POLICY & POLITICS
Valley:
Why Young Americans Are Increasingly Moving to Small Towns — Like Fresno
Time
The difference in real estate costs is a fundamental and under-appreciated part of this shift. In the biggest cities, personal and business decisions turn fundamentally on the cost of real estate. In many smaller towns, much lower costs for apartments, homes, office space, or art studios make more possibilities open.
See also:
Brooks: The American Renaissance Is Already Happening The New York Times
Weber to become Fresno Bee’s editorial page editor
The Fresno Bee
Tad Weber, who has served as metro editor of The Fresno Bee for the past five years, has been named editorial page editor, effective May 21.
City councilman Charles Rigby honored with state recognition
Madera Tribune
Madera City Council Member Charles Rigby has been honored as Housing Commissioner of the Year by the Pacific Southwest Regional Council of the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Agencies.
Habitat for Humanity to open ReStore in Hanford
Hanford Sentinel
The story of Daniel Hernandez was on Dirk Holkeboer’s mind Tuesday morning inside an empty building on the corner of Lacey Boulevard and Santa Fe Avenue in Hanford.
Your opinion could bring changes to Sequoia groves
Visalia Times-Delta
The Bureau of Land Management Bakersfield Field Office is seeking public comment on the vegetation and forest health plan environmental assessment and the unsigned finding of no significant impact for the giant sequoia groves on Case Mountain.
Stebbins says lack of respect behind city's biggest challenges
Stockton Record
Unlike his opponents for the Stockton City Council's District 5 seat — and unlike other candidates running for local office — Mark Stebbins doesn't believe crime is an issue the city faces.
State:
California Adds 1.2 Million Voters Since Last Gubernatorial Primary
Times of San Diego
Secretary of State Alex Padilla announced that California has added almost 1.2 million voters — nearly all Democrats and independents — since the last gubernatorial primary in 2014.
See also:
● How could California's primary affect House races? Los Angeles Times
● June 5 primary: Voters head to the mailbox Capitol Weekly
● How to vote in California? CALmatters answers your questions CALmatters 2018 Election Guide
California gubernatorial candidates tackle children's issues as June primary looms
LA Daily News
Three of six leading candidates vying for California’s top political post faced off Tuesday night during a forum on children at the Los Angeles Trade-Technical College.
Delaine Eastin debuts TV ad showing rivals in the governor's race repeatedly agreeing with her
Los Angeles Times
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Delaine Eastin released a television ad on Tuesday that features clips of most of her rivals in the race agreeing with her during a series of debates.
Salters: Why this Republican voted for Villaraigosa
Bakersfield Californian
Contributing columnist Justin Salters writes weekly on politics and current events; the views expressed are his own.
'Lite Guv' no more: California candidates spending millions for a job that gets no respect
San Francisco Chronicle
The lieutenant governor’s position is so disrespected in California that its current occupant famously said California should “get rid of the position” if it wasn’t made more effective.
See also:
● Editorial: Bleich has passion to be excellent lieutenant governor The Mercury News
State Senate Leader Says Women Having a Political Moment
KQED
It’s been 100 years since the first women were elected to the California Legislature. In 1918, four women won seats in the state Assembly, seven years after women were granted the right to vote in California. (Women won the right to vote in California in 1911).
Los Angeles Times
In a forum, Becerra’s rivals worked to turn the focus on the federal government against him.
See also:
● Led by California, 19 states seek to block Trump policy that threatens Planned Parenthood funding Los Angeles Times
● Blue State Attorney Generals Fight for Their Jobs While Fending Off Trump Bloomberg
● State AGs Challenge Administration's Proposed Funding Changes To Family Planning Services California Healthline
● California Attorney General Xavier Becerra files action over women's reproductive healthcare KABC-TV
● 20 AGs back lawsuits by family planning groups against Trump Washington Post
● Democrats running for California attorney general quarrel as Republicans hope for top-two finish Los Angeles Times
● White House stokes California Republican revolt Politico
Judge tosses California law allowing life-ending drugs
The Fresno Bee
A California judge on Tuesday threw out a 2016 state law allowing the terminally ill to end their lives, ruling it was unconstitutionally approved by the Legislature.
