Bob Huff

Republican leaders in both chambers announced their leadership teams Monday, with only slight changes from the previous legislative session.

In the state Senate, Republican Leader Dave Cogdill (R-Modesto) named Sen. Sam Aanestad (R-Grass Valley) Vice Chair of the Rules Committee, replacing termed-out Sen. Jim Battin (R-Palm Desert).

Insurance Commissioner Steve Poizner got the backing Wednesday of several newly elected legislative Republicans in his bid for governor in 2010, giving him a majority of the GOP lawmakers serving in the next two years overall.

Just-elected Assembly members Bill Berryhill (R-Ceres), Connie Conway (R-Tulare), Danny Gilmore (R-Hanford), Curt Hagman (R-Chino Hills), Steve Knight (R-Palmdale), Jeff Miller (R-Corona) and Brian Nestande (R-Palm Desert) joined nine other assembly members who'd previously endorsed Poizner. Two other assemblymen just elected to new terms, Joel Anderson (R-El Cajon) and Bill Emmerson (R-Redlands) also endorsed Poizner for the first time.

I'm puzzled this month, recently an all-too-common state of being for me, about how what appears to be an organized effort in California to corner the anti-illegal immigration argument again has flown pretty much under the news radar.

Citing constituent frustration over federal inaction on immigration, 23 pieces of legislation are being "sponsored" by Republican members of the state assembly. These proposals could set new standards in challenging federal authority over foreign visitors to our country. Maybe they're just new campaign platforms since the deadline for submitting many of these bills has passed and it's widely agreed that they're all pretty much DOA for other reasons.