IN THIS ISSUE:
Top Policy/Political Stories
- Valley
- State
- Federal
-
Agriculture/Food
- Criminal Justice/Public Safety
- Economy/ Jobs
- Education
- Environment/Energy
- Health/Human Services
- Immigration
- Land Use/Housing
- Public Finances
- Transportation
- Water
- “Xtra“
POLICY & POLITICS
Valley:
The Bakersfield Californian
Flanked by top leaders from the Latino community, Delano Mayor Grace Vallejo emphasized the importance of unity among supporters before formally announcing she would challenge David Couch for Kern County’s newly drawn District Four supervisor area.
Report: Nunes built bunker to fight Trump’s opponents
Fresno Bee
Rep. Devin Nunes has transformed the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence into “a beachhead“ to gather support for President Donald Trump against his enemies, according to an article published this week in The New York Times Magazine.
EDITORIAL: A call for bi-partisanship from community to Congress
Sierra Star
During the years of the Obama administration the left constantly reminded folks that Mitch McConnell had stated that it was the Republican’s job to make that President a one-term leader. The American people re-elected him to another term but sent many Republicans to the Congress.
State:
Republicans surge past Villaraigosa in California governor’s race, poll says
Modesto Bee
The two major Republican candidates in the race to succeed Gov. Jerry Brown are battling for second place to make the November runoff, while Democratic Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom has strengthened his lead, according to a new poll from UC Berkeley’s Institute of Governmental Studies.
See Also:
● Poll: Newsom, Villaraigosa and Cox lead race for California governor The Mercury News
● Little-known Republican threatens to shake up US Senate race in California Sacramento Bee
● Poll: Republicans surging in California governor’s race The Sacramento Bee
The Bakersfield Californian
California’s congressional Republicans are all in on an initiative to repeal the state’s 12-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax. As they see it, it could help them maintain control of the House of Representatives.
See Also:
● Republicans ready to turn in signatures for ballot measure to repeal California gas-tax increase Los Angeles Times
California voters: Get ready for an onslaught of television ads
Los Angeles Times
After a sleepy campaign, California voters are now being bombarded with television advertisements in the governor’s race, an onslaught that is expected to ramp up in coming weeks.
See also:
● Fact-checking TV ads in California governor’s race PolitiFact
EDITORIAL: Call Sacramento’s bluff on dealing with sexual harassment in the Capitol
OCRegister
The California Legislature is forever passing tough laws for others and then exempting its own — so why should the Sacramento tiger change its stripes in the #MeToo era? Well, it hasn’t.
California AB 2943 — Christian Books & Booksellers Would Be Threatened
National Review
Activists claimed I was lying, arguing in bad faith, and/or exaggerating the effect of California’s AB 2943, a bill that purports to declare “sexual orientation change efforts” to be an “unlawful business practice.” I claimed the bill was so broad that it could even ban books.
Federal:
Veterans Affairs Nominee Jackson Bows Out Amid Firestorm
Roll Call
Ronny Jackson, President Donald Trump’s nominee for Veterans Affairs secretary, has stepped aside amid new allegations of alcohol abuse and faulty prescription practices, a senior White House official said Thursday.
Also See:
● Ronny Jackson Withdraws as Veterans Affairs Nominee WSJ
EDITORIAL: Mick Mulvaney’s message to bankers: You have to pay to play
Los Angeles Times
It’s standard operating procedure for lawmakers to declare that campaign donations by special interests do not sway them, even though the vast majority of their constituents don’t believe it. That’s what makes acting Consumer Finance Protection Bureau director Mick Mulvaney’s comments to a banking industry trade association Tuesday so remarkable.
EDITORIAL: Trump’s consumer watchdog tells bankers to go after his agency
San Francisco Chronicle
Mick Mulvaney was never the right choice to run a consumer agency he despises. Now he’s showing even more contempt for the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau by asking bankers to help gut the agency and revealing his pay-to-play mind-set.
