First Take: John Perez takes over. Steve Poizner ready to make it official.

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John Perez (D-Los Angeles) is set to take over as Assembly speaker in a swearing-in ceremony Monday morning on the floor of the chamber. Perez takes over for Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles), who is running for Congress. Jack Dolan and Patrick McGreevey look at Perez’s deep ties to the labor movement and political donors.

Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner will make it official Monday when he files his paperwork to place his name on the June ballot as a Republican candidate for governor. Poizner has invited the media to join him Monday morning at the Santa Clara County Registrar of Voters, where he is expected to do the deed.

George Skelton pens the postmortem on the constitutional convention effort, and contemplates the future of political reform.

Cathleen Decker looks at the lingering power of Proposition 13 -- especially in a Republican primary.

The Republican candidates for U.S. Senate will meet in a radio debate Friday -- the first verbal showdown of the election season.

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