TOP POLITICAL STORIES
Without Washington, Jerry Brown makes clean energy deals with China
| Sacramento Bee |
The goal is to spur new investment in the renewable energy sector in both California and China. WORTH REPEATING: “Take that, Oregon.
California Supreme Court expands taxpayers’ right to sue
| SFGate |
The court unanimously overturned several decades of lower-court decisions that allowed only property taxpayers to sue for alleged waste of public funds, and said anyone who pays taxes in a city or county has legal standing to sue. But the justices …
High-speed rail, a health care fail, and bail. We’ll always have Paris, or not
| Sacramento Bee |
Good morning. On behalf of The Sacramento Bee’s editorial board, welcome to The Take, your opinion-politics newsletter. Please sign up for it here. Dan Morain.
CalChamber CEO talks health care, immigration reform
| Fresno Business Journal |
Zaremberg touched on a number of topics during his talk, including health care, immigration and the state legislature. Zaremberg … In talking about immigration reform, he noted that California and the Central Valley have “the most to gain and the …
Special Election: Three candidates vying for Bakersfield City Council seat
| Bakersfield Now |
Pineo says if he is elected, he would want to focus on rebuilding trust between law enforcement and the community. He said he will work to get Bakersfield Police officers body cameras. Pineo also says he wants to fix city roads, but the only way to do …
Another Election Day is here: If you’re voting, here’s how
| The Bakersfield Californian |
If it’s not, you can call the Kern County Elections Division at 868-3590 or 800-452-8683. More information is also available at elections.co.kern.ca.us. What should I bring to the polls? The most important thing to bring is yourself. Voting in the Ward …
With millions at stake, Bakersfield City Council may oppose Trump budget
| The Bakersfield Californian |
In this 2016 photo, Isaiah Lenoir, 3, picks up his roll from his big plate of Thanksgiving food at the Bakersfield Homeless Center.
War of words over California Democratic Party’s disputed chair race intensifies
| Los Angeles Times |
Bay Area Democratic organizer Kimberly Ellis, who narrowly lost the race to be the next leader of the California Democratic Party, on Monday said her campaign found evidence of hundreds of voting discrepancies, including mismatched voter signatures and …
Was Berniecrats’ choice to lead California Democrats cheated out of the chairmanship?
| Sacramento Bee |
The race for party chair heated up when Ellis, the Sanders-inspired Our Revolution and the California Nurses Association helped elect slates of new delegates early this year.
California Assembly should err on side of transparency, caution with Proposition 54
| The San Diego Union-Tribune |
Last November, California voters overwhelmingly passed Proposition 54, which requires the state Legislature to not vote on the “final version” of bills until the public has been given 72 hours to scrutinize the measures on the Internet.
California Heads Toward Sanctuary State Status for Pot Users | L.A. …
| L.A. Weekly |
A bill that was recently passed by the assembly would essentially prohibit local cops from helping the Trump administration crack down on otherwise…
Voters head to the polls to pick LA’s next congressman in under-the-radar special election
| Los Angeles Times |
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But the runoff between Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez and attorney Robert Lee Ahn, both Democrats, will either continue a decades-old tradition of Latino representation or hand a political milestone to the district’s Korean American minority. If elected, Ahn …
What you need to know for today’s special election runoff
| 89.3 KPCC |
The contest is between state Assemblyman Jimmy Gomez and former Los Angeles City Planning Commissioner Robert Ahn, an attorney. Gomez, who was elected to the California State Assembly in 2012, has family roots in Mexico, which should give him an …
Is smaller better – and really smaller?
| Hanford Sentinel |
Meanwhile, the county proposal sponsored by Democratic state Sen. Tony Mendoza of Artesia could create the second most powerful political job in California in the Los Angeles County executive, and two other posts also certain to draw big-name …
EDITORIALS
California Democrats are acting like Republicans on health care
| Sacramento Bee/Fresno Bee |
Democrats and advocates of Obamacare were rightly appalled last month when the Republican-controlled House of Representatives voted to approve its American Health Care Act before the cost analysis was complete.
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AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Dairy Council of California connects public, agriculture
| Capital Press |
The assemblies based on the Mobile Dairy Classroom are California’s original Farm to School program, said Efrain Valenzuela, the Dairy Council’s Mobile Dairy Classroom manager. “Today six instructors with agricultural and education backgrounds across …
New federal marketing order would jeopardize Calif. quota program
| Capital Press |
New federal marketing order would jeopardize Calif. quota program. Rabobank analysts say when California dairy producers see clearly on their milk check that the majority of them are losing money in the state’s quota program, the tide will turn on support.
