Pelosi to host memorial service for Mervyn Dymally in Washington

The late Mervyn M. Dymally, a pioneering Los Angeles-based lawmaker for decades, will be honored at a Dec. 12 memorial service in Washington, it was announced Tuesday.

House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) will host the event, scheduled to begin at 4:30 p.m. at the House  Visitors Center, Room 215.

Among those slated to speak are Democratic Reps. Maxine Waters and Karen Bass of Los Angeles and Janice Hahn of San Pedro. 

Dymally, who served in Congress and in the state Legislature, was the first African American to be elected California lieutenant governor.  He helped foster the political careers of many others in the Los Angeles area, earning him the nickname "Godfather of African American politics"  in California.

He died Oct. 7 at 86.

Born in Trinidad, Dymally was the first foreign-born, naturalized citizen elected to Congress, where he served Los Angeles' 31st District from 1981 to 1993.

Anyone wishing to attend the event may call (202) 256-0499 or email tkarim@teclawgroup.com.

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--Jean Merl

Photo:  Mervyn M. Dymally. Credit: Nick Ut/Associated Press

 

 

 

First Take: Poll shows voters want it both ways. Nancy Pelosi reelected Democratic House leader. Grading Arnold Schwarzenegger

Californians don't want to pay more in taxes to help close the state's $25-billion budget deficit, but they want to hold on to the social programs that are paid for by the state. Those are the findings of a new L.A. Times/USC poll.

George Skelton offers up some grades for Gov. Arnold Schwarznegger.

Nancy Pelosi was reelected as Democratic House leader while California Republican Kevin McCarthy (R-Bakersfield) assumed the No. 3 leadership post in the new Republican majority.

Four officers were hurt and 13 students arrested outside a UC Regents meeting in San Francisco Wednesday as students protested higher university fees.

Meg Whitman reached a settlement with her former housekeeper over unpaid wages.

Get the latest from California politics. Follow PolitiCal on Twitter.

Democratic congresswomen push to keep Nancy Pelosi in leadership post

A group of Democratic congresswomen Friday stepped up a campaign to keep Nancy Pelosi as their party’s leader in the House of Representatives, responding to calls for the San Francisco lawmaker to step down from leadership after the party's heavy election losses.

"As the first woman speaker of the House, Nancy Pelosi has borne the brunt of unfair criticism and attacks, but her record of accomplishment speaks for itself -– particularly to women," the 31 female lawmakers wrote fellow Democrats.

"At a time when the incoming majority is expected to threaten the progress we have made for women and families, we need Nancy Pelosi as Democratic leader to help us stay unified and fight back," they added.

Rep. John Boehner (R-Ohio) is expected to become speaker in January when his party takes control of the House. Democrats are scheduled to select their leaders next week.

Pelosi is seeking to return to the less powerful minority leader job she once held.

-- Richard Simon in Washington

California Democratic Party convention wrap-up

From endorsements to septuagenarians, a few closing notes from this weekend’s California Democratic Party convention.

The brightest stars of the gathering at the Los Angeles Convention Center illustrated the party’s historical track record, but perhaps not the young voters who weighed in in 2008 and who are critical to the party’s success at the ballot box this year.

Among the party standard-bearers who spoke were Attn. Gen. Jerry Brown, 72, who is seeking another term as governor; Sen. Barbara Boxer, 69, who faces a tough reelection battle, and House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, 70, who on Saturday introduced one of her grandchildren as a first-time conventioneer.

The party’s musical taste at times also tended to older generations: versions of the Mamas & the Papas' “California Dreamin’,” McFadden & Whitehead’s “Ain’t No Stoppin’ Us Now,” Marvin Gaye’s “Ain’t No Mountain High Enough” and the Rolling Stones’ “Start Me Up.” One of the more interesting choices occurred as delegates left the convention center on Sunday, Lenny Kravitz’s “It Ain’t Over ‘Til It’s Over”:

So many tears I've cried
So much pain inside
But baby it ain't over 'til it's over

That last line may be a message blogger Mickey Kaus is taking to heart. The former Slate contributor is challenging Boxer in the Democratic primary. His prospects are dim, and he was not allowed to speak at the convention. But Kaus was allowed to attend Boxer’s news conference on Saturday morning, as long as he didn’t ask a question.

Boxer acknowledged Kaus, who behaved himself, when asked about the Nazis who were protesting nearby at City Hall.

“I do feel in this great country, where we have so many freedoms, people can say whatever they want. I encourage them to do that, even Mickey,” Boxer said. “But the fact is we really should talk about what our words mean because there are some people who take those words and it might move them to do things that are dangerous for our society. We have to be careful about how we present our views.”

In official party news, Democrats announced the results of endorsement elections in two contested primaries, giving the nod to Assemblyman Dave Jones over Assemblyman Hector De La Torre in the state insurance commissioner race. But in the race for lieutenant governor, despite heavy politicking, neither San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom nor Los Angeles City Councilwoman Janice Hahn garnered enough votes to reach the 60% threshold required for endorsement.

The party also voted to support Proposition 13, which would not add seismic retrofitting to a property’s taxed value, and Proposition 15, a public campaign-finance effort. It is opposing Proposition 14, an open-primary effort; Proposition 16, which would require a two-thirds vote to allow a public agency to enter the energy business; and Proposition 17, which would allow car insurance companies to penalize drivers who have a lapse in coverage.

-- Seema Mehta

Photo: House Speaker Nancy Pelosi speaks at the California Democratic Convention. Credit: Reed Saxon / Associated Press 

Saban gives $2 million to change redistricting law

The effort to repeal the state's new redistricting law has received a $2-million boost from Los Angeles entertainment mogul Haim Saban.

According to records from the secretary of state's office, Saban donated the money to the Yes on Fair committee, which is aimed at repealing Proposition 11, which was passed by voters in November. If the group is successful, it would return the power to draw legislative districts to the Legislature.

The effort to repeal Proposition 11 has received support from a number of congressional Democrats from California, including Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-San Francisco) and Rep. Howard Berman (D-Valley Village).

Under Proposition 11, an independent committee run by the state auditor will draw legislative districts. The Legislature will still draw boundaries for California's congressional districts.

-- Anthony York in Sacramento

Nancy Pelosi, congressional Democrats weigh in on redistricting measure

A potential ballot measure to scrap California’s first-in-the-nation citizens redistricting commission got a huge financial boost Thursday when House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her Democratic allies in Congress poured $140,000 into the campaign.

The funds went to the proposed Fair Accountability in Redistricting Act, written by UCLA law professor Daniel Lowenstein. The measure would abolish the existing citizens commission, which is currently accepting applications and is set to redraw California’s legislative districts in 2011. Voters created that panel when they approved Proposition 11 in 2008.

During that campaign, Pelosi stayed on the sidelines, not opposing the measure, at least to the tune of big financial contributions.

So why would Pelosi and Co. pour thousands of dollars into a campaign to a repeal a ballot measure they did not actively oppose two years ago?

The answer is likely that a potential third redistricting ballot measure is currently gathering signatures to be placed on the November ballot. That measure would give the existing citizens commission, which only will redraw lines for the state Legislature and tax board, the power to draw lines for Congress.

That measure has been vehemently opposed by Pelosi. With the 2010 midterm elections expected to shrink Democrats’ hold on the House of Representatives, Pelosi has counted on having the Democrat-dominated California Legislature being able to redraw the state’s congressional districts, potentially carving out an extra seat or two for her party in 2012.