Line-drawers look for opinions

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• Sam Blakeslee not running for re-election after court decision on California Senate maps

  Sam Blakeslee not running for re-election after court decision on California Senate maps

  State Sen. Sam Blakeslee, R-San Luis Obispo, made it official Friday night that he will not seek another term in the wake of the California Supreme Court decision to uphold the Senate maps drawn last year by an independent redistricting commission.

  The high court announced its unanimous decision that the Senate map drawn by the commission should be used in the June primary and November general election, even though an initiative challenging the map is expected to qualify for the ballot.

  Blakeslee told The Tribune in a December interview that he likely would not seek re-election if the court so ruled because the district map, as drawn, strongly favored Democrats over Republicans in party registration.

• Nine seats available on South County Advisory Council

  Nine seats available on South County Advisory Council

  Elections are approaching for nine seats on the South County Advisory Council, the volunteer organization representing the Nipomo area before the San Luis Obispo County Board of Supervisors and Planning Commission.

  The council is one of 11 advisory councils in San Luis Obispo County created in 1996 to advise planners and county supervisors on proposed plans and developments in their communities.

  The council includes two representatives each from seven geographic areas, and two “special interest” representatives for agriculture and public safety. Each director serves a two-year term.

• Government Watch: A roundup of this week’s agendas

  Government Watch: A roundup of this week’s agendas

  Arroyo Grande City Council. Meets Tuesday. 473-5400. Review strategies to reduce a projected $700,000 shortfall in fiscal year 2012-13 budget; consider placing a bond measure and a possible property tax increase to finance a new police station on the June ballot; consider ballot measure asking voters to approve purchasing water from the California State Water Project.

  Atascadero City Council. Meets Tuesday. 461-5000. Acting as the Atascadero Redevelopment Agency board, vote on a list of projects and services the agency requests to be paid before its state-mandated dissolution; plumbing contract for historic City Administration Building rehabilitation project; updates from the city manager; updates from council members on their committee appointments.

  Grover Beach City Council and Improvement Agency Board of Directors. Meets tonight. 473-4567. Take actions required as part of the state-mandated dissolution of the Grover Beach Improvement Agency and decide whether to elect to retain the housing assets and

• Educators, teachers endorse Assemblyman Bill Monning

  Educators, teachers endorse Assemblyman Bill Monning

  Assemblyman Bill Monning has picked up the endorsements of numerous state and local educators and teachers in his bid to succeed Sam Blakeslee as the Central Coast’s representative in the California state Senate.

  Monning, a Democrat from Carmel, is the only candidate who has announced his intention to run for the 17th District seat being vacated by Blakeslee, a Republican who is not running for re-election.

  Democrats hold a 17-percentage-point lead in registration over Republicans, and that is a key reason Blakeslee decided not to seek re-election.

• Patterson’s fiscal leadership, balance merit re-election

  Patterson’s fiscal leadership, balance merit re-election

  The race for 5th District county supervisor is a rematch between two-term incumbent Jim Patterson and challenger Debbie Arnold, who served as aide to former Supervisor Mike Ryan and, more recently, to state Sen. Sam Blakeslee.

  We endorsed Patterson in 2008, and we do so in this race as well. If anything, Patterson is an even stronger county supervisor today, having helped lead the county through one of the worst fiscal crises in its history.

  Of the two candidates, we also find him the more moderate — despite attempts by the opposition to paint him as a wacko environmentalist who never met a regulation or a tax he didn’t like. On the contrary, Patterson has often voted in favor of the very projects and policies that environmentalists and slow-growth advocates have opposed, sometimes alienating staunch supporters in the process.