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Political Briefs
Top stories
Jean Fuller’s ascension cements region as GOP power base — Bakersfield Republican Jean Fuller was elected Thursday as state Senate minority leader, more than two months ahead of her originally planned Nov. 1 transition to the post. Fuller takes over from state Sen. Bob Huff, R-San Dimas, and once again gives the San Joaquin Valley the top Republican leadership posts in the state Legislature at the same time. Already, Modesto Republican Kristin Olsen is the Assembly minority leader. Fuller’s ascension also cements this region’s claim to be California’s Republican power base. Fresno Bee article; Bakersfield Californian article; Sacramento Bee article
Minimum wage hike and immigrant work permits among 100 bills shelved in California – State lawmakers on Thursday shelved some 100 bills for the year, including proposals that would have raised the minimum wage, banned oil drilling off the coast and provided work permits to agricultural workers who are in the country illegally. LA Times article
Gov. Brown
Olympics bid book says Jerry Brown supported state ‘financial guarantee’ for 2024 Games — In its pitch to host the 2024 Olympic Games, Los Angeles officials told the U.S. Olympic Committee that Gov. Jerry Brown had “expressed support for a state financial guarantee for the Games.” But, one day after that pitch booklet was made public, it is not clear if Brown actually made such a statement. KQED report
Valley politics
Merced districts committee down to 3 maps — The committee tasked with recommending new district maps for Merced’s local elections is set to have what could be its final meeting on Tuesday, when members expect to pick two maps to recommend to the City Council. Merced Sun-Star article
Stockton Record: Assessor post begets midterm political fallout — There is a new assessor-recorder-county clerk, and the appointment will have impacts on both San Joaquin County and city of Stockton government. Stockton Record editorial
Immigration
Widow of slain deputy again presses for changed immigration custody laws – Seizing on the well-publicized slaying of a woman last month in San Francisco, Republican state senators on Thursday announced legislation they believe would prevent undocumented immigrant felons from evading custody to commit more crimes. Sacramento Bee article;LA Times article
Trump proposals risk deepening GOP rift on immigration — Donald Trump has exposed anew the deep rift inside the Republican Party on immigration, a break between its past and the country’s future that the party itself has said it must bridge if the GOP ever hopes to win back the White House. AP article
Other areas
Bill to raise California minimum wage stalls in Assembly – A controversial measure to raise California’s minimum wage to $13 per hour over the next two years was held Thursday in a key financial committee, but the proposal may continue forward next session. Sacramento Bee article
California lawmakers act to raise smoking age to 21, restrict e-cigarettes – The state Senate on Thursday approved six anti-tobacco bills, including measures that would raise the smoking age in California from 18 to 21 and bar electronic cigarettes from restaurants, movie theaters and other public places where smoking is banned. LA Times article;Sacramento Bee editorial
California lawmakers approve equal pay protections for women – California’s state Assembly on Thursday approved legislation aimed at closing the wage gap between women and men through what proponents describe as the strongest equal pay protection in the nation. AP article; LA Times article
As legislative session nears end, leadership drama spikes – Amid a rush of negotiations over transportation and health care funding proposals in the final weeks of California’s legislative session, Senate Republicans installed a new leader Thursday, while the Democratic Assembly speaker sought to tamp down jockeying to succeed her. Capitol Alert
Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins asks Democrats to hold off vote to replace her – With the end of her tenure closing in at the end of 2016, Assembly Speaker Toni Atkins is asking Democrats to hold off on voting for a new leader until next January. Sacramento Bee article
Jim Mayer: A time for bipartisan deals – The executive director of California Forward writes, “In the twilight of the session we will see if enough Democrats are willing to say ‘No’ to a powerful interest group, and support a measure backed by their nonpartisan local school boards. And we will see if Republicans are willing to say ‘Yes’ to transportation-related taxes. For everything there is a season, and a time for bipartisan agreement under the dome.” Mayer in Fox & Hounds
Joel Fox: Amending SB 350 on the way to Paris — Senate President Kevin de León called the efforts of those opposed to his SB 350 energy bill “fear-mongering.” Gov. Jerry Brown’s chief aide, Nancy McFadden called one of the charges made against the bill “outrageous.” A columnist said the speculation of opponents was “outlandish.” Fox in Fox & Hounds
State Assembly members urge rejection of Iran nuclear deal – Just so you know, Assembly Members Henry T. Perea of Fresno and Luis Alejo of Salinas are opposed to the Iran nuclear deal, an agreement that would lift sanctions on the Middle Eastern nation if it cuts back its nuclear program. Fresno Bee article
