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Education bill causes uproar

California state senators fired off angry statements at each other Wednesday after a bill on low-performing school district accountability and funding failed to get a required two-thirds vote in that chamber. (PolitickerCA)

http://politickerca.com/benvandermeer/1378/state-senators-spar-education-bill

Illegal immigrants cause woes for Newsom

SAN FRANCISCO -- Gavin Newsom has his work cut out for him: As he positions himself to run for governor, he must persuade Californians that he is more than just the mayor of a famously liberal city, the man who ushered in same-sex marriage. (Maria L. LaGanga, Los Angeles Times)

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/cal/la-me-immig3-2008jul03,0,256501.story

Operative tied to McCain, Schwarzenegger

Steve Schmidt, the hard-bitten operative who on Wednesday took control of John McCain's campaign, was put in charge of Arnold Schwarzenegger's political organization after the governor's stinging ballot defeats in 2005. Then, like now, Schmidt's task was to impose strict discipline on a muddled campaign operation. (Michael Finnegan, Los Angeles Times)

http://www.latimes.com/news/local/politics/cal/la-na-schmidt3-2008jul03,0,2932019.story

When political power broking goes too far

A federal court jury listened Wednesday to a San Francisco political power broker, sounding a bit alarmed, trying to tell her former attorney how to deal with investigations of state grant money she had allegedly laundered into a campaign. (Denny Walsh, Sacramento Bee)

http://www.sacbee.com/capolitics/story/1057770.html

City hall lobbyist challenges ethics report

A San Jose commission Wednesday called for revisions to an investigator's report after five lobbyists disputed findings that they had failed to disclose meetings with city council members as required. (John Woolfolk, San Jose Mercury News)

http://www.mercurynews.com/politics/ci_9773663?nclick_check=1

If the state Legislature authorizes budget cuts for in-home services currently provided through Medi-Cal, it will severely impact Placer County residents with disabilities and others statewide. (Bruce Warren, The Auburn Journal)

http://www.auburnjournal.com/detail/87953.html

Writing off your commute to work?

Seeking to fight the high costs of fuel for many commuters, Rep. John Campbell unveiled a plan Wednesday that would return to workers some funds spent on commuting. (Daniel Tedford, The Daily Pilot)

http://www.dailypilot.com/articles/2008/07/03/politics/dpt-gasbill070308.txt

Overtaxation prompts Los Angeles County lawsuit

CITY HALL — A forthcoming lawsuit alleging the county is overcharging cities to collect and administer property taxes found a new ally Tuesday after the City Council voted unanimously to join in the legal action. (Jason Wells, Glendale News-Press)

http://www.glendalenewspress.com/articles/2008/07/03/politics/gnp-lawsuit03.txt

With the PolitickerCA.com Wake-Up Call e-mailed to your inbox, phone, Blackberry or PDA first thing in the morning, you can get a rundown of California's top political headlines. Sign up to get the Wake-Up Call delivered every morning.