California Democratic Party chair John Burton is predicting that Sen. Abel Maldonado (R-Santa Maria)—Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger’s nominee to replace newly-elected U.S. Rep. John Garamendi (D-Walnut Grove) as lieutenant governor—won’t be confirmed by the Democratically controlled state Legislature, according to information on progressivecaucuscdp.org. Burton was quoted in interviews posted on the website as saying the Democrats would have no reason to give the position to a Republican. Others argue that not appointing Maldonado—who crossed party lines earlier this year to pass the state budget—would greatly damage any chance of a bi-partisan relationship. The Legislature has 90 days—as of Nov. 23—to confirm Maldonado for the position. Confirmation would make Maldonado, whose immigrant parents developed a successful agricultural business on the Central Coast, the first Republican Latino to serve as lieutenant governor in more than 100 years.
On Dec. 16, Congresswoman Lois Capps (CA-23) introduced the National Sustainable Offshore Aquaculture Act of 2009 (H.R. 4363). If passed, the bill would establish a regulatory framework for offshore aquaculture development that “takes a balanced approach to environmental and economic [concerns],” according to a press release from Capps’ office. The legislation would also establish a research program to fill data gaps and ensure that offshore aquaculture development is ecologically sustainable. Currently, there are no national policies or laws governing how this method of offshore fish farming should be regulated in the nation’s waters, which generally begin three miles from the coastline. “Developing these guidelines has the potential to preserve the integrity of our fragile ocean ecosystems, meet the increasing consumer demand for seafood, reduce stress on wild fish populations, and create jobs here at home,” Capps said in the release. “We have a good model for doing this in my home state of California, which recently enacted landmark legislation on this topic. I believe this type of balanced, comprehensive, and precautionary approach will work in California, and my legislation seeks to accomplish similar goals at the national level.” Officials from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) have said the agency plans to offer its own national aquaculture policy in early 2010.
This article appears in Dec 24-31, 2009.