San Quentin, may you rot and burn in hell.
May your walls fall and may I live to tell.
May all the world forget you ever stood.
And may all the world regret you did no good.

Those are Johnny Cash's words in his 1969 classic about California's most infamous prison.

And for now, it's going to stay a prison.

After a brief debate this morning, legislation to close San Quentin State Prison and sell its Marin coastline property was shelved, and it appears the proposal could ultimately be rejected later this year in the state Senate.
(more...)

On this week's Capital Notes Podcast, we wax poetically about some of the latest poltical and policy news... including an insurance industry crackdown, grumbling among some legislative Democrats when it comes to party politics, and the latest news on the state's growing budget deficit.

Capitol Weekly editor Anthony York and I trek through the week's news with our usual repartee. Consider yourself warned.

Related Information:

"State Launches Unprecedented Review of HMO Coverage Cancellations," by John Howard & Anthony York of Capitol Weekly

"Perata's 'No Show' Letter to Staff Chiefs Fuels Capitol Anger," by Anthony York of Capitol Weekly

"Tax Blues... State Government Style," by John Myers at KQED Capital Notes

This week's edition of the Capital Notes Podcast has us looking at several tidbits from the world of California politics... including the election of delegates to the Democratic National Convention and several nasty (or soon to be so) grudge matches headed to a ballot near you.

Capitol Weekly editor Anthony York and I do our best to dish on the Democrats headed to Denver, the recall campaign heating up in the Central Valley, a zinger of a campaign ad on a computer near you, initiatives headed to the November ballot, and some tough talk inside organized labor in California.

And a clarification since we recorded the p'cast earlier this morning: it was the year 2000 when Democrat Simon Salinas defeated Republican Jeff Denham for a seat in the Assembly... not, as we postulated, the other way around. Not enough coffee for us, it seems.

Related Information:

"Picking Delegates: Democracy In Action," by Mary Anne Ostrom in the San Jose Mercury News

"Democratic Party Delegate Elections," KQED's The California Report

Voters in the 12th state Senate district will do more than just participate in the state's primary election on Tuesday, June 3: they'll also weigh in on whether to recall their sitting senator.

Governor Schwarzenegger acted today to consolidate the recall against Sen. Jeff Denham (R-Merced) with the already scheduled election day. Denham, a two term GOP senator, faces a possible removal from office two years early... after Democrats financed the gathering of signatures to force a recall election.