April 30, 2015

30Apr

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Political Briefs

Top stories

 California’s greenhouse gas emission targets are getting tougher — Gov. Jerry Brown ramped up his efforts to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, issuing an executive order Wednesday morning with more ambitious targets for California.  LA Times article; KQED report; New York Times article; Sacramento Bee article; AP article

 George Skelton: Don’t extend tax-the-rich Prop 30; overhaul the whole tax system — The latest numbers are in, and they show that Gov. Jerry Brown’s tax increase is performing as advertised — generating billions by soaking the rich. The data also point to the continuing need for an overhaul of California’s tax system to make it less dependent on the unreliable super-wealthy.  Skelton column in LA Times

 

Statewide politics/Ballot Measures

 John Myers: Big support in bipartisan poll for a more transparent California Legislature – No matter which voters you ask, there’s broad support for shining some sunlight into how things are done under the state Capitol dome.  Myers in KQED

 ‘Risk master’ Tim Draper soliciting ideas for next ballot proposal — Tim Draper might be back. Draper, the eccentric venture capitalist who spent more than $5 million – nearly $450,000 alone on political consultants – on a fabulously unsuccessful effort to carve the state in six, has announced plans to possibly spend more money.  Sacramento Bee article; San Jose Mercury News article

 Immigration

 Obama lives up to pledge to slow immigrant deportations — President Barack Obama has failed to live up to a campaign promise to push through immigration legislation, but he has met a postelection pledge to slow deportations with or without approval from Congress. AP article

 

Other areas

 

Democrats kill Republican bills on teacher tenure, firing – A legislative committee on Wednesday rejected Republican education bills that would have overhauled teacher tenure and firing rules in response to a federal judge striking down California’s teacher employment laws.  Capitol Alert

 Sugary drink labeling bill falls short in Senate panel – A measure to require health warning labels on sodas and other sugary beverages fell flat in a state Senate committee Wednesday afternoon.  LA Times article

 Voter surveys must be neutral and without bias, pollsters say – Conducting surveys of voters’ attitudes on such controversial issues as teacher tenure, layoffs and seniority can be challenging and needs to be handled with neutrality and without bias, according to the bipartisan team that handled a recent USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll. LA Times article

 Supreme Court upholds limits on judges’ fundraising – A divided Supreme Court ruled Wednesday that states can ban judicial candidates from personally asking for campaign contributions, in a decision aimed at protecting the impartiality of elected judges. AP article

 

California Government Today:

Senate Daily File

Assembly Daily File

News Briefs

Top Stories

 Modesto mayor renews sales tax push — Mayor Garrad Marsh again is making the case for why he believes Modesto needs a sales tax increase, which he says primarily would pay for hiring more police officers and firefighters and for other public safety needs. Modesto Bee article

 $10,000 fines a potent PR tool against water waste — Nobody knows how many water wasters there are in California. And it’s far from clear that converting them to zealous conservationists would make a major dent in the drought. But the threat of fining wasters $10,000 a day —- as Gov. Jerry Brown proposed this week — could be a potent political and psychological weapon.  LA Times article

 

Jobs and the Economy

 California taxpayers’ incomes rose 2 percent in 2013 – Californians who filed more than 16 million state income tax returns for 2013 reported $1.42 trillion in adjusted gross income, and the median income for individual tax returns rose 2 percent to $36,624, the state Franchise Tax Board revealed Wednesday.  Capitol Alert

 Pending U.S. home sales increase in March – More Americans signed contracts to buy homes in March, the third straight month of gains as housing heats up with the start of the spring buying season. AP article

 Turlock garbage rates could rise – The first garbage rate increase since 2003 could happen by midsummer for the city’s residents and businesses. The City Council voted 5-0 on Tuesday night to launch the process. A typical home’s bill would rise from $25.10 a month now to $25.47, followed by annual increases that bring it to $28.21 in 2019.  Modesto Bee article

 Report: Foreclosure rates mostly decline in Central Valley – Foreclosure rates in the Fresno area decreased for the month of February over the same period last year, according to new report from CoreLogic.  The Business Journal article

 Monthly real estate numbers – The Fresno Bee takes a look at March real estate numbers in Fresno, Tulare, Kings and Madera counties.  Fresno Bee article

 No ‘Promise Zone’ for south Stockton – Long-neglected south Stockton was passed over this week for “Promise Zone” designation by the federal government, a decision that drew disappointment from some involved in the process and strong words from Congressman Jerry McNerney.  Stockton Record article