A Plea for the Old School Senate
Roll Call
What could have been a contentious meeting about shortening Senate debate time for nominations turned into more of a bipartisan conversation among some of the most senior senators at taking another shot at moving regular spending bills.
Other:
Facebook’s financial results appear untarnished by Cambridge Analytica scandal
Los Angeles Times
Facebook Inc. continued to add users and saw revenue soar in the first quarter despite facing its worst crisis in company history over the mishandling of personal data belonging to millions of unsuspecting users.
See Also:
● Poll: Facebook affected 2016 election, threatens users’ privacy, many Californians say Los Angeles Daily
● Facebook beats Wall Street’s revenue estimates, shares rise Reuters
● Facebook profit hits an all-time high, unaffected by recent scandals — so far Washington Post
How artificial intelligence is transforming the world
Brookings
Darrell West and Brookings President John Allen discuss the integration and deployment of artificial intelligence in sectors like finance, national security, and health care and make recommendations for addressing some of the ethical and legal issues surrounding AI.
See also:
● Beyond the hype on artificial intelligence AEI
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Farm Bureau to highlight tariff impacts
Hanford Sentinel
Farmers for Free Trade and the California Farm Bureau Federation will host a news conference featuring California farmers and the secretary of the California Department of Food and Agriculture, Karen Ross, to highlight the negative impact of new tariffs on California exports.
NPR
A shortage of workers willing and able to do farm labor is forcing some big changes on California’s agricultural sector.
Strawberry season is upon us, but it’s not a good one
Visalia Times-Delta
There’s a consensus — this year’s crop of strawberries is among the worst seen in 20 years. That agreement doesn’t come from those who are enjoying the heart-shaped berries, but the people who are growing and selling them.
California “Track and Trace” program sees pot’s every move
The Mercury News
From birth to death — and beyond, when added to foods and extracts — plants like this will soon enter California’s elaborate new “Track and Trace” program, providing the same information you’d find on a pack of gum or box of copy paper.
Bill to create banks for cannabis businesses clears hurdle in Legislature
San Francisco Chronicle
A second state Senate committee on Wednesday approved a bill that would make it easier for California cannabis businesses to write checks — instead of using hoards of cash, as is common practice now — to pay taxes, rent and fees to vendors.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Golden State Killer arrested, suspected in at least 12 slayings, 45 rapes, authorities say
Fresno Bee
After four decades of dead ends, Sacramento law enforcement leaders announced Wednesday they arrested the man they believe was the East Area Rapist who killed and terrorized people in the 1970s and 1980s.
See also:
● Golden State Killer suspect linked to Visalia mystery, was an Exeter police officer Fresno Bee
● Alleged serial killer arrested in Sacramento also known as Visalia Ransacker, officials say ABC30
● Here are the headlines behind the horror of East Area Rapist, 1979-2018 Merced Sun -Star
● Watch drone video of FBI investigators searching suspected East Area Rapist’s home Merced Sun -Star
● He was quirky and complex. But they never thought the former cop next door could be notorious Modesto Bee
● Sacramento police: Former Exeter cop is Visalia Ransacker Visalia Times-Delta
● Ex-cop arrested in sadistic California crime spree from ’70s and ’80s The Bakersfield Californian
● What do we know about the Golden State Killer and his victims? Hanford Sentinel
● ‘The day I have dreamed of for 40 years’: Police detail East Area Rapist’s Stockton attacks Stockton Record
● Modesto on edge when East Area Rapist struck 40 years ago Modesto Bee
● EDITORIAL: After 40 years, persistence, publicity and DNA evidence pay off in East Area Rapist case Sacramento Bee
● Ex-cop is suspected ‘Golden State Killer’ The Mercury News
● Golden State Killer: DNA from Orange County killings helped lead to an arrest OCRegister
● Ex-Cop Arrested in Golden State Killer Case: ‘We Found the Needle in the Haystack’ New York Times
San Joaquin County Sheriff Stripped of Role in Death Investigations
KQED
San Joaquin County supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to adopt a new model for investigating deaths in the wake of allegations that the coroner, who is also the elected sheriff, used his political office to shield officers who killed civilians.
