I come across a lot more discussion regarding Greens and Libertarians, but the AIP in California has four times as many registered voters as the Libertarians and more than twice that of the Greens. Based on that - and the fact that I’ve run into a couple accidental AIP members - I figured a lot of AIP registrants actually meant to register as decline-to-state or independent voters, not members of the “pro-life, pro-liberty” AIP. 

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Those who felt most strongly that they should be allowed to speak were conservative Christians (92%) and progressive Christians (81%). Democrats were among the most torn over the question, with 53% saying they should be allowed to speak. As for Republicans, 77% said they should be allowed to speak.

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Responding to criticisms of former Sheriff Mike Carona’s policy as rewarding his political cronies, Hutchens said she will bar the issuing of any CCWs as a political or social favor. Anyone seeking to get a permit must demonstrate “credible, significant and substantiated” threats to their safety, she said, and they will be subjected to a background check. Anyone with a felony conviction, a misdemeanor charge involving violence or a misdemeanor charge in the last five years will be barred from the permits, Hutchens said.

Hutchens said her aim is to be “consistent, equitable and fair.”

Read the draft plan here.

Answering one of the supes favorite questions during public interviews for the sheriff’s job, Hutchens kept Jack Anderson on as one of her assistant sheriffs. The man who was handpicked by former Sheriff Mike Carona to serve as interim sheriff will now be heading a new administrative division.

In as undersheriff is John Scott, who was with the LA County Sheriff’s Department for 36 years and has been a consultant for Hutchens since she was appointed. In a surprise, Hutchens also hired Mike Hillmann, a respected former LA Police Department veteran, as an assistant sheriff. He will be in charge of operations.

9:15 p.m. update: Read my online story here.

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Red County’s Matt Cunningham reports today that Hutchens has hired Dave Gilliard as her campaign manager. And, of course, she’s set to announce her command staff later today. (Your faithful blogger will have that report for you, dear readers.)

Gilliard seems a smart choice on Hutchen’s part. He’s doing well — as Martin reported, Gilliard was 4-0 in OC races earlier this year.

Republicans rule in OC’s presidential money sweepstakes, according to the Register’s latest Follow the Money campaign database update.

Pulse Poll: Should political candidates be allowed to speak at churches and other houses of worship?

Barack Obama visits Israel’s Holocaust memorial; meets with Palestinian and Israeli leaders.

Obama is up 4.5 points in RealClear Politics poll of polls.

I’ve since learned that the vote could be July 29, a Tuesday. But don’t get your hopes up. There doesn’t appear to be a resolution on the horizon. It appears the vote is just a drill.

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Animal control officers, upon their own discretion, can fine owners of intact animals when investigating non-noise complaints. Animal control can also fine owners of intact animals that end up impounded in shelters (i.e. for running loose).

Animal control cannot impound pets at your home for the sole reason of being intact.

Think of it like driving. If a police officer pulls you over for speeding and finds that you’re also not wearing a seat belt, you can get a ticket for that, too.

Pet owners can waive their fine once they have sterilized their animals. But sterilization becomes mandatory upon the third citation for dogs and the second for cats.

So for dogs, the first citation is $50 or sterilization; the second citation, $100 or sterilization; the third citation, mandatory sterilization.

For cats, it’s a $50 fine for the first citation or sterilization; for the second, its mandatory sterilization.

For more info, here’s a link to the bill itself. And here’s a recent analysis of the bill, which is written in easy-to-understand language.

-Kelly Chen

Read about our latest analysis and check out Follow the Money, our updated campaign finance data base.

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