 

Mayor announces program to aid Fresno homeowners — At a news conference Wednesday, Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin unveiled a new $7.5 million program sponsored by Wells Fargo that will provide up to $15,000 in down payment assistance grants for eligible homebuyers in Fresno. The Business Journal article; Fresno Bee article

 Bank offers $15,000 in down payment aid – Would-be home buyers may take the first steps toward receiving $15,000 in down payment assistance by registering to attend a Wells Fargo HomeLIFT program May 28 in Stockton. Stockton Record article

 Fresno’s Downtown Business Hub unveils Spanish instruction – While many of the region’s residents know how to speak Spanish, very few have the language skills necessary for a business setting. To fill this void, the Fresno Area Hispanic Foundation has joined with the America Hispanic Consulting Group to open Instituto Novohispano.  The Business Journal article

 Big-time opposition emerges to Warriors’ arena plan — The Golden State Warriors’ plans for an 18,000-seat arena in San Francisco’s Mission Bay are suddenly running into big-time political problems. An anonymous group of what organizers describe as big-bucks donors to UCSF hired an imposing cast of consultants — including former UCSF Senior Vice Chancellor Bruce Spaulding and, for a time, Chronicle columnist and former Mayor Willie Brown — to block the plan for the arena and adjacent twin office towers in Mission Bay near the waterfront.  San Francisco Chronicle article

 City pushes back against new critics of Warriors arena – After a previously unknown group announced its opposition to the Warriors’ arena in Mission Bay, evoking visions of people unable to get to the nearby UCSF hospital, city officials said Wednesday that they have parking and traffic issues under control. San Francisco Chronicle article

 Critics of Pacific Rim free trade agreement cite worries over jobs, immigration – About 30 members of unions, immigrant rights groups and an environmental advocacy organization joined Wednesday to voice their concerns that a Pacific Rim free trade deal would reduce U.S. jobs and increase immigration to the country.  LA Times article

 Pension changers’ new term: ‘crowd-out’ – The next buzzword in California’s episodic public pension debate: “crowd-out.” As in, “California Crowd-Out: How Rising Retirement Benefit Costs Threaten Municipal Services.” It’s the title of a new report issued by the conservative Manhattan Institute.  Sacramento Bee article

 Sacramento auditor to examine arena hiring, Police Department – Sacramento City Hall’s internal auditor will launch examinations in the coming fiscal year of the Police Department and the hiring practices of contractors at the downtown arena construction site as part of a plan approved by the City Council on Tuesday.  Sacramento Bee article

 Funeral taxes: California takes its cut from the dead — Death and taxes are just as certain as ever, except that now even more of death could be taxable. Specifically, a death or “memory” DVD. It’s big business these days in the funeral business. So the state Board of Equalization, which interprets tax law, wants to make sure California is getting its 8.25 percent cut.  San Francisco Chronicle article

 How George Lucas’ bid for a Presidio museum misfired – When the Presidio Trust announced last year that it was rejecting George Lucas’ bid to build a museum at Crissy Field, its leaders didn’t reveal that three days earlier they had been prepared to grant the “Star Wars” creator the land he sought.  San Francisco Chronicle article

 City of Industry aims to redo or end trash pact with ex-mayor’s firm — City of Industry officials are seeking to renegotiate or possibly cancel a lucrative trash contract with a company headed by former Mayor Dave Perez as they scrutinize years of business deals that benefited him and his relatives. LA Times article

 ‘Morphing’ wings take flight in eastern Kern County — Edwards Air Force Base and NASA’s Armstrong Flight Research Center in eastern Kern County have long been pioneers in the development, testing and evaluation of the latest aviation and aerospace technologies. And they still are. But now they often have partners in the private sector. Bakersfield Californian article

 Merced County parents can pay child support at MoneyGram locations — Parents in Merced County now have the option of paying their child support in cash at more than 40 MoneyGram locations across the county. Merced Sun-Star article

 

Agriculture/Water/Drought

 Modesto cuts watering days, increases fines to deal with drought – Modesto homeowners soon will be able to water their lawns just two days a week and those caught violating this and other drought restrictions face fines of as much as $500.  Modesto Bee article

 An average of 15,000 Fresno homes breaking lawn water rules – On days when lawn watering is banned in the city of Fresno, an average of 15,000 homes are watering anyway. That’s according to a new review of water use by the city’s public works department.  KVPR report

