Governor

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.

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.

Two days after a potential top rival announced an exploratory bid for California governor, Attorney General Jerry Brown reported another $124,100 in donations Thursday to his Brown 2010 campaign account.

Brown, who has not ruled out another run for the gubernatorial job he held from 1975 to 1983, would also have to run for re-election in his current job in two years to keep that seat.

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.

While San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom may have gotten in front of the pack in announcing a first step toward running for California governor in 2010, he's to some extent far behind in raising cash for that venture.

Several other rumored and presumed candidates have been stockpiling campaign cash for several months, though the titles of their campaign accounts are just nebulous enough to allow them to change plans.

With San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom's not entirely unexpected announcement late Tuesday that he is interested in running for governor of the Golden State in 2010, the pundits are lining up to provide their two-cents on his chances.

Dan Schnur, a Republican media strategist not affiliated with any potential candidate, told the Associated Press Wednesday that Newsom and former governor and current Attorney General Jerry Brown will be the obvious, first-out-of-the-gate contenders in a crowded Democratic primary field. That said, he thinks Newsom will come out on top.

"The conventional wisdom is that the same-sex marriage issue is a double-edged sword for Newsom, but I'd argue that it makes him the most likely Democratic nominee," Schnur said. "An issue like this in the Democratic primary gives him an ability to break out of the pack."

San Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom: Getty Images PhotoSan Francisco Mayor Gavin Newsom ended months of speculation by announcing Tuesday that he has formed an exploratory committee to consider running for governor of the Golden State in 2010.

In an exclusive story broken by the broken by the Los Angeles Times at 5 p.m., Newsom confirmed officially that he has filed papers to pursue being California's next governor, replacing the termed-out Arnold Schwarzenegger.

State Sen. Leland YeeGov. Arnold Schwarzenegger on Tuesday signed a bill into law that will prohibit prosecutors and judges from threatening victims of domestic violence with contempt of court and jail time if they refuse to testify against their attackers.

The legislation, SB 1356, was authored by state Sen. Leland Yee (D-San Francisco) and mirrors an existing statute for sexual assault victims.