THE POLITICAL LANDSCAPE: Legislators’ recess may end

State legislators are supposed to be on recess, but they could be called back to Sacramento at any time to take part in a special session called by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger to deal with health care and water issues. Here’s what Newport-Mesa’s assemblymen are expecting in the session: GOP opposition to the plans proposed so far by the governor and Democrats. But they’re also expecting, somehow, a compromise.

“The Republican and Democratic caucuses will have to sit down with the governor and hammer out a strong solution that is agreeable to all parties concerned,” Costa Mesa Assemblyman Van Tran said.

Democrats approved a plan that would increase insurance coverage and pay for it with a 7.5% payroll tax on employers who don’t offer health care, something the governor has said he will veto. But Schwarzenegger wants coverage for everyone who’s uninsured, with a plan that would force more people to buy their own insurance and charging employers.

The problem with making employers pay, Tran said, is “for many of the small businesses, that’s their profit margin — you wipe them out.”

Newport Beach Assemblyman Chuck DeVore said he hopes GOP legislators will be included in the discussions, because the result of their earlier exclusion was a bill the governor won’t sign.

“I’m certainly looking forward to trying to get some free market solutions that increase the availability, increase the choice for Californians and hold down costs,” he said.

 CITIZENS’ VOICES HEARD IN LIBRARY DEBATE

The Corona del Mar branch library’s date with the wrecking ball may have been canceled, after residents told city officials they don’t want to see it combined with the new Oasis Senior Center. The city had discussed moving library services to the center and razing the branch library to make room for a bigger fire station.

“In our first [community] meeting it was pretty clear that people were not in favor of that, particularly because it would have been a different kind of branch,” said Councilwoman Nancy Gardner, whose district includes the library.

Children’s programs at the Corona del Mar branch were discontinued in 2003 because of low participation, and library leaders cited falling circulation as a reason to downsize and move to the senior center.

At a Saturday public meeting Gardner tried to make it clear to residents there will be hurdles to keeping the library open and performing much-needed building renovations, she said.

“There seemed to be a lot of enthusiasm and dedication,” she said, and keeping the library fit with long-term plans for Corona del Mar as a pedestrian-friendly community.

Though it’s not clear how much it will cost to fix up the library and how much the city might chip in, Gardner said residents will have to help raise the cash — and show up to use the library.

“The idea is to show that there’s support besides lip service,” she said. The next step is reinstating children’s programs at the branch and better publicizing them, and community fund-raising efforts.

 DEVORE’S PROPOSAL GETS GO AHEAD

And it’s full steam ahead, or maybe full fission ahead, for Assemblyman DeVore on his ballot proposal to allow new nuclear plants in California, now that he’s got the endorsement of the state GOP. At the state party’s annual convention last weekend, DeVore’s nuclear plan got unanimous support, which means if it qualifies for the ballot it will be included on GOP voter information.

The next step is raising the kind of money needed to publicize a statewide ballot issue. DeVore is awaiting polling data to go ahead with major fundraising.