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TOP POLITICAL STORIES
Local/Regional:
Rico Franco announces run for U.S. House of Representatives
abc30.com
A Clovis native has announced he’ll run against Representative Devin Nunes for his congressional seat next year.
Bernie Sanders in San Francisco with nurses’ union
Fresno Bee
U.S. Sen. Bernie Sanders, the subject of an aggressive effort to lure him into the 2020 presidential race, is returning to California later this month to rally with some of his fiercest supporters.
· Bernie Sanders coming back to California Sacramento Bee
U.S. News Ranks UC Merced No. 1 in the Nation for Financial Aid
University of California Merced
The University of California, Merced, is the No. 1 public university in the nation for financial aid given to first-year students — and a strong performer in graduation and retention rates — according to the U.S. News & World Report “Best Colleges” rankings released today.
Local first responders honored during 9/11 ceremony
Hanford Sentinel
Local veterans, firefighters, law enforcement officers, EMTS, students and citizens of Hanford all gathered together Monday at Civic Park in honor of those first responders who died in the line of duty during 9/11.
State:
Bills Signed & Vetoed / Office of Governor Edmund G. Brown Jr
Newsroom
Which bills became law today –and which ones didn’t…
Immigration Deal, Parks Bond, DACA Developments
A “sanctuary state” bill deal, the emergence of a $4 billion parks and water bond, two new California legal fronts against the Trump administration, and the Mexican foreign minister’s visit to the state Capitol – just another Manic Monday as lawmakers begin their final week of work before adjourning for the year.
What It Means to Be a ‘Sanctuary State’
New York Times
For months, lawmakers in Sacramento have debated what it would mean for California to become a “sanctuary state,” with strict regulations over how much law enforcement agencies could do to help federal immigration authorities. On Monday, Gov. Jerry Brown and Kevin de León, the Democratic leader of the state Senate who introduced the legislation, reached an agreement that seemed to appease both supporters and critics.
What’s the rush? California Legislature reaches its new deadline
Sacramento Bee
Last-minute amendments have defined the final days of California legislative sessions as much as lawmakers’ busy fundraising calendars and Capitol hallways jammed with lobbyists.
Big money for clean vehicles in California cap-and-trade spending deal
Los Angeles Times
California will use cap-and-trade revenue for a massive investment in clean trucks, buses, cars and other vehicles, according to details of an agreement obtained by The Times on Monday evening.
California may slow revolving door of legislators becoming lobbyists
Los Angeles Times
A measure aimed at slowing the revolving door of California legislators becoming lobbyists was given final approval by lawmakers Monday and sent to Gov. Jerry Brown for consideration.
Job Killer Update: CalChamber Identifies 26th Job Killer
California Chamber of Commerce
Chamber’s list of “job killer” bills
Los Angeles Times
A few dozen migrants from Mexico looked up from the Salinas Valley field where they were picking strawberries and watched Antonio Villaraigosa’s convoy rumble toward them in a cloud of dust.
National:
California sues Trump over DACA program
Fresno Bee
California Attorney General Xavier Becerra on Monday formally challenged the Trump administration’s directive to rescind a program protecting unauthorized young immigrants from deportation.
See also:
· California Attorney General challenges decision to end DACA with lawsuit abc30
Other:
Bullet train from San Jose to Fresno: Silicon Valley Express?
San Jose Mercury News
California’s Central Valley and Silicon Valley are less than three hours apart by car, but the small towns and vast stretches of farmland along the middle of the state are a world away from $3,000-per-month studio apartments and jammed freeways.
Sikh Riders rally to battle post 9-11 racial profiling
Bakersfield Californian
The national group’s goal is to reach out to the community, educate people about the Sikh religion and increase awareness of their culture. What better way to do that than with motorcycles, one of the most iconic symbols of American culture?
EDITORIALS
If California doesn’t stand up to drug companies, who will?
Fresno Bee
Senate Bill 17 is the second attempt in as many years to bring some sanity to the insanely high cost of prescription drugs.
The great Medi-Cal paper waste
Los Angeles Times
Remember the telephone book? That giant, multi-thousand-page behemoth that used to land on your doorstep once a year? Well, neither do we, barely. The heyday of the phone book is long gone, and yet communications with friends and businesses is easier than it’s ever been before.
Los Angeles Times
Time is rapidly running out before health insurers have to commit to the policies and premiums they’ll offer next year to roughly 20 million Americans not covered by an employer-sponsored health plan. Although those premiums are expected to jump 10% or more in many states, Congress can rein in…
Look, kids, bills that might actually help children and families
Fresno Bee
Baby bonding, mature marriage, gender equity, education all would get attention if these bills pass.
Thumbs up, thumbs down: Fresno has a heart for Houston
Fresno Bee
Clinica Sierra Vista sends mobile truck to Texas; toy library lends playthings to kids free; beware third-party ticket sellers
California suits make clear state has DACA kids’ backs
Sacramento Bee
It is hardly surprising that a blizzard of lawsuits have arisen since President Donald Trump announced plans to rescindthe Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which, since Barack Obama’s administration, has protected some 800,000 young unauthorized immigrants.