Valley Farm Towns Are Being Transformed by Online Shopping
| KQED |
Everything she picks, she packs into crates, which then get shipped to CVS stores around Northern California. The items end up on store shelves, ready for … Local governments have welcomed the boost in employment, and they are even investing in …
Camp Family Businesses: Kern farming pioneers
| Fresno Business Journal |
The Camp family traces its agricultural roots to 1917 with Southern transplant W.B. Camp. Editor’s note: As part of the recent California Family Business Awards, ten businesses were honored as top ten award winners. These profiles on the finalists were …
How millions of cartons of ‘organic’ milk contain an oil brewed in industrial vats of algae
| Washington Post |
A closer look at how the oil winds up in organic milk offers insight into how the U.S. Department of Agriculture determines what foods may be sold with its coveted “USDA Organic” seal, a label that can double a product’s price. At least in part, it’s a …
Baby chicks may be cute, but they can make you sick
| Fresno Bee |
Health officials with the California Department of Public Health said live poultry, especially baby chicks and ducklings, may have Salmonella in their feces and on their feathers, feet and beaks – even when they appear healthy and clean.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/PUBLIC SAFETY
What can $75560 get you in California? A prison cell
| Fresno Business Journal |
(AP) – The cost of imprisoning each of California’s 130,000 inmates is expected to reach a record $75,560 in the next year, enough to cover the annual cost of attending Harvard University and still have plenty left over for pizza and beer.
California Bill Would Bar Hate Crime Offenders From Owning Guns
| CBS Sacramento |
SACRAMENTO (CBS13) – New California gun legislation would ban anyone convicted of hate crimes from purchasing a gun.
Prop. 47 funding to fight criminal recidivism has finally arrived — right on time
| Los Angeles Times |
The funding – which is due for final approval Thursday – is welcome, especially in Los Angeles County, the state’s most populous region and the original home of about a third of California’s inmates. Cities and counties had to compete for the money, …
Death penalty in California: State Supreme Court holds high-stakes hearing Tuesday
| The Mercury News |
The ballot measure also would change the rules so that one key type of appeal – known as habeas corpus – is heard by the Superior Court judge who conducted the criminal trial, rather than by the California Supreme Court. That shift “will swamp the …
California must honor its commitment to religious diversity
| San Francisco Chronicle |
California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, involves the Californiaprison system’s refusal to hire a Seventh-day Adventist as a prison guard because of her religious observance from sundown Friday to sundown Saturday.
California’s new top cop has to make some big policing decisions soon. No one knows what he’ll do
| Los Angeles Times |
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More broadly, Becerra’s opinions on officer-involved shooting investigations and public access to police disciplinary records and body camera footage could reshape how California handles law enforcement oversight at a time when the federal government …
Emergency Response to Inmate Firefighter Killed in Northern California Hampered by Broken Radio
| KQED |
“We are saddened by the death of Matthew Beck, and our thoughts and prayers are with his family and friends,” said Scott Kernan, the secretary of the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) in a statement the day after the incident.
EDUCATION
California school data? There’s an app for that
| EdSource |
For the data-obsessed and the data curious, the California Department of Education announced the release Monday of CA Schools, its first ever mobile phone app.
New high court challenge to labor unions follows 4-4 split
| CBS News |
The Supreme Court seemed all but certain to rule against the unions in a similar case — Friedrichs v. California Teachers Association — argued before Scalia died.
How for-profit charter schools are ripping off California taxpayers
| Sacramento Bee |
K12 Inc. operates 16 schools in California with about 13,000 students. The average graduation rate of its charter schools is 40 percent, while the statewide rate is 83 percent.
California Budget & Policy Center
In light of emerging federal proposals around private school vouchers, we recently blogged about several problems raised by traditional K-12 school voucher programs that use public funds to support private schools. One of the most notable problems is the prospect of spending public dollars to fund private religious schools.
Can California universities revoke admission for offensive online posts?
| The Mercury News |
The question is especially interesting in California, which is the only state in the country with a law that grants First Amendment protections to students at private colleges and high schools as well as public institutions. So far, it doesn’t appear …
Make California’s bar exam easier? No way
| The Mercury News |
If they’re going to persuade students to go deeply into debt for a legal education, they have to offer some light at the end of the tunnel.
