif. water deal. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger is summoning lawmakers for a special session on the state's water problems, even as legislative negotiators ended nearly 12 hours of talks without reaching an agreement.

Schwarzenegger calls on Legislature to give tax panel's plan a fair hearing, finish this year. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger signed an executive order Tuesday calling a special session of the Legislature to overhaul California's tax system ? and he wants it done by the end of the year.

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - California is pushing plans for a high-speed rail line and is banking on receiving nearly half of the federal stimulus money set aside to bring fast train travel to the United States.

With major issues unresolved, Calif lawmakers will be back soon to tackle oustanding problems. California lawmakers wrapped up a legislative session dominated by deep budget cuts early Saturday with few major accomplishments, putting off critical decisions on water policy and other reforms until special sessions this fall.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger blasted members of the state Assembly Wednesday for lacking "the guts" to enact sweeping changes to California sentencing laws.