See also:
● California assisted death law overturned in court Sacramento Bee
● California assisted death law court ruling Q&A The Sacramento Bee
● Judge tosses California law allowing life-ending drugs AP
● Judge overturns California's doctor-assisted suicide law NBCNews.com
● California assisted death law overturned in court Sacramento Bee
Prop. 68 promises billions for California parks, clean water
KCRA Sacramento
Supporters argue that Prop. 68 is good for parks and good for improving water quality statewide.
Silicon Valley Faces Regulatory Fight on Its Home Turf
New York Times
If the initiative, called The California Consumer Privacy Act of 2018, passes, privacy advocates say it will be one of the most meaningful checks in the United States on the growing power of internet behemoths.
See also:
● A Phony Vote on ‘Net Neutrality’ WSJ
● The Conservative Case for Breaking Up Monopolies Such as Google and Facebook National Review
● Facebook: We’re better at policing nudity than hate speech Washington Post
Los Angeles Times
The Californias represented by Pelosi and McCarthy look like two different states. For some reason, the policies promoted by Pelosi help the average resident of Bakersfield, while the policies promoted by McCarthy undermine his own constituents' standard of living while lavishly gifting Pelosi's constituents.
Federal:
To understand why Trump won, look at Democratic hysteria
Sacramento Bee
If you want to understand why Donald Trump is president today (and why he could very well win a second term), look to the Democrats’ hysterical response to two of Trump’s major foreign policy achievements over the past week.
Other:
Discussing political polarization in America: Brooks on NPR’s ‘Morning Edition’
AEI
Podcast.
U.S. Voting System Still Vulnerable To Cyberattacks 6 Months Before Election Day
NPR
Despite improvements since Russia's attack on the 2016 presidential race, the U.S. elections infrastructure is vulnerable — and will remain so in November.
Showtime series captures NYT grappling with press-bashing and erratic presidency
Politico
When New York Times reporter Jeremy Peters meets attendees at the Conservative Political Action Conference, in the first episode of the forthcoming Showtime series “The Fourth Estate,” one man matter-of-factly reminds him of the “five enemies.” There’s ABC, NBC, CBS and The Washington Post, he says, and “you all.”
Don't start betting against the Giants quite yet
Visalia Times-Delta
Currently, the California Constitution prohibits sports wagering. Any attempt to make sports betting legal or to control it requires the voters change the state's constitution.
RAND
The U.S. Army Recruiting Command asked RAND Arroyo Center to undertake research to improve its understanding of soldiers' motivations to join the Army, and how the reality of Army life matches up with expectations.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, May 20, at 10 a.m. on ABC 30 – Maddy Report: “Candidate for Governor: Delaine Eastin” – Guest: Delaine Eastin, Former State Superintendent of Public Instruction and Candidate for Governor. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, May 20, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “Gubernatorial Candidate Delaine Eastin & The Price of Education” – Guests: Delaine Eastin and Judy Lin, CALmatters Reporter. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, May 20, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Race for Governor: Amanda Renteria” – Guest: Amanda Renteria. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.
Support the Maddy Daily HERE.
Thank you!
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Agricultural polluters are trying to hijack a clean water bill in California
Sacramento Bee
Five years ago, California took the bold step of establishing a basic human right to “safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water adequate for human consumption, cooking, and sanitary purposes." This right is of utmost importance to those rural communities whose drinking water has been contaminated by pesticides and nitrates from fertilizer.