Judge won’t toss charges in Chinatown racketeering case — A federal judge refused Thursday to throw out a racketeering case against a man arrested in a money laundering and corruption probe centered in San Francisco’s Chinatown that also led to charges against a California state senator. AP article; San Francisco Chronicle article
Dolores Huerta: Aid in dying gives peace to families – The president of the Dolores Huerta Foundation and co-founder of the United Farm Workers Union writes, “All Californians should have the freedom to choose the end of life options that are right for them. We should be able to make this private and personal decision – in consultation with our doctors, our family and our faith – free from government interference.” Huerta op-ed in Sacramento Bee
Bill Whalen: Trump doesn’t compare to Reagan, or Schwarzenegger – Let’s take a break from such taxing matters as gasoline and tobacco and talk about a political commodity equally as toxic and combustible – Donald Trump. Whalen column in Sacramento Bee
California Assembly Oks ending use of bullhooks on elephants — The California state Assembly has passed a bill to ban the use of bullhooks to guide and discipline elephants. SB716 by Democratic Sen. Ricardo Lara of Bell Gardens would make California the first state in the nation to protect elephants against bullhooks starting in 2018. AP article
California Government Today:
Assembly Daily File
News Briefs
Top Stories
Californians cut water use 31.3 percent in July, crushing governor’s target — Californians answered the call for conservation in July, slashing water use by 31.3 percent and exceeding state targets for the second straight month that communities face potential fines for falling short. San Francisco Chronicle article; LA Times article; AP article; Modesto Bee article; Bakersfield Californian article; Merced Sun-Star article; Stockton Record article; New York Times article
Fresno State study says drought causes $3.3 billion in farm losses – The state’s historic drought has hit the San Joaquin Valley hard, with farm losses estimated at $3.3 billion, an increase in health issues and a decline in income, according to a Fresno State study released Thursday. Fresno Bee article; The Business Journal article
Jobs and the Economy
Companies are on the hook for contractors’ labor policies, NLRB says – A labor dispute at a Silicon Valley recycling center could dramatically change who corporate America counts as an employee. The National Labor Relations Board ruled Thursday that companies using workers hired by another business — such as staffing agencies, contractors or even fast-food franchises — are still on the hook for labor violations and could be required to bargain with unions representing those employees. LA Times article
Crews carving out new home for ‘The Cosmo’ in downtown Fresno — Demolition crews began work Thursday ripping up part of the Selland Arena parking lot at the corner of Ventura and O streets, clearing out asphalt and concrete to clear a site to relocate the Cosmopolitan Tavern. Fresno Bee article
June foreclosure rate ticked down again in Kings — The foreclosure rate in Kings County went down again in June, dropping to .85 percent of outstanding mortgages — a .25 percent decline compared to the 1.1 percent rate in June 2014, according to real estate analysis firm CoreLogic. Hanford Sentinel article
Audit reveals California state employees’ misconduct — A Caltrans engineer played dozens of rounds of golf during work hours for 19 months while management approved his time sheets without knowing what he was doing, according to a new audit that highlights some state employees’ poor behavior. Sacramento Bee article
Analysts question housing costs in LA 2024 Olympic bid – City analysts warned that construction costs for athlete housing in Los Angeles’ 2024 Olympic bid may be significantly underestimated. AP article; LA Times article
As economies gasp globally, U.S. growth quickens – Not long ago, the United States was considered the tortoise of the world economy, at least in comparison to emerging powers like China and Brazil. Lately, however, slow but steady seems to be winning the race. The American economy continues to chug along, while the onetime hares in Asia, South America and elsewhere are flagging. New York Times article
Apple is behind secretive Sept. 9 event at San Francisco Civic Auditorium – It’s official: A secretive Sept. 9 event at the Bill Graham Civic Auditorium will be Apple’s latest product announcement, probably an iPhone6 update and tweaks to AppleTV. San Francisco Chronicle article
Solyndra lied to federal government about sales, report alleges — Solyndra executives repeatedly inflated their sales figures and misled federal officials in pursuit of a $535 million government loan guarantee, according to the results of a four-year investigation into the Fremont solar manufacturer’s high-profile demise. San Francisco Chronicle article
San Francisco start-up hopes homeless gift card will spark donations – This week HandUp launched a program in San Francisco it hopes will empower people to do something about homelessness — and start a conversation with someone in need — by giving them a $25 gift card. KQED report
