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Voters show little faith in governor, lawmakers -- California voters are worried sick about the state's economy, but they don't believe Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and the Legislature can work together to solve California's fiscal problems, according to a new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California. John Wildermuth in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/4/08

High-earning state employees' pay may be frozen -- Fed up with large pay raises for executives of California's public universities, the chairman of the Assembly's higher-education committee introduced legislation yesterday that would freeze salaries of state employees who make more than $150,000 a year. James P. Sweeney in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 12/4/08

Dems propose simple majority to OK budget -- Democratic lawmakers, who hold a majority in the state Legislature, introduced a bill Wednesday to change the two-thirds requirement for approving state budgets to a simple majority vote. Matthew Yi in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/4/08

Will new Capitol dynamics fix the legislative system? -- Four years ago, Assembly Speaker Herb Wesson held a party for himself to say goodbye to the Capitol Press Corps. During the gathering, the newly elected Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger dropped by to throw his arm around Wesson and wish him well. Anthony York in Capitol Weekly -- 12/4/08

Political peril looms in ‘fiscal emergency’ -- more than seven decades, but generations of Legislatures and governors managed to get budgets, with some exceptions, readily approved and signed into law. For most of those years, good times and bad, approving the budget was almost routine. Not so now. John Howard in Capitol Weekly -- 12/4/08

Analysis: Schwarzenegger: Federal aid request no bailout -- Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger doesn't think you should call potential federal aid to California a bailout, handout or any other kind of out. He prefers the term "investment." Kevin Yamamura in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/4/08

Possible conflict probed in California jobless appeals board -- The Sacramento County District Attorney's Office and California attorney general are investigating whether members of the Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board broke conflict-of-interest laws in 2005 when they voted to offer their own chairwoman a job in San Diego. Andrew McIntosh in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/4/08

LAO criticizes key fiscal points in greenhouse plan -- California’s attempt to curb climate-changing greenhouse gases has been targeted in a sharply worded analysis by the Legislature’s nonpartisan fiscal adviser, who says the plan relies in part on incomplete data and provides dubious analyses of the cost-savings associated with the proposal. John Howard in Capitol Weekly -- 12/4/08

Lottery ticket sales drop dramatically -- Ticket sales by the California Lottery are off about 10 percent compared to a year ago, a drop lottery officials are pinning on a bad economy. But California Lottery officials say they don’t think the lagging sales will interfere with efforts to modernize the lottery and revamp it to give more revenue to the state. Malcolm Maclachlan in Capitol Weekly -- 12/4/08

San Francisco archbishop defends role in Prop. 8 passage -- San Francisco Catholic Archbishop George Niederauer, in his first extensive explanation about his role in the passage of Proposition 8, on Wednesday defended the church's actions in the successful ballot initiative. Matthai Kuruvila in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/4/08

Prop. 8 poll: Evangelicals, Republicans were biggest backers of gay marriage ban -- A new poll by the Public Policy Institute of California shows that the ballot measure banning gay marriage in California received its strongest support from Republicans and evangelical Christians. Shelby Grad in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/4/08

Education and income were strong factors in vote against gay marriage -- A majority of blacks and Latinos voted to ban same-sex marriage in California last month, but socioeconomics — not race and ethnicity — was the decisive factor in Proposition 8, according to a new statewide survey of voters. Mike Swift in the San Jose Mercury Lisa Leff AP -- 12/4/08

Quinn: Recalling the Supreme Court – if it comes to that -- “We think the discussion of a recall at this point is premature. But if the court voted to overturn Proposition 8, no one would be able to stop a recall.” So says Andrew Pugno, attorney for the Proposition 8 campaign. Tony Quinn in Capitol Weekly -- 12/4/08

Suit seeks database on bills, lawmakers' votes -- Open-government advocates filed a lawsuit against the state Wednesday, asking a Superior Court judge to order the Legislative Counsel to provide an electronic database containing information on bills and lawmakers' voting records. Matthew Yi in the San Francisco Chronicle Peter Hecht in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/4/08

Can new Senate leader bring change to Capital? -- Maybe the new guy can figure it out. Freshly sworn-in Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg, D-Sacramento, is the new guy, and "it" is the dysfunctional Capital, where crises seem the norm and lawmakers' inability to resolve them help perpetuate an endless cycle of frustrations. Steven Harmon in the Contra Costa Times -- 12/4/08

Death called attack of rage -- Full of beer, rum and rage after being turned away from a fraternity party, four Sacramento men – including the 19-year-old son of former California Assembly Speaker Fabian Núñez – killed a San Diego college student and then tried to destroy evidence, according to allegations contained in court documents. Kim Minugh and Jim Sanders in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/4/08