Freedom Caucus Seeks to Leverage Immigration Vote for Farm Bill Support
Roll Call
An unspecified number of House Freedom Caucus members are looking to leverage their potential support for the farm bill to secure a House vote on a conservative immigration bill, a maneuver they say would kill a discharge petition moderate Republicans have started.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Public Safety:
Lawmakers push to end rape kit test backlog, Visalia leads the way
Visalia Times-Delta
Survivors of sexual assault who decide to have forensic rape kit exams undergo hours of invasive medical procedures, all with the hope that DNA found will lead to an arrest.
See also:
● CA lawmakers urge legislation to address thousands of untested rape kits SFGate
● Thousands of untested rape kits need processing, legislators say San Francisco Examiner
California Recreational Marijuana Tax Revenue Falls Below Expectation
KHTS Radio
California marijuana tax revenue fell short of expectations for the first three months of recreational sales, taking in over $60 million in the first quarter of 2018, 30 percent under the projection.
See also:
● California rakes in over $60 million from cannabis in first quarter Foothills Sun Gazette
● State’s Marijuana Scheme Not Paying Off The Madera Tribune
● California Today: A Start-Up Steps Up to Help Sweep Away Old Pot Convictions New York Times
● San Francisco will use new technology to automatically reduce marijuana convictions under Prop. 64 Los Angeles Times
● Legal marijuana sales yielded just $60.9 million in taxes for California for first quarter of 2018 Washington Times
Fire:
Fire badly damages Modesto restaurant on Yosemite Boulevard
Modesto Bee
At about 3 a.m., crews from the Modesto, Ceres and Stanislaus Consolidated fire departments responded to a report of a single-story commercial building with flames showing from the roof.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Incentives Often Not The Deciding Factor In Business Moves
WVTF
State lawmakers are mulling a budget for the next two years, looking for money to fund programs and services. One fund they’re unlikely to raid is economic development, a category of state spending worth nearly $20 million.
Taxing California: Highest in the nation and unstable, too
Davis Enterprise
Millionaires and billionaires contribute a disproportionate share of tax revenue—so much so that the top 1 percent of taxpayers now generate half of personal income tax receipts.
Jobs:
Valley manufacturing summit Thursday in Fresno
The Business Journal
The summit will celebrate the San Joaquin Valley’s long history of innovation in manufacturing and will include a workshop and resource expo and provide guests with resources and networking to build a world-class workforce aimed at creating a globally competitive environment for the Valley’s manufacturing industry.
Electrek
A new IHS Markit study about Tesla’s economic contribution in California shows that the automaker contributed more than $5 billion to the state’s economy and supported over 51,000 jobs last year.
See also:
● Just how much is Tesla worth to the Bay Area and California? The Mercury News
EDUCATION
K-12:
What it would take for California's school superintendent to truly transcend politics
Sacramento Bee
When it comes to education, there are clearly marked parties. They both claim to have the secret to improving outcomes for low-income students of color. But when it comes to strategies for making that happen, they’re pretty much as divided as Democrats and Republicans are about everything, which is saying something these days.
Mandatory armed guards in California's K-12 schools? No thank you
Los Angeles Times
Assembly Bill 2067 would mandate that an armed security officer be posted at every publicly funded school in California, including elementary schools and charter schools. The state would pick up the tab, estimated at $1 billion per year, according to the office of the bill's author, Assemblyman James Gallagher (R-Yuba City).
More states expanding preschool programs but quality still lags
EdSource
California has increased the number of 3-year-olds enrolled in state-funded preschool programs over the last 10 years, but needs to improve preschool quality, including teacher qualifications, professional development and class size.
Higher Ed:
CALmatters
State funding for higher education has declined, and the result is a deferred maintenance backlog that UC estimates at $4 billion and fears among faculty and administrators that the system, once the envy of the rest of the country, is beginning to lose its luster.
Cal State plans big lobbying push for more state money
Los Angeles Times
In the final weeks of budget negotiations in Sacramento, Cal State officials plan an all-out lobbying push. They say they're racing against the clock to prevent harmful cuts by shaking more money out of state coffers.