Update: Sex scandal forces resignation of former Modesto youth pastor
Modesto Bee
The founding senior pastor of an Arizona megachurch, caught up in a sex scandal with roots in Modesto, has resigned, congregants were told Wednesday evening at a special meeting of Highlands Church in Scottsdale.
Efforts to regulate bail companies have some unlikely allies: bail agents
Los Angeles Times
In recent years, the seriousness and number of official complaints related to the bail industry in California have significantly increased while bail agents and bounty hunters face limited oversight, putting vulnerable communities at risk of fraud, embezzlement and other forms of victimization.
Report finds San Diego jails are failing inmates with mental illness
The San Diego Union-Tribune
A new report on suicides in San Diego jails doesn’t mention Heron Moriarty by name, but among the cases it highlights as preventable suicides is one Michelle Moriarty knows is her husband. Hours before he died, a nurse practitioner recommended Heron Moriarty be placed on suicide watch. But a jail sergeant ignored the nurse’s recommendation, the report says.
Public Safety:
Prepared, concerned committed – that’s how Merced’s responders roll
Merced Sun-Star
When school officials hear certain words or phrases over the airway, action is taken and an entire community of law enforcement and first responders spring into action. Questions come later.
Fire:
Vacant house fires threatening Fresno neighborhoods
ABC30
Vacant house fires are a growing problem in the City of Fresno. Fire crews were called to their 13th of the year.
California lawmakers take on insurance industry over wildfire coverage
Sacramento Bee
The Senate Insurance Committee, chaired by arguably the upper house’s most moderate Democrat Sen. Steve Glazer, will vote on two bills with major implications for homeowners and insurers.
See also:
· Why you may pay more in your power bill for damage from utility-caused fires 89.3 KPCC
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Fresno’s extreme poverty puts the city in a bad spot on a national list
Fresno Bee
Fresno ranks No. 2 in the nation for cities with the highest rates of extreme poverty, a new study shows. The research by Wall St. 24/7, published this week in USA Today, used census data to rank 20 cities throughout the U.S. by growth rate of extreme poverty growth from 2010 to 2016.
See Also:
● Visalia prospers despite growing Bakersfield, Fresno poverty rates Visalia Times-Delta
Aldi grocery store files in Hanford for building plans
Handford Sentinel
The Hanford Aldi grocery store has finalized a lease for 22,500 square feet – a new building at the southwest corner of 12th Avenue and Lacey Boulevard. That’s the same corner that already has Chipotle, Jimmy John’s and The Habit Burger Grill.
It probably comes at no surprise that the San Jose and San Francisco metro areas have the strongest economies in the US. Many of the nation’s largest tech companies are headquartered there, and one economist recently told Mercury News that the Bay Area’s economy “is defying gravity.”
Jobs:
Job Opportunities Root and Rebound comes to Fresno
Roots and Rebound
Project Rebound is looking for really stellar candidates with local knowledge and deep connection to the Fresno community and criminal justice issues.. Positions include:
Fresno-Women’s Support & Social Services Manager
Fresno-Employment & Economic Security Coach
For more information please contact Jennifer Leahy at projectrebound@mail.
Modesto’s Crystal Creamery cuts its workforce by 5 percent
Modesto Bee
Modesto’s Crystal Creamery has cut its workforce by about 5 percent, the dairy company confirmed Wednesday.
Is it more dangerous to be a cop, a pilot or a logger? The 12 most deadly jobs in California
Sacramento Bee
More than 350 California workers die from work-related injuries during a typical year, but most of those deaths occur across a small number of occupations.
Stalemate weakens fund for jobless benefits
CALmatters
Gov. Jerry Brown regularly warns that California is overdue for an economic downturn that could devastate tax revenues. Even a moderate recession, his administration projects, could cost the state $60 billion in lower revenues over three years, underscoring the need to build a hefty reserve as a cushion.