Possible gang link probed in arrest of Nuñez's son -- Esteban Nuñez, the son of former California Assembly Speaker Fabian Nuñez, and three other men who were arrested in the fatal stabbing of a college student in San Diego fit the definition of a criminal street gang, police said in search warrants released Wednesday. Tony Perry and Patrick McGreevy in the Los Angeles Times Kristina Davis in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 12/4/08

Peace doesn't reign within peace officers union -- If there's one thing we've learned in the four months we've being covering state workers, it's this: Dissent in the union ranks is alive and well. Among the loudest factions right now is the newly formed Peace Officers of California. Jon Ortiz in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/4/08

If Rep. Becerra joins Obama team, hopeful replacements are waiting -- Potential candidates are jockeying to run for Xavier Becerra's congressional seat as word spreads that President-elect Barack Obama is considering him as U.S. trade representative. Names include Los Angeles County Supervisor Gloria Molina, state Sen. Gil Cedillo and Los Angeles City Council President Eric Garcetti, each of whom represents parts of Becerra's district, which includes the heart of Los Angeles. Dan Morain and Phil Willon in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/4/08

Accountancy board seeks pay increases -- The California State Board of Accountancy is looking for someone to carry legislation that would allow them to raise the pay offered to board investigators. Both the board president and outside critics agree that the pay for these investigators is probably too low to attract a large enough number of qualified applicants. Malcolm Maclachlan in Capitol Weekly -- 12/4/08

Valley property-tax appeals on the rise -- Many counties have lowered the assessed values -- which determine property taxes -- of homes automatically as the housing market soured. Earlier this year, Fresno County reduced assessed values on more than 45,000 properties. Tulare County also lowered values on more than 10,000 homes. Brad Branan in the Fresno Bee -- 12/4/08

Ammo plant firms seeking to expand -- Here's some good economic news for a change: Businesses at the Claus Road ammunition plant want to expand and hire new workers. The bad news, say Riverbank officials, is that red tape at the Army-owned facility is standing in the way. Leslie Albrecht in the Modesto Bee -- 12/4/08

Deals border 'on the crazy' -- Recession-shocked consumers finding big bargains for airfares, hotels, cruises. Penni Crabtree in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 12/4/08

Treasury Weighs Action on Mortgage Rates -- The Treasury Department is strongly considering a plan to intervene directly in the mortgage industry to dramatically force down rates and stimulate the moribund housing market, according to sources familiar with the proposal. David Cho, Zachary A. Goldfarb and Dina ElBoghdady in the Washington Post -- 12/4/08

AT&T, DuPont Cutting Thousands of Jobs -- Telecommunications giant AT&T said today it would lay off 12,000 employees in coming months, the latest shock to a labor market that has declined steadily for a year. Howard Schneider and Neil Irwin in the Washington Post -- 12/4/08

Beleaguered LAUSD Superintendent David Brewer III hopes to stay -- In an interview with the Daily News on Wednesday, embattled Los Angeles schools chief David Brewer III said he walked into a "cascade of crises" when he started two years ago, but would love to finish his four-year contract. George B. Sánchez in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 12/4/08

Alum Rock school board gives superintendent $294,000 to step aside -- Days before a shake-up on the school board, Alum Rock School District Superintendent Norma Martinez has worked out a deal to resign from the struggling East San Jose district with about $294,000 in severance pay plus benefits. Sharon Noguchi in the San Jose Mercury -- 12/4/08

Part-time teachers shuttle from campus to campus -- Physical education teacher Jory Segal has become an expert in juggling — commuting 18 miles daily between Evergreen and West Valley community colleges, with her eyes on traffic but her mind on her students. Lisa M. Krieger in the San Jose Mercury -- 12/4/08

'Amazingly dedicated' teacher earns award -- Nobody told teacher Marissa Ochoa that the reason for a special assembly yesterday morning was to give her $25,000. Ochoa, 31, a third-grade teacher at Valley Elementary School in Poway, was leaning casually against a wall in the multipurpose room when cameras swarmed her. She covered her face with her hands as the school clapped and cheered. Linda Lou in the San Diego Union-Trib -- 12/4/08

COD students having to delay graduations -- California's worsening fiscal crisis is taking a toll on two- and four-year college campuses in the Coachella Valley and across the state that rely on state funding. Programs and scholarships are being trimmed and student fees are expected to rise. Marcel Honoré in the Desert Sun -- 12/4/08

College May Become Unaffordable for Most in U.S. -- The rising cost of college — even before the recession — threatens to put higher education out of reach for most Americans, according to the biennial report from the National Center for Public Policy and Higher Education. TAMAR LEWIN in the New York Times -- 12/4/08

Warmer weather means less gas in your tank -- California drivers were overcharged $376.4 million on gasoline in one year because fuel pumps don't adjust for changing temperatures, according to a state study. And that has consumer advocates livid. David R. Baker in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/4/08