 City of Visalia implements May residential water policy – The City of Visalia will change its residential watering policy from May 1 through May 31. Residents will be allowed to water two nights a week before 10 a.m. or after 8 p.m., based on their address numbers. Watering is allowed on Tuesdays and Saturdays for odd-numbered addresses, and Wednesdays and Sundays for even-numbered addresses. Fresno Bee article; Visalia Times-Delta article

 Visalia Mayor Nelson part of Gov. Brown’s water conservation meeting – Fourteen mayors on Tuesday sat down with Gov. Jerry Brown to discuss and share ideas on how to bolster statewide water conservation efforts, and among those at the meeting was Visalia’s Steve Nelsen.  Visalia Times-Delta article

 Earth Log: People walked, drove by without even noticing illegal watering downtown – The phone caller said he was from Southern California, visiting Fresno. He said he couldn’t believe his eyes Wednesday afternoon when he saw a stream of water coming from a city of Fresno parking garage structure at Inyo Street and Van Ness Avenue.  Fresno Bee article

 Tony Boren: Valley’s ‘One Voice’ met by Sen. Boxer’s deaf ears – The executive director of the Fresno Council of Governments writes, “It was even more disheartening to hear our own Sen. Barbara Boxer state the misinformation that agriculture uses 80% of California’s water. Mendota Mayor Robert Silva looked her square in the eye and told her that she was wrong, that agriculture uses about 50%.” Boren op-ed in Fresno Bee

 Joel Fox: Market forces key to managing water crisis — “California is short of water, but it’s flooded with headlines about the drought,” former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger said kicking off USC’s Schwarzenegger Institute and the Public Policy Institute of California program on the state’s drought. The goal of the program was to look at the truth behind the headlines and find some answers to deal with the drought. Fox in Fox & Hounds

 Jeff Denham: Let local districts run New Melones – U.S. Rep. Jeff Denham, R-Turlock, wants the federal government to transfer ownership of New Melones Lake east of Stockton to local water districts. That’s the aim of one of two bills introduced by Denham on Wednesday. The other bill would seek to eliminate hungry predators that chomp on endangered fish in the Stanislaus River downstream of the reservoir.  Stockton Record article

 Farmers claim bait-and-switch on Oakdale Irrigation District-Trinitas petition — A petition asks irrigation leaders to reverse a decision benefiting a corporate nut grower at small farmers’ expense.  Modesto Bee article

 Criminal Justice/Prisons

 Can you run from police? U.S. courts apply a double standard — Fleeing from police is not, by itself, illegal in America, and the U.S. Supreme Court has made clear that in safe neighborhoods, people not suspected of criminal activity can ignore a police officer who approaches them, even to the point of walking away. But courts have set a different standard for places where street crime is common, ruling that police can chase, stop and frisk people if their location contributes to a suspicion of criminal activity.  AP article

 Independent review of evidence-handling sought – San Joaquin County Sheriff Steve Moore responded Wednesday after Sen. Cathleen Galgiani called for an independent review of his department’s handling of evidence in several missing persons cases, some of which have been linked to notorious serial killers Loren Herzog and Wesley Shermantine.  Stockton Record article

 U.S. Attorney’s Office opens branch in Bakersfield – A branch of the U.S. Attorney’s Office opened in Bakersfield Wednesday in response to an increasing number of federal cases originating in Kern County. The office will be staffed with two federal prosecutors. Bakersfield Californian article

 San Francisco cops expected to get body-worn cameras – Mayor Ed Lee is proposing to spend more than $3 million to equip everySan Francisco Police Department patrol officer with a body-worn camera, a move that comes amid a national firestorm over the way police treat people of color. San Francisco Chronicle article

 San Francisco sheriff seeks to fire deputy accused of staging jail fights — The San Francisco Sheriff’s Department is seeking to fire the deputy at the center of allegations that San Francisco jail inmates were forced to fight each other, The Chronicle has learned.  San Francisco Chronicle article

 Antelope Valley deputies must limit backseat detentions, be polite — A federal settlement made public Tuesday night prohibits Antelope Valley sheriff’s deputies from routinely detaining people in the backseat of patrol cars and requires them to start most encounters by politely introducing themselves. LA Times article

 