California unemployment benefits fund ill-prepared for a downturn
San Francisco Chronicle
Gov. Jerry Brown regularly warns that California is overdue for an economic downturn that could devastate tax revenues. Even a moderate recession, his administration projects, could cost the state $60 billion in lower revenue over three years, underscoring the need to build a hefty reserve as a cushion.
A Year-Round Opportunity To Fight Poverty in California
CAFWD
The Earned Income Tax Credit, a cash-back program for hard-working people, has long been established as one of the strongest policy tools we have to fight poverty and make work pay better. Our great state has the worst poverty rate in the nation.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Groundbreaking for Matilda Torres High School in Madera
ABC30
With a scoop of dirt, Madera Unified is one step closer to opening their new high school, Matilda Torres High School, providing students with new opportunities.
Two schools, district recognized among state’s best
Hanford Sentinel
The hard work and achievements of two Kings County schools and their district are being recognized by the state this year.
Engaging families in school the goal of resources fair
Bakersfield Californian
The “Now We’re Cooking” Resource Fair held Wednesday evening at Evergreen Elementary School in south Bakersfield operated under one simple premise: If school districts can get parents and their children directly engaged in school — together — the young students almost always do better, academically and behaviorally.
MUSD lays it all out
Madera Tribune
As the increase in concern over turbulence in public schools spreads across the nation, Madera Unified School District is making a concerted effort to engage its high school students in a joint examination of the school climate that presently prevails at Madera High and Madera South High.
English learners are becoming English-proficient at higher rates. How did LAUSD pull it off?
KPCC
Students in the Los Angeles Unified School District who are still learning English are becoming proficient in their new language at record levels.
California Budget & Policy Center
Under Governor Brown’s proposed 2018-19 budget, spending per prisoner would exceed $80,000 – up by 32% since 2007-08. Spending per K_12 student would be 14% above the 2007-08 level.
Despite progress, California’s teaching force far from reflecting diversity of students
EdSource
California has a far more racially and ethnically diverse teaching force than it had 20 years ago — and a more diverse one than is the case nationally. About about 1 in 3 of the state’s 305,000 teachers are teachers of color, compared to 1 in 5 teachers across the nation.
What does California’s superintendent of public instruction do? A quick guide
EdSource
The job of state superintendent of public instruction has been around since California itself. The position was written into the state’s 1849 constitution; four years later, Gov. John Bigler asked unsuccessfully for the Legislature to abolish it.
School attendance: A building block of student achievement
Brookings
In a new video based on research from the Hamilton Project at Brookings, Lauren Bauer uses Jenga blocks to illustrate the ways in which poor school attendance negatively affects both chronically absent students and their classmates.
Higher Ed:
CCC-Associate Degree for Transfer
CSU
The California Community Colleges (CCC) Associate in Art for Transfer (AA-T) and the Associate in Science for Transfer (AS-T) degrees are two-year associate degrees that are fully transferable to the CSU and are no more than 60 semester units or 90 quarter units.
California online community college announces first health care pathway
California Economy Reporting
The proposed California online community college has announced its first partnership to establish a program pathway in the health care industry to meet needs like more coders.
Villaraigosa advocates for new university campus in Stockton and tuition aid tied to public service
EdSource
A new Cal State campus in Stockton, a new medical school at UC Merced and a plan giving students a year of free tuition at a state university in exchange for a year of public service were some of the ideas gubernatorial candidate and former Los Angeles mayor Antonio Villaraigosa put forward at a pre-election forum on higher education Tuesday evening.
How professors contribute to the democratic deficit
AEI
Students today are frustrated with the state of politics in America. Instead of having to sit in classes and in dorm rooms wondering what to do about the current levels of dysfunction, they should be taught how to become civically involved — and supported by their professors in their efforts to learn how to change the status quo.
Washington Post
A California university has suspended all fraternities and sororities following racially insensitive incidents and become the latest school to crack down on campus fraternal organizations.
