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California State Senate Pro Tem Don Perata ‘s office reported slight progress Thursday afternoon on crafting a new state budget, but also signaled that the state will go at least through the Fourth of July weekend without a new spending plan.

State Sen. Tom McClintockCalifornia State Sen. Tom McClintock will make two public appearances over the Independence Day weekend, including one that could bring him face to face with Charlie Brown, his opponent in the 4th Congressional District race.

McClintock (R-Thousand Oaks) will participate in a Fourth of July parade Friday morning in Lincoln, where Brown, a Democrat from Roseville, is also scheduled to appear.

On Sunday, McClintock will attend a Fourth of July parade in Graeagle, in Plumas County.

Congressional Candidate Charlie Brown: Campaign photoCongressional candidate Charlie Brown has released a three-day slate of activities related to the Independence Day weekend, while criticizing Republican opponent Tom McClintock for not doing the same.

Brown, a Democrat running in California's 4th Congressional District, will visit six different cities in the district, which stretches over a few hundred miles of northeastern California.

The California Senate on Thursday approved a joint resolution calling on the federal government to halt crackdowns on licensed medical marijuana dispensaries.

The resolution, SJR 20, was approved 24 to 15 and was authored by outgoing state Sen. Carole Migden (D-San Francisco.)

Certified results from the Contra Costa County's elections office make Abram Wilson the winner of the Republican primary in the California 15th Assembly District.

Wilson, the mayor of San Ramon, won by about 300 votes over Robert Rao, a small businessman from Livermore.  That gave Wilson about 30 percent of the vote and Rao 29.5 percent.

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Thursday announced that he has signed into law a bill that will shed greater light on state government contracts.

Senate Bill 1696 will now also open up the results of governmental audits and reviews of public agencies. Authored by state Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) the bill would prohibit a state or local agency from allowing an outside entity to control the disclosure of information that is otherwise subject to the California Public Records Act.

Legislation to help Californians ensnared in the subprime home loan foreclosure crisis was forwarded to Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's desk for signature or veto this week.

Senate Bill 1137, authored by senate President pro Tem Don Perata (D-Oakland) and Assembly Speaker Karen Bass (D-Los Angeles), would require lenders to contact property owners to attempt to avoid foreclosure, provide tenants additional time to move from a foreclosed property and mandate maintenance of foreclosed properties to diminish the impact on the value of neighboring homes.

State Senate Pro Tem Don PerataCalifornia 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.

The bill, SB 606, would have allowed low-performing districts to use $19 million in federal money that would've otherwise reverted to the federal government. It would have also helped local school boards work to improve their schools with state oversight.

A spokesman for Gavin Newsom's gubernatorial exploratory committee said Wednesday that should the 40-year-old political wunderkind run for California's top electoral post, he will do so implementing an issues-based campaign and will avoid wading into the muck of personality politics.

Eric Jaye, an influential San Francisco-based Democratic strategist and a spokesman for the exploratory committee, said that Newsom is very aware of the deeo field of Democratic candidates he may face in the effort to succeed Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger in 2010.

Some of those folks -- a virtual pantheon of who's who in California Democratic politics -- include Attorney General and former Governor Jerry Brown, Lt. Gov. John Garamendi, Controller Steve Westly, state Supt. of Instruction Jack O'Connell, Treasurer Bill Lockyer and L.A. Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

Should Newsom run he will also likely face down potential GOP candidates such as Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner, former Hewlett-Packard CEO Carly Fiorina and former eBay Inc. President Meg Whitman.

"He will focus any campaign on his positions and principles," Jaye told PolitickerCA.com. "This has always been his approach and that's not going to change now."

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom‘s move to open an exploratory committee to run for California governor in 2010 suggests a long, expensive and unpredictable campaign, according to experts who follow elections and campaign finance.

One of those experts said Newsom's announcement does have a financial calculation.

By going first, Newsom can rally donors and scare off other potential candidates, said Mark Petracca, chair of the political science department at the University of California, Irvine.