Anne Stuhldreher: A more accountable way to help homeless – The senior program manager at the California Endowment writes, “Called “Pay for Success,” it is designed to drive government spending toward programs that work best for people who need them most.” Stuhldreher op-ed in Sacramento Bee
Looking beyond software, venture capitalists turning to biotech — Always looking for big ideas that can revolutionize industries, venture capitalists are starting to look beyond the overcrowded field of software startups. Some say their latest target could be more meaningful — and lucrative — than any app: biotechnology. San Francisco Chronicle article
Agriculture/Water/Drought
Another hurdle for twin tunnels – Operators of California’s giant state and federal water projects are formally asking for permission to take at least some of their water before it reaches the Delta, setting up another bureaucratic hurdle that must be cleared if Gov. Jerry Brown’s twin tunnels are ever to be built. Stockton Record article
Drought stress weighs on almond crop – California’s annual almond harvest is running at full throttle, and area growers are busy collecting the crunchy brown nuts that comprise San Joaquin County’s No. 2 cash crop behind only wine grapes. While generally good growing conditions were reported for this season, initial indications are yields are down from previous years. Stockton Record article
As giant sequoias get a drought checkup, there’s good news and bad news – Despite signs of stress — leaves turning brown after four hot and dry years — most of the sequoias seem to be holding up. LA Times article
Fresno City Council considers watering exemptions for backyard gardens – The Fresno City Council could carve out an exemption from water conservation rules for backyard fruit and vegetable gardens. The goal is to encourage more urban farming. The exemption, proposed by Fresno City Councilmember Esmeralda Soria, would allow for daily drip irrigation of backyard gardens. KVPR report
Dairy farmers look to drip irrigation – At last check, 75 percent of grape growers in California used drip or other low-volume irrigation methods. The rate was 71 percent for almonds and 63 percent for canning tomatoes. Dairy feed crops? Not so much. The rate was just 7 percent for corn and 2.5 percent for alfalfa, based on a 2010 survey. These farmers much prefer flood irrigation, at least when the water is abundant. That could change, based on the discussion Wednesday at a farm about 6 miles southeast of Merced. It has a test plot for corn grown with drip lines, which deliver water close to the roots, reducing losses to seepage and evaporation. Modesto Bee article
New dairy irrigation method tested — Virtually all the dairy-feed corn that’s grown in Kings County is irrigated the old-fashioned way: water with manure in it slowly flowing in furrows across the field. That could change according to a cutting-edge strategy being tested on a Valley dairy farm amid drought. Hanford Sentinel article
Criminal Justice/Prisons
California audit says prison contract wasted $3.2 million – An audit says California’s prison health care operator cost taxpayers $3 million by paying a contractor just to do paperwork. The state auditor on Thursday said Correctional Health Care Services paid $17 million to upgrade electrical systems in state prisons beginning in 2011. But the audit says but the work was done unlawfully under an existing master agreement instead of being put out to bid. AP article
Four slot machines seized in Fresno illegal gambling operation — Four men were arrested Wednesday night in south-central Fresno after detectives investigating a marijuana-growing operation made an unusual discovery: an illegal gambling setup that featured casino-like slot machines, authorities said. Fresno Bee article
Manson family member Bruce Davis found eligible for parole — Bruce Davis, an associate of Charles Manson who was convicted in two of the nine killings tied to the cult, was found Thursday to be eligible for parole, corrections officials said. The finding is now subject to a 120-day review and could still be blocked by Gov. Jerry Brown, according to a statement released by the state corrections department. LA Times article
Education
Fresno State clears a way for undocumented students — Fresno State will unveil a new Dream Outreach Center later this month, which aims to provide a clearer path for the more than 600 undocumented students and additional 400 migrant students currently attending the university. Most of the school’s undocumented students were brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents, while the other 400 were born in the U.S. and are children of farmworkers. Fresno Bee article
Dan Walters: Poor kids’ school aid diverted – California school districts were granted extraordinary flexibility in implementing a historic overhaul of public education finance to provide more help to “high-needs” poor and English-learner students. Walters column in Sacramento Bee
Findings of many studies not as strong as claimed, study says – The past several years have been bruising ones for the credibility of the social sciences. A star social psychologist was caught fabricating data, leading to more than 50 retracted papers. A top journal published a study supporting the existence of ESP. The journal Science pulled a political science paper on the effect of gay canvassers on voters’ behavior – also because of concerns about fake data. New York Times article