Education

 Despite progress, too few Latinos admitted to UC, report says – Despite progress in gaining admission to the University of California, Latino students in the state still are underrepresented compared with their overall population, and are heavily concentrated at three of the system’s 10 campuses, according to a new report.  LA Times article

 A new UC campus? California bill passes Assembly committee – A bill to make more space in the competitive UC system by opening a new campus has passed the Assembly Higher Education Committee. Assembly Bill 1483 would appropriate $50 million for land acquisition and initial building costs and launch a study on the feasibility of creating an 11th campus for the research university. San Jose Mercury News article

 Group of reform-minded California schools measuring more than test scores — If you think test scores and accountability are the only way to judge academic success, you’ll find yourself in an argument with the head of the CORE Districts (CORE). Rick Miller is the executive director of CORE, which is a collaborative of 10 California school districts representing one million students, looking at ways to predict and achieve student success.  (CORE districts include Clovis, Fresno and Sanger in the San Joaquin Valley.) California Forward website

 Frank Lamas: Food security for all Fresno State students – The vice president for student affairs and enrollment management at Fresno State writes, “At Fresno State, we are committed to student success. We believe an important component to success is that students should feel secure about nourishment. They shouldn’t have to decide between buying books and supplies for class or food to eat. They shouldn’t be working two or three jobs when they need to be doing homework, studying for a test or fully engaging in their college experience beyond the classroom.” Lamas op-ed in Fresno Bee

 Some former Corinthian students to get loans forgiven – A top education official said Wednesday that the 16,000 former Corinthian Colleges students who saw their campuses abruptly close this week will automatically have their federal student loans discharged — but only if they agree to forgo any credits they earned at the schools. AP article

 Heald College students in Fresno confused, frustrated over school closure – More than 100 students lined up outside Fresno’s Heald College on Wednesday morning to pick up degrees and get information about how to obtain transcripts from their now-closed college.  Fresno Bee article

 Long lines with scant information – Heald College students and alumni were angry when they arrived at the 1605 E. March Lane campus Wednesday. Stockton Record article; Stockton Record editorial

 College recruiters talk transfers with displaced Heald students — Three days after Heald College closed, thousands of students went back to campus today. They were there to pick up transcripts and to gather information to help them decide what to do next.  Capital Public Radio report

 

Researchers defend college rankings – Brookings Institution researchers, who Wednesday released a new analysis of U.S. colleges and universities, defended their use of data from social media platforms and the contribution of geographic location to school performance. Stockton Record article

 Judge to consider whether school shooter’s mother to remain petitioner in lawsuit against school district – An attorney representing Taft Union High School District asked a Kern County judge Wednesday to dismiss the mother of school shooter Bryan Oliver as a petitioner in a lawsuit against the district on the grounds she failed to file her claim in a timely manner. Bakersfield Californian article

 

On Campus: Young brains hit hard by violent, chaotic lives; safe, steady homes critical to learning – Schools, however, see the symptoms of stressful lives much earlier. “We know the effects of stress. Stress compromises the ability to learn,” Geoffrey Nagle said. Multiply that when stress is a constant. Kids without stable or safe homes become overactive, more aggressive, less attentive, hypervigilant, he said, “These are the children who get expelled when they get physical.” On Campus in Modesto Bee

 Fresno’s University High wins National Academic Decathlon title for 9th straight year– Nine University High students helped swing the school to its ninth straight National Academic Decathlon title this month.  Fresno Bee article

 Violence causes ripple effects for thousands of Oakland students — From 2002 to 2014 — the time it has taken for a kid in Oakland to go from kindergarten to senior year in high school — 111 children under 18 have been shot and killed in the city, according to the city’s Police Department. The department also reports that 1,280 children were wounded by gunfire from 2004 through 2014. KQED report

 See the 100 high schools with the lowest dropout rates in California – About 11.6 percent of California’s high school Class of 2014 dropped out of school before graduating, a slight declline from previous years, according to figures released Tuesday by the state Department of Education. But at these roughly 100 high schools less than 1 percent of the Class of 2014 dropped out. Ten of the high schools are in the Sacramento area, including seven from Placer County.  Sacramento Bee article

 CSU bolsters efforts to increase college opportunity for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders – The California State University (CSU) continues to address disparities in education by ensuring Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders receive vital information about college admissions and requirements during the university’s “Journey to Success” college fairs. This year, the CSU will host two “Journey to Success” college fairs, with the first at Fresno State on Saturday, May 2.  CSU news release

