Pete Wilson

I'll be interviewing former California Gov. Pete Wilson tomorrow night (that's Monday, June 29) at 7 p.m. at RAND, 1776 Main Street in Santa Monica. We'll discuss our state and how it might be governed. Then the floor will be open to audience questions. The event is free and open to the public, with a reception with food and drinks to follow. You can reserve a seat here.

The full description of the event is below.

WAS PETE WILSON RIGHT?

Pete Wilson’s California wasn’t too different from Arnold Schwarzenegger’s. The state’s education system lagged behind the rest of the country, interest groups had a tight grip on Sacramento, healthcare costs were rising, and the economy was the worst it had been since the Great Depression. While Wilson may be best remembered for his more controversial stances—like supporting Proposition 187, which sought to refuse services to illegal immigrants—he also managed to pass budgets and break partisan stalemates, ultimately leaving his successor a budget surplus. Ten years after he left office, at a time when many claim California is ungovernable, Pete Wilson visits Zócalo to chat about the economy, interest groups, and how he might address the problems the state faces today.

Over at Fox & Hounds Daily, Joel Fox writes about a California legislator's proposal to dust off a forgotten constitutional revision plan from the mid-90s. The plan, produced by a commission put together by then-Gov. Pete Wilson, never went anywhere because it was introduced during the summer of an election year. But reviving it is an intriguing idea -- as a vehicle for constitutional reform both faster and less risky than a full-blown constitutional convention.

Former California Gov. Pete Wilson said at a conference Monday that state voters should be presented with a ballot measure that would "depoliticize" the administration of justice. He wants judges to ignore questionnaires and other attempts by interest groups to elicit their views. The former governor, who's also a lawyer, suggests a constitutional amendment that would read, in part:

"Judicial candidates are urged by...the constitution of the state of California to consciously forebear from exercising their right of free speech by refraining to answer any question...which seeks to elicit their views."

SHOW ME STATE BLOCKING CAMPAIGN: The blockbuster democracy world is afire with reports that Lee Albright and his firm National Petition Management have been hired to lead a blocking campaign against the signature gathering for Ward Connerly's anti-affirmative action initiative in Missouri. The Wall Street Journal publishes an opinion piece that provides a decent overview -- but with an over-the-top spin that suggests that blocking campaigns are way out of bounds.