Apprenticeships:
Labor and Workforce Development Agency Announces Record Number of Apprentices
PR Newswire
California Labor and Workforce Development Agency Secretary David M. Lanier today announced that there are nearly 82,000 active apprentices in California – the highest number in the 79-year history of formal apprenticeship job training in the state.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
SJV Air Pollution Control District
The District invites you to attend a public workshop to present, discuss, and receive feedback on the identification process for San Joaquin Valley communities recommended for additional clean air resources under Assembly Bill 617 (AB 617) at 5:30 PM on Tuesday, May 29, 2018
Feds, state provide millions to clean up diesel trucks, tractors — but is it enough?
Bakersfield Californian
Older diesel trucks are some of the dirtiest polluters in the southern Central Valley.
Auto mileage and emissions: Will Washington and California be negotiating?
Calmatters
The standoff between California and the Trump administration over automobile emissions standards continued this week, despite reports that the president ordered two federal agencies to begin negotiating with the state
See also:
EPA Won’t Consult California on Vehicle-Emissions Rules WSJ
US agencies moving forward with proposing fuel economy revisions Reuters
California scientists given $213K to study cow farts
New York Post
The California Department of Food and Agriculture awarded the grant to the California Dairy Research Foundation to examine methane emissions — a major environmental threat — at the state’s dairies.
Snake bites on the rise across the state
Bakersfield Now
"We had one bite at least every day somewhere in the state of California and that was a signal for us that this is going to be a very busy snake bite season," said Dr. Rain Vohra, Medical Director at the California Poison Control System in the Fresno/Madera Division.
See also:
● Rattlesnake bites up statewide amid warm and dry weather KTVU San Francisco.
Fears Grow Among Valley Recyclers As China Denies U.S. Recyclables
Valley Public Radio
The trade conflict between the U.S. and China is heating up, and while tariffs on the steel and agriculture industries have taken center stage, the conflict has quietly moved into another less visible sector: It’s greatly disrupted the recycling industry.
Climate Change Is Making Droughts Worse In The Western US
KPBS
Droughts aren’t just about precipitation, said NASA scientist and the study’s co-author Benjamin Cook. They’re also about the timing of snowmelt and the wetness of soil, both of which are upended by a warming climate.
See also:
● Trump Administration Brief Opposes California Climate Suits Climate Liability News
The Sea Is Rising, but Not Because of Climate Change
WSJ
There is nothing we can do about it, except to build dikes and sea walls a little bit higher.
Energy:
California May Push Uber And Lyft To Go Electric, With Far-Reaching Consequences
Forbes
For more than a decade California has pushed automakers to green their lineups by selling zero-emission vehicles to aid its fight against pollution and greenhouse gases. But as more people opt for on-demand ride services rather than driving themselves, it was only a matter of time before state officials targeted Uber and Lyft fleets to reduce emissions.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Fresno forum to discuss impact of Medi-Cal
The Business Journal
The social and economic influences of the Medi-Cal system and its impact on Fresno County will be discussed at the Fresno Healthcare Coalition’s Strategic Forum today.
See also:
EDITORIAL: Now is not the time to expand Medi-Cal to undocumented adults
Los Angeles Times
Tulare hospital authorized to seek a new loan, fire sale
Visalia Times-Delta
Tulare hospital administrators will take out a $500,000 loan following approval by the board, making it the fourth money-borrowing move over the last two months.
STD rates are at a record high in California. Let's tackle them before it's too late
Sacramento Bee
As budget negotiations continue in earnest after the governor’s release of his revised budget proposal, it’s time to talk about an uncomfortable but important topic – sexually transmitted diseases.
Healthcare bill is written to increase headlines, not lower costs
Los Angeles Times
There is no denying that California's healthcare system needs reform. Skyrocketing costs are impacting governments, businesses and people.
Human Services:
Lemoore senior center still looking to improve
Hanford Sentinel
The Lemoore Senior Citizens Inc.'s board of directors is still working to improve the situation.
Video: Would candidates for governor force the mentally ill to get care?