April Martignetti: The hard work, tears of Common Core are worth it – The president of the Catherine Everett Elementary School PTA writes, “When they graduate from high school, I want my kids to have every competitive advantage possible, so they can move on to the jobs they want or get into a good college. It’s worth a few tears over math homework today if my children are getting the kind of education that will help them succeed in the future.” Martignetti op-ed in Modesto Bee
Sac State President Nelsen outlines plans to boost graduation rates, add classes – Sacramento State President Robert Nelsen drew rousing applause and a standing ovation Thursday for an aggressive nine-step plan that would increase teacher pay, add classes and offer financial incentives to students for on-time graduation. Sacramento Bee article
Most voters haven’t heard of Local Control Funding Formula – Though far from a majority, an increasing number of Californians say that the state’s public schools have gotten better over the past few years, according to a poll released on Thursday. EdSource article
State bar to consider new rules for unaccredited schools – The State Bar of California will consider Friday a proposal to require unaccredited law schools to disclose their attrition rates to the public. LA Times article
Search on for suspect in Lemoore school theft — Kings County sheriff’s deputies now have surveillance footage of a man they suspect of involvement in the theft of thousands of dollars’ worth of equipment and other items from Island Elementary School this week. Hanford Sentinel article
Energy/Environment
PG&E plan would hit solar homes harder than previously thought – PG&E and the state’s other big utility companies on Aug. 3 proposed changing the state’s financial incentives for people who install solar panels on their roofs. The utilities also proposed adding new monthly charges that would apply to solar homeowners alone, an idea utility executives said would ensure that all customers pay to maintain the electricity grid. Solar companies called it a blatant attempt to strangle their industry. San Francisco Chronicle article
Regulator approves inquiry to measure PG&E’s emphasis on safety – The state Public Utilities Commission on Thursday unanimously approved a $2 million utility-financed investigation to gauge Pacific Gas and Electric Co.’s emphasis on safety in the aftermath of the San Bruno gas explosion. San Francisco Chronicle article; KQED report
Firefighters hope data gathered during Rough fire will improve tactics, prevent future blazes – A special firefighting team with the Sierra National Forest hiked into the mouth of the 56,900-acre Rough fire on Thursday to drop special equipment in the blaze’s path, and data recorded by the equipment may help prevent future wildfires. Fresno Bee article
Fire threat declining near Hume Lake – After 21 days of fighting the Rough Fire, Denver Saubert was looking forward to going home — at least for a little while. Visalia Times-Delta article
Partnership to test whether forest thinning can grow groundwater, snowpack – The purchase of 10,000 acres of watershed land west of Lake Tahoe is slated to launch a living laboratory testing whether the answer to drought lies in fewer trees. Sacramento Bee article
Largest green roof in the world proposed for new Vallco Mall project in Cupertino — The new owners of Vallco Shopping Mall in Cupertino announced Wednesday they have a $3 billion plan that will radically remake the outdated center and cover it with the “largest green roof in the world.” San Jose Mercury News article
Health/Human Services
Poll finds Californians happier with their health care – Nearly two years after the major elements of the federal health care law went into effect, California voters say they’re happier with the way the state is running its health care services, but the cost of coverage continues to be a problem, according to a Field Poll released Wednesday. San Francisco Chronicle article
California lags in vaccinating children, CDC says – For California kindergartners entering school in fall 2014, the immunization rate for measles, mumps and rubella was 92.6%, and for diphtheria, tetanus and acellular pertussis was 92.4%, the CDC found. LA Times article
California’s child care workers may face required vaccinations — A bill that would require day care workers to be immunized against three major diseases that could harm children passed out of the Assembly Committee on Appropriations Wednesday. It was the last committee stop for the bill, which passed the Senate and now will be up for an Assembly floor vote. KQED report
Latino training conference continues in Visalia — Latino Commission Executive Director Debra Camarillo says the Central Valley Latino Conference is a must for professionals in health and human services. Visalia Times-Delta article
Land Use/Housing
Downtown property latest flashpoint for Fresno’s General Plan – Junus Perry considers himself a problem solver. “That’s why I like selling commercial real estate. It presents a series of problems or obstacles and then challenges you to solve them,” he said. But Perry is clearly frustrated with his latest challenge. Since January 2014, the Realtor has been trying to sell a long-shuttered gas station at the corner of Van Ness and Stanislaus avenues in downtown Fresno. The Business Journal article
