California state senator is targeted in FBI searches - By Patrick McGreevy, Anthony York and Richard Winton, Los Angeles Times

FBI agents searched offices in the Capitol on Tuesday — the first such raid in 25 years — serving warrants and carting away evidence in what law enforcement officials said was a corruption probe that began in Los Angeles County.
As the agents combed the offices of state Sen. Ron Calderon (D-Montebello) and the Latino Legislative Caucus into the evening, a federal law enforcement source said Calderon, a member of the caucus, was "the focus of the investigation." Authorities would not say what they were seeking or disclose the nature of the investigation.
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Calaveras without an elected Senator

Calaveras County, once part of Senate District 1 represented by Ted Gaines, has found itself in Senate District 8 without an elected Senator, due to the legislative redistricting completed by the Citizens Redistricting Committee in 2012.

The Senate Rules Committee reviewed possible Senators from other districts to absord Calaveras. One thought was Leland Yee a Democrat from San Francisco representing District 8. The Committee finally chose Tom Berryhill, Republican representing the14th Senate District, which includes some of San Joaquin Valley, Escalon, Clovis, Oakdale and Ripon.

Calaveras will be able to vote for a Senator in 2014.

For more information on Tom Berryhill visit http://cssrc.us/web/14/

by,
Charity Maness

Merit Pay increases to aides prior to agreement of one year pay freeze for Senate employees

On Wednesday July 18, 2012 plans for a one-year pay freeze for Senate employees was presented by Senate President Pro Tem Darrell Steinberg. However, this pay freeze, planned to take effect August 1, 2012, will come after 100 of merit raises were given to chamber aides. The freeze also will not affect pay raises due to promotions.

Steinberg claims the employees were operating under a pay freeze from 2007 to 2011 when performance based salary hikes began last year. The merit raises total $1.5 million with 58% of the employees receiving a salary hike. Current salary figures are not available at this time, the Senate has not updated the information since January 2012.  

Read more here: http://blogs.sacbee.com/capitolalertlatest/2012/07/senate-announces-plan-to-freeze-pay----after-awarding-raises.html#storylink=cpy