A push for mental health care at colleges: Depression and anxiety ‘really eat up our kids’
CALmatters
When student leaders from 23 California State University campuses came together last fall to set priorities for the academic year, improving campus mental health services received more nominations than any other issue. It beat out even that perennial concern, tuition costs.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
EDITORIAL: End discardable plastic bottle caps in California
The Mercury News
Californians should take pride that their state is the nation’s trend-setter for improving the environment. Whether it’s the plastic bags ban or gas mileage standards, California has led with common-sense solutions to long-standing problems.
Energy:
Why California’s attorney general must stand up to solar companies
Sacramento Bee
In March, the attorney general of New Mexico filed a 17-count civil complaint against Vivint Solar that accused the company — which sells and leases rooftop solar panels in California, New Mexico and other states – of fraud, racketeering and unfair business practices. California Attorney General Xavier Becerra would do well to follow New Mexico’s lead.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
VA Central California hosts forum for contractors
ABC30
VA Central California Health Care System held a forum on Wednesday for contractors to help them learn more the federal contracting process.
How to keep intoxicated from clogging emergency rooms
The Mercury News
The law requires transport directly to a hospital emergency room. Many of these people have “uncomplicated alcohol intoxication,” needing only time and basic monitoring to sober safely. These visits cost millions and contribute to emergency department overcrowding, reducing resources for those who have medical emergency needs.
Worth Noting: United Way of Kern County gets new president/CEO
Bakersfield Californian
United Way of Kern County has announced a new interim president and CEO.
Prescription drugs are costly. This startup helps doctors find cheaper ones
San Francisco Chronicle
As consumers and health insurers grapple with ever-rising costs of prescription drugs, one Bay Area startup thinks it’s found a solution: Get doctors involved.
A push for mental health care at colleges: Depression and anxiety ‘really eat up our kids’
CALmatters
When student leaders from 23 California State University campuses came together last fall to set priorities for the academic year, improving campus mental health services received more nominations than any other issue. It beat out even that perennial concern, tuition costs.
Primary care is a home run for both sides of the aisle
The Hill
With respect to enhancing value, primary care is foundational. Studies show that advanced primary care reduces unnecessary specialist referrals, hospitalizations, and emergency room visits with better health outcomes for patients.
California ObamaCare official urges Trump to restore outreach funding
The Hill
The head of the California ObamaCare marketplace is urging the Trump administration to restore outreach funding to encourage people to sign up, warning of higher premiums if the step is not taken.
A warning on health care price setting as envisioned by Assembly Bill 3087
AEI
Assembly Bill 3087 proposes to task an independent state agency with setting payment rates for all health care providers. Such authority conveys substantial power to alter the market. However, the temptation for regulators to overreach presents a threat to rate setting’s success.
|
Dangerous outbreak of E. coli illness from romaine lettuce expands, with 19 states affected
Washington Post The bacteria can cause serious kidney problems, and at least 42 people have been hospitalized. |
Human Services:
How the Child-Welfare System Could Protect More Kids and Save Billions of Dollars
RAND
The study provides a first-of-its-kind look at how the system works, and how it could work better. It found that a greater emphasis on preventing maltreatment before it happens, and on keeping children within their own extended families when it does, could improve the lives of thousands of children every year.
IMMIGRATION
Activist group to California Latinos: Don’t talk with cops
The Mercury News
As more cities and counties add their voices to an anti-sanctuary movement, one civil rights group wants to fight back by taking an unusual tack – asking Latinos not to cooperate with law enforcement.
Pro- and anti-Trump forces score points on immigration, but both sides are losing
Los Angeles Times
When it comes to illegal immigration, California is no longer at war with a single foe — the Trump administration. It’s now officially at war with itself.
Supreme Court’s conservative justices appear to back Trump’s authority for travel ban
Washington Post
The conservative majority on the Supreme Court seemed to agree Wednesday that President Trump has the authority to ban travelers from certain majority-Muslim countries if he thinks that it is necessary to protect the country.