Merced dubbed ‘most affordable’ in rent costs – When it comes to rent costs, Merced is the most affordable city in California, according to a new report put together by Zumper, a home and apartment rental search site. The city’s current $550 median one-bedroom rent is $1,050 less expensive than the state median, the report said. It is also $2,950 less expensive than the median rent in San Francisco – the most expensive California city, according to the list. Merced Sun-Star article
San Francisco tenant who faced $6,755 rent hike sues landlord for wrongful eviction — Deb Follingstad, the rent-control-protected Bernal Heights tenant who faced an astounding 315 percent rent increase last spring, has filed a wrongful eviction suit against her former landlord, Nadia Lama. San Francisco Chronicle article
Clovis residents say huge American flag must stay – Long may it wave. That was the overwhelming sentiment of Clovis residents at a planning commission meeting Thursday night in support of a large flag that has waved from a cell phone tower at the Shaw Avenue entry to the city for the past nine years. Fresno Bee article
Transportation
Work to resume on Modesto’s Claibel, Coffee intersection — Signal lights are in sight for motorists at the busy intersection of Claribel and Coffee roads. Since October or November, the longtime four-way stop has had most of its new traffic signals in place but not operating. Modesto Bee article
How LA’s 20-year mobility plan could transform the roads around you — As Los Angeles planners continue to nudge the city toward a denser, more bicycle-, pedestrian- and mass transit-centric future, the City Council passed Mobility Plan 2035 earlier this month, charting a transportation course for the next 20 years. LA Times article
Other areas
City Beat: Expect more building, 24th Street widening and more – Oil prices may be down, but the number of building and electrical permits issued by the city of Bakersfield should rise this year, City Manager Alan Tandy said Friday in his weekly memorandum to Mayor Harvey Hall and members of the Bakersfield City Council. Bakersfield Californian article
Judge halts counties’ lawsuit against 5 narcotic drug manufacturers – A judge halted a government lawsuit Thursday against five of the world’s largest narcotics manufacturers in spite of an impassioned plea by Orange County Dist. Atty. Tony Rackauckas that the companies pay for the damages of a prescription drug epidemic. LA Times article
Councilman among the newly sworn-in — Since assuming office eight months ago, one of District Attorney Tori Verber Salazar’s key duties has been to restore staffing that was decimated when the bottom began to fall out of the economy nearly eight years ago. Thursday afternoon, finally, marked an opportunity for Verber Salazar and her office to celebrate something that has been all too rare in recent years: new blood. Stockton Record article
AP sues after FBI impersonates journalist in sting operation — Accusing the Justice Department of stonewalling, media company Associated Press filed a suit Thursday against the FBI for failing to turn over information under the Freedom of Information Act about a criminal sting operation in which it created a bogus news story and impersonated an AP journalist. LA Times article
Valley Editorial Roundup
Fresno Bee – Moderate Democrats are right to press for better clean-energy plan.
Merced Sun-Star – Valley Democrats must stand firm on clean-energy plan.
Modesto Bee – Valley Democrats must stand firm on clean-energy plan.
Sacramento Bee — It’s said that the definition of madness is doing the same thing over and over and expecting a different outcome. The madness of this continuous tape loop of gun horror plays out each day in America, and yet we do nothing, again and again; There are lots of good reasons to raise California’s tax on tobacco, not the least of which is that when cigarettes are more expensive, fewer kids smoke.
Stockton Record – San Joaquin County assessor post begets midterm political fallout; Are you ready for some football?
Upcoming Events
- Fresno State President Joseph I. Castro will be the featured speaker at the fourth annual State of Our Children event at the Clovis Veterans Memorial Building on Thursday, Sept. 3, from 7:30-9:15 a.m. More information is available here.
- The U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission will hold its Fresno seminar at the DoubleTree Hotel by Hilton in Fresno on Thursday, Sept. 10, from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. More information: www.eeotraining.eeoc.gov.
- West Hills Community College District will hold an event, “Shifting Ground — Adapting the San Joaquin Valley Economy to a Changing Climate,” on Oct. 8 at Harris Ranch in Coalinga. Senior leaders from business, agriculture, government agencies and nonprofits will gather to launch immediate actions and provide near-term guidance to create next generation jobs in a region battered by drought and struggling with multiple challenges. Visitwww.essentialelementsseries.com for details of this no-fee policy series.
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 challenge — The 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 at www.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 availablehere.
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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