According to this story in the Hartford, Connecticut Courant, the six city council members who are Democrats voted themselves the power to each distribute $50,000 of taxpayer money to organizations that the various individual Democrats wish. However, the three city councilmembers who are not Democrats do not merit the same treatment. The three citycouncilmembers who are not Democrats are Working Families Party members Luis Cotto and Larry Deutsch, and Republican Veronica Airey-Wilson.

The article suggests that the Democratic majority may or may not give their three non-Democratic colleagues the authority to spend $20,000 each.

On July 17, California Assemblymember Kevin Jeffries (R-Riverside County) introduced ABX4 36, to abolish the office of Lieutenant Governor. The bill proposes that when there is a vacancy in the governorship, the Secretary of State would become Governor. Arizona follows this model.

On July 14, Alabama held a special election to fill the vacant State House seat, 6th district. The results: Republican Phil Williams 60.5%, Democrat Jenny Askins 39.6%.

This seat had been in Democratic hands ever since the redistricting of 2001. It is in Madison County, the county that includes Huntsville. Alabama elects all its state legislators in mid-term years, for 4-year terms. The Republican share of the vote in 2006 had been 35.5%; in 2002, 42.3%. The seat was empty this year because the incumbent had resigned in February after being convicted of fraud.

Alabama is one of four states in which the same party has held a plurality, or a majority, in both houses of the legislature since the 1880’s. The others are Mississippi, Louisiana, and Arkansas. The new line-up in the Alabama House is now 59 Democrats, 44 Republicans, and two vacancies.