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• Grand Old 'No' Party

  Grand Old 'No' Party

  Ninety percent of the American public wanted the gun background check bill passed by the Senate. Ninety percent of the Democratic Senate members voted with the American public. Ninety percent of the Republican Senate members voted against the American public. Another score for the Grand Old Party of "no."

  R.W. Arnold

  Fresno

• EDITORIAL: The filibuster has to go

  EDITORIAL: The filibuster has to go

  The U.S. Senate vote on expanding background checks for gun sales was not close - 55-45. Officially, it was 54-46, because Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid, D-Nev., who supported the measure, had to vote against it in order to to be able to bring it back.

  Yet the measure was defeated. How is that possible when 55 senators supported passage?

  The culprit is arcane Senate Rule XXII, the "filibuster" that requires 60 votes to end debate. This is just a Senate rule, not a law or a constitutional provision. This latest defeat of a measure supported by a majority of senators is only one in a long, recent catalog of abuses of the filibuster.

• Rubio's exit stirs Capitol politics

  Rubio's exit stirs Capitol politics

  Ordinarily, the resignation of a state senator -- particularly one not tinged with scandal -- is of no more than passing interest. In fact, two senators already had resigned early this year to take their seats in Congress.

• Legislative shuffling continues next week

  Legislative shuffling continues next week

  Assemblywoman Norma Torres will be sworn in as the state's newest senator next week, a day before two other special legislative elections.

• Senate panel backs Perez to head Labor Dept.

  Senate panel backs Perez to head Labor Dept.

  A Senate panel has endorsed the nomination of Justice Department official Thomas Perez to head the Labor Department despite opposition from Republicans.