Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger

Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's finance director is stepping down after four years, leaving the administration to fill a key vacancy as the state faces what is expected to be another multibillion dollar deficit. Finance Director Mike Genest announced Monday he would retire after the governor finds a replacement. The governor's office has not decided on a timeline for identifying a successor. Finance Department spokesman H.D. Palmer said Genest was leaving voluntarily but has yet to decide his... Read Full Story

California's largest utility said it plans to boost the amount of solar power it buys from residents and businesses as the state pushes for wider use of alternative energy. Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger predicted that Monday's proposal by San Francisco-based Pacific Gas & Electric Co. would open the way for more companies and homeowners to install rooftop panels to generate power. Schwarzenegger last month ordered utilities to get a third of their power from renewable sources by 2020, the most... Read Full Story

A California state lawmaker who heckled Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger during a recent event in San Francisco has found two messages in a veto letter from the governor. One is the veto message itself. The other is a common four-letter vulgarity followed by the letters y-o-u. The second message is visible by stringing together the first letter of each line down the left-hand margin. Schwarzenegger spokesman Aaron McLear called the embedded message a coincidence. The letter was sent to Democratic... Read Full Story

California governor Arnold Schwarzenegger has signed an anti-paparazzi bill making it easier for celebrities to sue media outlets for invading their privacy. According to a statement obtained by AP, the former actor signed a number of bills to update laws pertaining to shutterbugs. The bills include an amendment which permits lawsuits against media outlets that pay for -- and make first use of -- material that they know was improperly obtained. The more strict laws could make tabloids... Read Full Story

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger put his muscle behind a "green" football stadium for Los Angeles on Thursday by signing a bill to accelerate construction for a private developer's proposed $800 million sports complex. The bill helps the project clear environmental hurdles for construction in the City of Industry in Los Angeles County, which hopes to attract a National Football League professional football franchise after losing the Los Angeles Rams to St... Read Full Story

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has called 16 special sessions since he took office in 2003, the most of any governor in state history. Three of those are ongoing. Here is a look at the special sessions he has called each year and the results. 2003 Special sessions: Three, on balancing the budget, workers' compensation reform and repealing a law that allowed illegal immigrants to get driver's licenses. Result: The governor signed legislation related to all three issues. 2004 No special... Read Full Story

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed a bill that would have updated the state's existing data breach disclosure law. The move Sunday by Schwarzenegger surprised the author of SB-20, state Democratic Sen. Joe Simitian, who said in a statement that the final version of the bill eliminated any sources of dissent from the insurance and financial services industries.The new legislation would have built on the landmark 2003 bill, SB-1386, by requiring that breach notification letters... Read Full Story

KIRK DOUGLAS was stunned to be presented with a top movie award by California Governor ARNOLD SCHWARZENEGGER on Thursday night (05Nov09) - because he coached the muscleman on his first ever film. Read Full Story

From the LA Times: Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger's budget director is departing after nearly four years in one of the most influential posts in Sacramento. Budget czar Mike Genest announced his departure Monday, as a financial crisis continued to grip the state. His Department of Finance has predicted a $7.4-billion deficit for the fiscal year that begins next summer. The figure is expected to balloon -- perhaps tripling -- as a result of sagging revenues, court rulings blocking recent budget... Read Full Story

California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's popularity has slumped to an all-time low after a budget crisis that has left the state near bankruptcy, a new poll showed Tuesday. The Field Poll showed the former Hollywood action hero turned Republican politician's approval rating had dipped below 30 percent for the first time in his six-year reign, plunging to 27 percent from 33 percent in April. Some 65 percent of those surveyed voiced disapproval with Schwarzenegger's governorship. The latest... Read Full Story