See also:
· EDITORIAL: Whatever the Supreme Court decides on the law, Trump’s Muslim ban is bad policy Los Angeles Times
· The DACA Decision and the Judicial Threat to the Rule of Law National Review
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Tribes seek act of Congress to expand lands
San Francisco Chronicle
It’s been said that the only real law of history is the law of unintended consequences. My candidate for good intentions gone haywire comes courtesy of the Bureau of Indian Affairs and its fee-to-trust program.
Housing:
Rent control will worsen California’s housing crisis
Sacramento Bee
Our coalition continues to work toward solutions and to ease the financial burden of millions of Californians. We have embraced a number of important measures to ease the housing crunch, and coalition members have worked in favor of offering local aid to create more middle-class housing and earmarking money to help our skyrocketing homeless population.
What a change to rent control restrictions could mean for you
89.3 KPCC
Rent control policies can differ by location and building. In units subject to rent control, landlords are limited in how much they can increase rent, which can vary depending on existing local laws.
Washington Post
Housing and Urban Development Secretary Ben Carson proposed far-reaching changes to federal housing subsidies Wednesday, tripling rent for the poorest households and making it easier for housing authorities to impose work requirements.
See also:
● HUD Floats a Plan Intended to Reduce Dependence on Housing Assistance New York Times
Regulators are fueling another housing boom
AEI
Just eleven years after the last housing bubble burst, the United States is in the midst of yet another boom — both caused by errant federal housing policy and inflated by regulatory malpractice.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Stalemate weakens fund for jobless benefits
CALmatters
Gov. Jerry Brown regularly warns that California is overdue for an economic downturn that could devastate tax revenues. Even a moderate recession, his administration projects, could cost the state $60 billion in lower revenues over three years, underscoring the need to build a hefty reserve as a cushion.
California unemployment benefits fund ill-prepared for a downturn
San Francisco Chronicle
Gov. Jerry Brown regularly warns that California is overdue for an economic downturn that could devastate tax revenues. Even a moderate recession, his administration projects, could cost the state $60 billion in lower revenue over three years, underscoring the need to build a hefty reserve as a cushion.
California, like the rest of the country, needs to confront the pension crisis
OCRegister
State pension funds nationwide reported unfunded liabilities of $1.4 trillion in 2016, explains The Pew Charitable Trusts in a ew report, up $295 billion from the previous year.
Calpers Rejects Plea to Divest From Carmakers Over Emissions
Bloomberg
The California Public Employees’ Retirement System opposes plans by the Trump administration to relax vehicle emissions standards. But don’t expect Calpers to exert its muscle by dumping shares of car makers.
California Congressional Republicans take their shot
CALmatters
California’s congressional Republicans are all in on an initiative to repeal the state’s 12-cent-per-gallon gasoline tax. As they see it, it could help them maintain control of the House of Representatives.
The federal budget outlook: Even crazier after all these years
Brookings
In an odd twist, the strong projected economy makes the projections of large deficits more worrisome. The strong economic performance is due in significant part to the implementation of the tax legislation.
April 2018: Personal Income Tax Tracker
Legislative Analyst’s Office
April is a major revenue month for the state. This post includes two graphs that track the state’s progress in meeting the administration’s January 2018 projection for April personal income tax receipts. At the end of the post, we provide an update on corporation tax collections to date.
A Year-Round Opportunity To Fight Poverty in California
California Economy Reporting
For most Californians the stress of mid-April has subsided as tax-season has ended. At CalEITC4Me our work to fight poverty is just beginning. Most don’t realize that hard-working Californians can claim the Earned Income Tax Credit they’ve earned at anytime throughout the year.
TRANSPORTATION
Amtrak San Joaquins Morning Express Toolkit
California Partnership for the San Joaquin Valley
Dan Leavitt from the San Joaquin Joint Powers Authority has shared a digital toolkit (click here to download) with the Partnership Board to help promote Morning Express Service, a schedule reconfiguration launching May 7th.