How low will gas prices go? -- How low will gas prices go? Under $1.75 a gallon? Or below $1.50? Hey, maybe — gasp! — under a buck? "There's a bottom out there somewhere," said AAA spokesman Michael Geeser, pointing out that prices can't fall below 45 cents a gallon because that's how much we pay in taxes. "We know gas will never go below that mark." Gary Richards in the San Jose Mercury -- 12/4/08

A's seriously considering new stadium site in Fremont, near planned BART station -- Take me out to Warm Springs? The Oakland A's — in a major shift aimed at maintaining momentum toward a new ballpark just outside Santa Clara County — are seriously considering a handful of alternative Fremont sites that would see their proposed stadium move from the west side of Interstate 880 to within walking distance of a planned BART station on the southern fringes of the city. Denis C. Theriault in the San Jose Mercury -- 12/4/08

5,630-acre Jenner Highlands saved for public -- Over the decades, visitors to the Sonoma Coast could only dream of hiking on Rule Ranch in the hills above Jenner, where cowboys still round up cattle on horseback. Jane Kay in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/4/08

Nevius: Transit systems, not people, cause traffic jams -- The problem with the proposal to charge a toll to drive in crowded areas of San Francisco during rush hour is that the logic behind the idea is backward. C.W. Nevius in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/4/08

High hopes for federal high speed rail funds -- Now that California voters have invested $9 billion in a statewide fast-train system, the High Speed Rail Authority is chasing federal funds expected to flow once President-elect Barack Obama takes office. Michael Cabanatuan in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/4/08

Ban on hunting with lead ammunition in California condor territory is expanded -- The Condor Preservation Act has barred the use of lead in killing big game, but under a settlement between environmentalists and state wildlife officials, it also will apply to non-game species. Louis Sahagun in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/4/08

Los Angeles advances plan to certify environmentally friendly firms -- A plan to have the city certify businesses as "green" moved ahead Tuesday with a $150,000 grant from the Department of Water and Power to hire a firm to develop the final program. Rick Orlov in the Los Angeles Daily News -- 12/4/08

Insurers propose universal, centralized healthcare -- Several consumer groups criticize the early bid by America's Health Insurance Plans, a trade group that fought an overhaul in the 1990s, to take an active role in Obama's effort to revamp the system. Noam N. Levey in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/4/08

County faulted in death at King-Harbor -- An official Los Angeles County assessment has acknowledged for the first time that a woman who died shortly after writhing in pain for nearly an hour on the waiting room floor of Martin Luther King Jr.-Harbor Medical Center could have been saved if she had been properly treated. Garrett Therolf in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/4/08

San Francisco police classes, attorneys might get the ax -- San Francisco's budget deficit for next year has already ballooned to nearly a half a billion dollars and it could get worse, city officials warned Wednesday. Mayor Gavin Newsom said the impending $500 million budget hole - double an earlier estimate - combined with the $100 million shortfall estimated for the current fiscal year, will lead to some hard choices. Heather Knight, Marisa Lagos in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/4/08

Berkeley grandma sues after embed is canceled -- Berkeley blogger Jane Stillwater is suing the federal government for the cost of an airplane ticket to Kuwait and the cost of 15 mocha lattes from the airport Starbucks, where she spent two sleepless days because her previously approved embed with the U.S. Army suddenly was canceled. Kristin Bender in the Oakland Tribune -- 12/4/08

Cal wheelchair basketball draws able-bodied too -- When Mickey Kay and Brittany Murlas of UC Berkeley decided to offer a class in wheelchair basketball, they worried that only a few people might show up. To their surprise, more than 30 students enrolled - and most were not disabled. Patricia Yollin in the San Francisco Chronicle -- 12/4/08

Sacramento neighborhoods add private patrols to fight crime -- Times are hard all over, and it's making things easier for crooks. Lean budgets have prompted Sacramento city officials to cut the Police Department budget by 8 percent, and the county has made cuts in probation and other programs aimed at keeping offenders off the streets. Bill Lindelof in the Sacramento Bee -- 12/4/08

Trial strains the hope of a prisoner's wife -- Pamela Griffin long imagined her husband, Robert Griffin, getting out. His indictment in a federal case targeting the Aryan Brotherhood stunted those dreams. As the trial unfolds, her fears mount. Joe Mozingo in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/4/08

Hosts, producers urge L.A. City Council to retain public access TV -- Under new rule taking effect in January, Time-Warner could scrap program and pay a fee instead. Bob Pool in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/4/08

Construction halted on Los Angeles Zoo elephant exhibit -- The City Council stops work on the partially built Pachyderm Forest but does not kill the project outright. The meeting is packed with supporters and opponents of the exhibit. Carla Hall in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/4/08

Wrongful death suit filed over use of stun gun by L.A. County deputies -- The wife of a man who died while being arrested last year sues the county and the weapon's manufacturer. Joanna Lin in the Los Angeles Times -- 12/4/08