CALmatters
The top candidates hoping to be the next governor of California don’t see eye-to-eye on much, but they all agree on this: The state is failing those who suffer from mental illness.
IMMIGRATION
Central Valley sheriff's to meet with Trump on sanctuary law
The Fresno Bee
Two leading Central Valley law enforcement officials are heading to Washington D.C. for a meeting on immigration with President Trump Wednesday.
See also:
● Fresno, Stanislaus sheriff's to attend anti-sanctuary state meeting with Trump Modesto Bee
● 'Shared efforts' to kill sanctuary law draw California officials to Trump's office Sacramento Bee
● Essential Politics: California's sanctuary critics are meeting with Trump Los Angeles Times
● Sanctuary cities could get boost from sports betting ruling Fresno Bee
● Hanford votes to oppose California's 'sanctuary state' law, will support federal lawsuit KFSN-TV
HHS considering housing immigrant children at military bases
Fresno Bee
The Health and Human Services Department is considering housing at military bases those children picked up crossing the U.S. border illegally either alone or after being separated from their parents by the government, according to two U.S. officials.
Trump administration plan could deter legal immigrants from health care, other services
CALmatters
The Trump administration is preparing a policy change that could push legal immigrants to forgo needed health care, food and employment assistance while they seek green cards for permanent residency.
Ninth Circuit Hears Oral Argument DACA Case, May 15 2018 | Video
C-SPAN.org
The Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals heard oral argument in Regents of the University of California v. Department of Homeland Security, on President Trump’s decision to end the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Future in question for Visalia's Enchanted Playhouse
Visalia Times-Delta
The Enchanted Playhouse Theatre Company, the Visalia-based children's theater company, says it's looking for a new home after city officials recently informed the group The Main Street Theatre was sold to an investor looking to transform the space into two restaurants.
Modesto lines up funds to extend Virginia Corridor across Standiford
Modesto Bee
Modesto has secured the funding to extend the Virginia Corridor — the paved trail popular with walkers, joggers and bicyclists — by roughly an additional three-quarters of a mile, from Woodrow Avenue to the Hetch Hetchy Trail at Semallon Drive.
Goodbye East Hills Mall, hello City Lights
Bakersfield Californian
A few years ago, comparing the East Hills Mall in northeast Bakersfield to The Marketplace over in the southwest would have gotten you laughed out of any cocktail party.
Do our infrastructure systems put people at risk?
Brookings
When disruptions hit—whether a road closure, a power outage, or a water main break—we’re reminded of just how much we need safe, reliable infrastructure to travel, communicate, and thrive.
Housing:
Road relocation will keep this homeless mission near downtown and allow it to expand
Fresno Bee
The California High-Speed Rail Authority will spend more than more than $5 million to relocate a 2,000-foot stretch of G Street near downtown Fresno to accommodate the relocation of a homeless shelter.
First quarter 2018 housing affordability
California Association of Realtors
A real estate survey revealed how much you should be earning to afford a median-priced home in areas across California. In San Diego, it's $126,000; Orange County, $168,000; Los Angeles, $113,000; Santa Barbara, $140,000; Fresno, $53,000; and Humboldt County, $62,000. San Francisco took the cake at an absurd $333,000.
California Apartment Landlords Dump Properties Ahead of Rent Control Vote
WSJ
Investors, housing advocates gear up for a fight, expected to spend tens of millions of dollars on campaigning
Why Don't People Who Can't Afford Housing Just Move Where It's Cheaper?
New York Times
California is in fact losing population to domestic migration, but for many people, the calculation is more about social networks than economics.
PUBLIC FINANCES
KQED
Delivered last Friday as part of the "May revise" (the budget the Governor sends to the Legislature) — surprised arts advocates because requests for funding typically originate from the legislature, not the Governor.
Walters: Jerry Brown once again shuns tax reform
CALmatters
Gov. Jerry Brown wants to save the world from what he portrays as the “existential threat” of climate change.