UC regents hires law firm to investigate central office’s handling of state audit
| The Mercury News |
… have hired former California Supreme Court Justice Carlos Moreno and law firm Hueston Hennigan LLP to investigate how the system’s central office handled what were supposed to be confidential surveys sent to campuses as part of a state audit.
ENERGY/ENVIRONMENT
California governor says climate change could be more dangerous than fascism
| Reuters |
BEIJING California governor Jerry Brown said on Tuesday that the threat of climate change could be more dangerous than that of fascism during World War Two.
For sustainable climate policy, California needs a balanced approach: Raul Bocanegra
LA Daily News
When we debate the extension of our market-based cap-and-trade program, as we did last week on a failed bill, we cannot let the debate act as a referendum on legislators’ commitment to clean air and environmental justice. A vote for or against a particular bill should not be the sole determination of any legislator’s resolve to fight for cleaning up local air pollution or improving our environment.
Big trucks may pollute way more than previously thought
| 89.3 KPCC |
The findings are a big deal for Southern California, said Kimberly Heroy-Rogalski, who oversees emissions from cars and trucks for the California Air Resources Board, which helped fund the research. “The South Coast is one of the areas [in the state …
California’s failure to ban polystyrene means cities like Los Angeles need to step up
| Los Angeles Times |
Even more perplexing was that the same day the California Senate voted down the ban, it passed a bill that would require 100% of the state’s power to come from renewable sources by 2045. Do legislators believe that only part of the environment is worth …
Trump totally misunderstands climate change
Bakersfield Californian
Climate policy is the new culture war, driven by nearly theological passions. Or actually theological passions — with House Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi claiming that Donald Trump’s withdrawal from the Paris climate accord was a “dishonor to God.”
FINANCES
California Supreme Court expands taxpayers’ right to sue
| SFGate |
But he said that the law was also limited to taxes actually paid in a city or county, and that it isn’t clear whether other taxes cited by Weatherford, like sales and gasoline taxes, are actually paid in either the city or the county. Sales taxes, for …
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Vulnerable California Republicans struggle to sell Obamacare repeal vote
Politico
Rep. David Valadao’s colleagues privately thought he’d vote against the House GOP bill to repeal and replace Obamacare.
Ryan raising more funds to protect the House after health-care vote
| Politico |
… headline fundraising receptions for vulnerable Congressional Republican David Valadao of California; New Jersey Republican Tom MacArthur, who helped save the Obamacare repeal bill but who has seen monstrous blowback at home for his efforts; Rep.
Single-Payer Bill Met With Skepticism On Its Accessibility To Health Care
Capital Public Radio
The California Senate has passed a single-payer health care bill last week, but many key questions about the proposal remain unanswered. Supporters and opponents both question how much more accessible health care would become to Californians if signed into law.
California bill would end ‘purely profit-driven’ practice of drug-company coupons
| Los Angeles Times |
Wood’s bill would bar drug companies “from offering in California any discount, repayment, product voucher or other reduction in an individual’s out-of-pocket expenses … for any prescription drug if a lower cost generic drug is covered under the …
Health-for-all can work, and it will cost you less
| Sacramento Bee |
There’s a secret about the Healthy California Act that’s been largely hidden in the reporting: It would produce huge savings for nearly all California households and businesses. Senate Bill 562, now before the Assembly after passing the Senate last …
Feds To Waive Penalties For Some Who Signed Up Late For Medicare
| NPR |
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… problem from the beginning of the Affordable Care Act because the government didn’t understand that people would not know when they needed to sign up for Medicare,” says Bonnie Burns, a consultant for the consumer group California Health Advocates.
California Democrats act like national GOP on health care
| Merced Sun-Star |
The California Nurses Association, the main sponsors of the legislation, funded an 84-page report by academics at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst that offers suggested taxes.
Forbes Health Stories: Single-Payer In California And The Solution To Soaring Medical Costs
| Forbes |
Good morning, Forbes Health readers! Here are the great stories we published yesterday: When It Comes To Healthcare Costs, New Medicines Are The Solution, Not The Problem.
After Defying Trump On Climate Change & Immigration, California Clears Way For Universal Healthcare
| Forbes |
Most recently, California Governor Jerry Brown called the president’s withdrawal from the Paris climate change agreement “insane” and is flying to China to rally support for climate initiatives.