 Ex-Pasadena City College president’s $400,000 retirement deal nullified – A Los Angeles County Superior Court judge on Wednesday nullified a nearly $400,000 severance agreement between Pasadena City College and its previous president after finding that school trustees broke open meetings laws while negotiating the deal.  LA Times article

 UC Riverside official: Decision to stop selling Sabra hummus a ‘mistake’ — UC Riverside’s recent decision to stop selling a brand of hummus partially owned by an Israeli company because of a student group’s request was a “mistake,” school officials said Wednesday.  LA Times article

 To add a major – such as computer science – Pepperdine takes long view – Some Pepperdine University students and faculty want a computer science major at the Malibu campus, saying that without one, graduates are at a competitive disadvantage during their job search. Administrators say they’d be interested in the idea. But like any major company, colleges and universities have to weigh their mission statement, check market data and consider the bottom line before offering a new product — or major. LA Times article

 Swastikas at Stanford: Students condemn – and discuss – anti-Semitism — Stanford is reeling from a blatant act of anti-Semitism — swastikas spray-painted on a fraternity house over the weekend — and from a year of tense debate over the university’s investments in Israel, an issue cropping up at colleges across the country.  San Jose Mercury News article

 

Energy/Environment

 Drought making California’s air quality worse, American Lung Assn. says — The portion of California’s Central Valley from Fresno to Madera was the most polluted region in the nation on any given day in 2013 with microscopic particulates, or soot, thanks in large part to the changing climate and drought, according to an annual report on air quality released Wednesday by the American Lung Assn.  LA Times article; Sacramento Bee editorial

 California air is getting cleaner, new report says – Good news for people who appreciate breathing: It’s getting easier to do in California, according to the American Lung Association’s latest “State of the Air” report, released Wednesday. The air is cleaner, but make no mistake. It’s still not good, according to the report. San Francisco Chronicle article

 Report: Hanford air pollution among nation’s worst – again – If you live in Hanford, there’s no getting around the fact that you breathe some of the nation’s worst air, according to an annual pollution report released Wednesday by the American Lung Association. Hanford, Visalia and Porterville were tied as the second-most polluted cities in the U.S. for ozone (smog), the third-most polluted cities for short-term particle pollution and the third-most polluted cities for annual particle pollution. Hanford Sentinel article

 Merced continues on top of unhealthy air list – Air quality in the Merced-Modesto region continues to be among the worst in the nation, and the ongoing drought is not helping. The American Lung Association’s 2015 State of the Air report, released Wednesday, once again named the Merced-Modesto region among the top 10 most polluted areas in the country. Merced Sun-Star article

 Calls to overturn San Onofre settlement intensify amid PUC revelations — In recent weeks, investigations have turned up evidence of private deal-making between Southern California Edison and some members of the California Public Utilities Commission. The utility owns most of the San Onofre Nuclear Generating Station, which had to shut down one year after faulty steam generators at the plant caused a small radioactive leak. KQED report

 New questions about ex-PUC president’s deals with utilities — The former head of the California Public Utilities Commission pressured two Southern California utilities last year to make donations to a school at UCLA where he then landed a post on an advisory board, documents revealed Wednesday show.  San Francisco Chronicle article

 

Health/Human Services

 California’s individual health insurance market grows 64 percent to 2.2 million – The number of Californians buying individual health insurance soared 64% to nearly 2.2 million as Obamacare took full effect last year, a new report shows.  LA Times article

 Almost 40 percent of California hospitals graded C or lower in patient safety — Nearly four in 10 California hospitals received a grade of C or lower for patient safety in a new national report card aimed at prodding medical centers to do more to prevent injuries and deaths.  LA Times article

 As health coverage spikes, medical interpreters in short supply — Vietnamese interpreter Siu Williams and her fellow linguists are in such demand at Stanford Hospital that the sprawling campus has become like a trampoline and the hallways like treadmills. When it comes to one of California’s most overlooked medical needs Williams is essential — and perilously rare.  KQED report

 Nurses at five Sutter hospitals set for one-day strike – Hundreds of registered nurses are set to walk off their jobs Thursday at five Northern California Sutter Health hospitals because of disagreements in contract talks over health benefits and accusations by the nurses’ union that the hospital network is shortchanging patients with inadequate staffing levels.  San Francisco Chronicle article