Ending 'fair share' fees will cost state workers $2000 a year, study says
Sacramento Bee
A new study by the Illinois Economic Policy Institute predicts that a Supreme Court decision forbidding public sector unions from collecting so-called fair share fees will drive down public sector union membership in California by about 9 percent and cost public employees $2,079 a year in income.
TRANSPORTATION
Board approves California bullet train's 2018 business plan
Sacramento Bee
The board tasked with overseeing California's ambitious high-speed rail project approved a new business plan Tuesday and pledged to keep pushing forward even as the plan faces stark financial challenges.
See also:
● The bullet train is California's biggest infrastructure project — but it's seldom discussed in governor's race Los Angeles Times
Modesto lines up funding to extend Virginia Corridor
The Modesto Bee
Modesto has secured the funding to extend the Virginia Corridor — the paved trail popular with walkers, joggers and bicyclists — by roughly an additional three-quarters of a mile, from Woodrow Avenue to the Hetch Hetchy Trail at Semallon Drive.
Apple now has more self-driving car permits in California than Waymo and Tesla
The Mercury News
The Cupertino tech giant is reaping the fruits of its ramped-up investment in the new technology, beating out Tesla and Waymo for the second-most self-driving car permits with the DMV, according to a report from the Apple-focused tech blog Mac Reports.
Higher gas prices won't deter record number of Californians from traveling for Memorial Day
Los Angeles Times
Although prices have increased 24% over last year, the Auto Club of Southern California predicts 5.19 million Californians will get away for the three-day weekend, breaking the previous pre-recession travel record of 5.18 million set in 2005..
Why This State Thinks Engineers Can Save Pedestrians' Lives
Pew Charitable Trust
The number of pedestrians killed on U.S. roadways is up — by a lot. Nearly 6,000 pedestrians were killed in 2016, up from 4,100 in 2009 and the highest toll since 1990, according to the Governors Highway Safety Administration. The number of deaths held steady between 2016 and 2017 — but that was cold comfort.
Do American infrastructure systems put people at risk?
Brookings
"America’s infrastructure systems are failing its people, placing them at risk, and ultimately hindering their ability to benefit from economic opportunity."
Electric-Car Era Threatens Firefighters With New Road Risks
Bloomberg
Firefighters doused the blazing Tesla Inc. Model X’s battery pack, and then company engineers removed about one-quarter of its power cells before the vehicle was deemed safe to tow off of a California freeway. That didn’t prevent the powerful and highly flammable lithium-ion battery cells from reigniting.
WATER
Fresno residents will soon get online monitoring of water use
ABC30
Mike Carbajal, the Interim Assistant Director of the Public Utilities Department, says every water meter in Fresno is equipped with remote monitoring technology. Right now only city employees can monitor water use on a central computer, but soon residents will be able to go online, or with a phone app to check their water usage.
California Water Planners Work to Enhance Snowpack Data
Sierra Sun Times
Access to precise, real-time data about the amount of water in the Sierra Nevada snowpack has become more critical than ever, California water managers say, in order to assist them in making informed decisions about an ever-less-predictable supply of water.
A ban on Delta tunnels lawsuits slips into federal spending plan
Sacramento Bee
With the California Delta tunnels proposal facing an uncertain future, one of the state's Republican congressmen has come up with a way to help the multibillion water project, known formally as California WaterFix, reach completion: ban environmental lawsuits.
The Yuba Accord: A Model for Water Management
Public Policy Institute of California
Three reasons why the Yuba Accord is a model for modern water management in California.
Test yourself with our new free game: PolitiTruth
Think you can tell the difference between True and False?
Do you really know what is fake news?
Support the Maddy Daily HERE.
Thank you!
Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.
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.
This document is to be used for informational purposes only. Unless specifically noted, The Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno does not officially endorse or support views that may be expressed in the document. If you want to print a story, please do so now before the link expires.
To Subscribe or Unsubscribe: mjeans@csufresno.edu