Break the sad cycle of foster kids having foster kids
| Fresno Bee (blog) |
Not surprisingly, this leads to early childbearing. A University of Southern California study found that 35 percent of young women who were in foster care at the age of 18 gave birth by age 21
IMMIGRATION
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JOBS AND THE ECONOMY
WalletHub: Calif. Economy is Nation’s Second-Best
KMJ Now
California is the nation’s second-best economy, according to WalletHub, whose latest analysis gives a different view of the often criticized state, which many consider unfriendly to business
90 California Legislators Honor Small Business Owners at Annual California Small Business Day™ 2017
| Business Wire (press release) |
… about new and existing state and private sector programs, California Small Business Day™ 2017 includes speeches from California State Senate President pro Tem Kevin de León, Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, Senate Minority Leader Patricia Bates …
Small Business Day and Disgruntled Small Businesses
| Fox and Hounds Daily |
The annual Small Business Day event hits Sacramento today with elected officials recognizing small businesses from their districts.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Bill to increase affordable lodging on California coast advances in legislature
| 89.3 KPCC |
But a bill that aims to make it easier for low- and middle-income Californians to vacation at the beach is working its way through the state legislature. The bill, AB250, sponsored by Assemblywoman Lorena González Fletcher (D-San Diego), would require …
TRANSPORTATION
Gov. Jerry Brown says California wants China’s help on electric vehicles
| Los Angeles Times |
Royce and the other 13 Republicans in California’s congressional delegation voted for the House Republican healthcare plan to replace Obamacare, and Democrats are expected to use the vote as an issue throughout the 2018 campaign. Born in Vietnam …
Judge Allows California Bullet Train Greenhouse Gas Funding …
| U.S. News & World Report |
SACRAMENTO, Calif. (AP) – A Sacramento County judge says California regulators did not abuse their discretion when they decided to fund the state’s …
Plan backed by California judges would decriminalize most traffic violations
| KGO-TV |
A plan backed by the state’s top judges would make most traffic violations civil offenses, instead of criminal. (KGO-TV).
California targets seat belt scofflaws … by tugging at their heart strings
| Sacramento Bee |
Ninety-seven percent of Californians wears seat belts. Who are among the 3 percent holding out – and why? State highway safety officials have thought that over and have come up with a new seat-belt safety campaign they hope will persuade some nonusers …
California Court Leaders to Send Proposal to State Legislature to Decriminalize Some Traffic Tickets
| KTLA |
California’s court leaders plan to send the Legislature a proposal to make traffic violations civil offenses, removing them from the criminal arena.
WATER
Delta tunnels won’t help on climate change
| Sacramento Bee |
A recent UCLA study found that the Sierra snowpack will decrease by about 30 percent by the end of the century. But the Metropolitan Water District of Southern California recently told a Bay-Delta committee that water sales will be used to finance the …
Slow trickle of progress on groundwater reform
| Stockton Record |
Still, local officials sound optimistic about their efforts to comply with the state’s new groundwater mandate, largely because the county’s diverse, sometimes feuding water agencies have agreed to at least sit down at the table and talk about it. “We …
Oroville fish hatchery open for viewing, salmon arriving slowly
| Oroville Mercury Register |
Oroville >> Pieces of the Feather River Fish Hatchery have been patched back together in time for the return of spring-run chinook salmon.
State commits to salmon recovery in the Sacramento Valley
| East Valley Times |
The Northern California Water Association (NCWA) welcomes and appreciates the California Natural Resources Agency issuing its Sacramento Valley Salmon Resiliency Strategy (Strategy).
“Xtra”
CA legislature pushing bill to help fund fairs across state
| KFSN-TV |
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State leaders say it could generate about $15 million to the network of fairs throughout California. And local fair organizers say it’s a win because they can generate more money for each area.
Tower district residents fighting for park to replace unused property
ABC30
The movement to get more park space in Fresno now targets the Tower District.
Good news, travelers: Your new California driver’s license may be golden in the coming years for airport security
| Los Angeles Times |
“Beginning in January 2018, driver license and ID card applications will have the option to apply for a federal-compliant driver license or ID card,” Artemio Armenta of the California Department of Motor Vehicles said in an email. “We have been moving …
California should stop shortchanging recycling program
| San Francisco Chronicle |
And right now, the state legislature and the governor are butting heads about the most appropriate reforms. In the meantime, there’s a simple fix: The Legislature could use existing surplus recycling revenue to increase subsidies for the centers ..