Amtrak San Joaquin changes fare policies
The Business Journal
Amtrak San Joaquin has made changes to its fee schedule that could save passengers money and allow them to change trains without incurring added costs.
Nightmare 90-minute ‘super commutes’ more common as Bay Area housing shortage intensifies
The Mercury News
Across the Bay Area, workers are spending more time sitting in bumper-to-bumper traffic or squeezed into crowded trains and buses — further evidence of the intensifying struggle to balance a well-paying job with an affordable place to live.
See Also:
● Stunning increase in Bay Area ‘super commuters’ in the last decade amid housing crisis SFGate
● Investing in regional rail can erase prescription for gridlock OCRegister
Metro wants to end free rides for clean-air vehicles in toll lanes
Los Angeles Times
Facing rising congestion in the 110 Freeway and 10 Freeway toll lanes, the Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Thursday will consider ending free rides for commuters who drive alone in zero-emission vehicles.
PG&E customers can get $3000 off the new Nissan Leaf — for now
San Francisco Chronicle
Automakers, it seems, have figured out a new way to reach potential electric vehicle buyers — go through their utility company. Pacific Gas and Electric Co. announced this week that its customers can receive $3,000 off a new 2018 Nissan Leaf, a special offer that will end July 2.
WATER
Are California’s Cities Ready for the Next Drought?
Public Policy Institute of California
California’s urban areas—where more than 90% of residents live—managed the last drought quite well. How well prepared are cities and suburbs to weather the next long dry spell? Here are two things to know about urban drought preparedness.
No love for Tulare Lake Storage project
Hanford Sentinel
While the Temperance Flat Reservoir Project has strong local support, the Tulare Lake Storage and Floodwater Protection Project continues to get slammed in the competition for state funds.
Oroville Dam without DWR? It’s a possibility
The Mercury News
A bill proposed by Assemblyman James Gallagher which would take the State Water Project out of the hands of the state Department of Water Resources passed unanimously on Tuesday through a legislative committee.
Proposition 68—A $4 Billion Bond for (Mostly) Water
CALmatters
California voters have shown no reluctance in the past to put water and park spending on the state’s credit card. Most recently, voters agreed to borrow another $7.5 billion in 2014 with Prop 1.
California Voters Will Consider Two Water Bonds This Election Cycle
Two different water bonds are set to appear on the California ballot this election season, after a $9 billion measure gathered enough signatures to qualify in November, according to the Secretary of State’s Office on Wednesday.
See Also:
● California voters should expect to decide on an $8.9-billion water bond in November Los Angeles Times
● California Voters Will Consider Two Water Bonds This Election Cycle Capital Public Radio
● California voters to decide on $8.9 billion water bonds in November Reuters
“Xtra”
The top 5 events for a fun-filled weekend in Fresno
ABC30
Thinking about your weekend plans already? Perfect. From a scavenger hunt through downtown Fresno to the annual rodeo parade through Old Town Clovis, here’s what’s in store.
Hundreds of cowboys enter qualifying runs for Clovis Rodeo
ABC30
Each one is a professional cowboy, and the horses they ride have experience, but that doesn’t mean they have an easy ride entering the Clovis Rodeo. Wednesday morning the first qualifying run took place at the Clovis Rodeo Grounds.
Clovis North drama program puts finishing touches on ‘Mary Poppins’ production
Clovis Round Up
The Clovis North Bronco Drama program is ready to take the stage for its production of Disney’s “Mary Poppins.”
Thursday Night Market returns with new look
Hanford Sentinel
It’s going to a good week for those in the market — for a market.
CALM to host Give Big Kern nonprofits for Meet & Greet
Bakersfield Californian
Give Big Kern Day is Tuesday, but the early birds at CALM are hosting an event for the fundraising campaign this weekend.
On the Road: Top national parks in California and surrounding states
Stockton Record
This week is National Parks Week, with admission to all national parks and monuments free through Sunday. Californians are blessed by close proximity to this amazing world.