 Breast-feeding may reduce risk of breast cancer recurrence, death — In a small study, women who had been diagnosed with breast cancer were 30 percent less likely to see a return of the disease if they had a history of breast-feeding. While previous research has found a small protective effect of breast-feeding and breast cancer risk, researchers from Kaiser Permanente’s Division of Research believe this is the first study to explore an association between nursing and a recurrence of cancer. KQED report

 

Transportation

Fresno air fares in the upper 25 percent nationwide in 2014’s fourth quarter — Airfares at Fresno Yosemite International Airport ranked in the upper 25% of fares among the nation’s 100 largest airports in the fourth quarter of last year. Fresno Bee article

 Protestors plan to raise concerns with bus agency — A demonstration planned for Tuesday’s Golden Empire Transit District board meeting is expected to air criticisms left over from a 2012 system overhaul and last year’s public bus strike. Organizers say dozens of passengers, possibly joined by bus drivers, will call for an audit of the agency’s finances and the removal of chief executive Karen King.  Bakersfield Californian article

 

Other areas

 Grand jury faults Stockton utilities department – The city’s Municipal Utilities Department drew broad criticism Wednesday over numerous job vacancies, potential pipe failures and levee settling at Stockton’s water treatment plant in a report released by the San Joaquin County Grand Jury.  Stockton Record article

 Second straight LA Fire Department recruit class is all male after women exit – All female recruits have been eliminated from the Los Angeles Fire Department training class set to graduate next month, dealing a setback to Mayor Eric Garcetti’s drive to increase the number of women in the agency’s ranks. LA Times article

 Joe Mathews: State’s east-west roads offer hidden surprises – Do you seek beauty and danger in California, but are unsure in which direction to find it? West. Just drive west.  Mathews in Bakersfield Californian

 Sacramento dubbed ‘the new Oakland’ for its coolness factor — Guess what, Sacramento? Thrillist has dubbed Sacramento as “the new Oakland” – and not just because both cities share Hells Angels chapters, or because the Sacramento Kings have the same winning ways as the Oakland Raiders.  Sacramento Bee article

 Valley Editorial Roundup

 

Fresno Bee – Gay marriage is a fundamental right; Central Valley Honor Flight deserves your support.

 Merced Sun-Star – Gay marriage is a fundamental right.

Modesto Bee – Gay marriage is a fundamental right.

 

Sacramento Bee – No time to breathe easy on air quality; Questions linger 40 years after the last helicopter left Vietnam.

 

Stockton Record – The leaders of Heald College, the flagship of Corinthian Colleges, Inc., had an opportunity to face its adversity with above-board honesty and integrity. Instead, they opted for cowardice.

 

 Interactive

 Next 10: UPDATED California budget challenge For the first time in a decade, California’s budget is largely in balance.  However, the state has outstanding debts of $28 million, not counting long-term pension and retiree health care costs.  Budget choices affect us all.  Take the Challenge and decide how much should be spent on programs and where the money should come from.  Next 10 California Budget Challenge

 Next 10: Federal budget challengeThe Federal Budget Challenge is based on The Concord Coalition’s Principles and Priorities budget exercise, which has been used in numerous town hall meetings across the country by members of Congress from both parties, as well as in hundreds of high school and college classrooms.  Next 10 Federal Budget challenge atwww.federalbudgetchallenge.org.

 Next 10: California Water Challenge – As our state faces some of the most severe drought conditions in its history, Next 10 wants to issue a new challenge to Californians: can you create a plan to make sure there’s enough water for everyone?  Next 10 California Water Challenge

 LEGISLATORS’ VOTING RECORDS: How often has a California legislator broken party ranks, abstained or switched sides? The Sacramento Bee has a database of the voting records of every member of the state Senate and Assembly. Enter a lawmaker’s last and first names to see how he or she voted, or enter a bill number to see how every legislator voted on it. Check it out at this link.  http://www.sacbee.com/votingrecord/

 Maddy Institute Updates List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials – The Maddy Institute has updated its list of San Joaquin Valley elected officials.  The list is available here.

 Maddy Institute on Facebook and Twitter – To learn about Maddy Institute activities (e.g. The Maddy Report tv show, The Maddy Associates’ Luncheons, the Maddy Legislative Intern Program), become a fan of the Maddy Institute on Facebook or log on to http://twitter.com/MaddyInstitute. And if you have a Facebook or Twitter account, please add us and follow us!

 

The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno was established to honor the legacy of one of California’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.

 

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