A family affair? Talk about putting the ‘eek’ in Board of Equalization
Sacramento Bee
Not that we want to pile on personnel rules, or discourage careers in civil service, but can it really be that 1 out of 5 employees at the Board of Equalization is working with a relative?
Use California’s cap-and-trade money to end diesel pollution
Los Angeles Times
California has $1.5 billion available this year to fight climate change, and many billions of dollars more coming in the years ahead, now that lawmakers have extended the state’s cap-and-trade program through 2030. Needless to say, there are plenty of people, groups, businesses and governments…
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Record heat hit California wine regions around harvest time
Fresno Bee
The record head that baked Northern California over the Labor Day weekend left wine grapes shriveling on the vines, reducing many of them to raisins before the normal harvest and turning what was looking to be a promising vintage into a year that looks more uncertain.
Mexican papaya recalled after salmonella outbreak
Los Angeles Times
A Southern California company has recalled papaya imported from Mexico after health authorities linked its fruit shipments to a salmonella infection that has killed one person and sickened 13 others in three states.
The Hmong pot farms of Siskiyou County
Los Angeles Times
More than 1,500 Hmong farmers in the last two years have poured into Siskiyou County on the Oregon border, an area so vast it encompasses two western mountain ranges. Many of the Hmong are growing marijuana — much to the consternation of local authorities in the area.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE/PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Just hang up: Clovis police warn residents about ‘spoofing’ telephone scam
Fresno Bee
Clovis police issued a “scam alert” Monday for residents to be on guard for phone calls that seem to be coming from the city, but really aren’t.
CA Lawmaker Seeks to End Lifetime Registration Requirement for Sex Offenders
KMJ
Believing the current structure is “draconian” to low-level sex offenders, Democratic Calif. State Senator Scott Wiener is proposing a three-tired registry, which would remove California from a group of merely 4 states, that require lifetime registration.
Modesto’s Real Time Crime Center to open soon
Modesto Bee
If you live in one of the neighborhoods where they were installed, you’ve probably noticed them – that’s the idea, after all. The Modesto Police Department has six pod cameras in high-crime areas of the city that are intended to deter criminal activity as much as they are to capture it on video.
Smoking pot while driving or riding in a car in California will soon be punishable with a fine
Los Angeles Times
With state-licensed marijuana sales months away, Gov. Jerry Brown on Monday signed a bill that prohibits smoking or consuming cannabis while driving or riding in a vehicle in California.
California lawmakers vote to reduce penalty for knowingly exposing sexual partners to HIV
Los Angeles Times
State lawmakers on Monday gave final legislative approval to a bill that would reduce from a felony to a misdemeanor the crime of knowingly exposing a sexual partner to HIV without disclosing the infection.
Police Oversight Legislation Stalls in Sacramento
The California Report – KQED News
With all the talk about police shootings, alleged misconduct and body cameras in recent years, it seems natural that California lawmakers would wade into the debate.
Fire:
Firefighters working wildfire near Shaver Lake; other mountain blazes still being fought
Fresno Bee
A wildfire is burning near the community of Shaver Lake, Cal Fire said Monday afternoon.
Historic Sugar Pine largely survives Railroad Fire, as residents are allowed to return home
Sierra Star
Within eight minutes of receiving the Nixle alert that Sugar Pine residents could return to the little community at noon on Sept. 9, Nicole Cook was on her way to check on the condition of her father’s cabin. Tears came to her eyes as she watched ducks swimming and dragonflies darting here and there on the old lumber mill pond. She did not know what to expect and came prepared with a mask to filter the air if needed. She did not need it.
ECONOMY / JOBS
California DMV speeding up process to become a commercial driver
abc30
The trucking industry hopes to benefit from a push at the state capitol to speed up the process to get more drivers on the road. Whether they were prospective truck drivers or bus drivers, the wait to take a commercial driving test exam left many frustrated. Drivers on a Fresno County Welfare to Work program hope to soon get paid for delivering goods.
Tesla, SolarCity planning more than 200 layoffs in Roseville this fall
Sacramento Bee
San Mateo-based SolarCity Corp. and its parent, Tesla Inc., plan to lay off more than 200 employees at their Roseville offices, part of continuing restructuring in the aftermath of Tesla’s acquisition of SolarCity last fall.
Democrats choose unions over Tesla in California cap-and-trade deal
Sacramento Bee
Democratic lawmakers and Gov. Jerry Brown are siding with organized labor in its battle with automaker Tesla, inserting a provision in a last-minute bill to spend $1.5 billion in cap-and-trade money.
Southern California wages rise 6%-plus as bosses battle for talent
Orange County Register
Want extra proof there’s a shortage of workers in Southern California? Or that bosses really are fighting to hire and keep the best workers?
What Autonomous Vehicles Could Mean for American Workers
RAND
Autonomous vehicles—vehicles that drive themselves some or all of the time—are projected to hit American roads within the next few years. They promise safer transportation, greater mobility for millions of Americans, improvement in how space is used, and a host of other benefits. But they will also have enormous impacts on the workforce, some negative and positive, some subtle and surprising.
EDUCATION
K-12:
FUSD will consider discipline of Ashjian following LGBT remarks
Fresno Bee
The Fresno Unified school board will discuss next month whether to demote, censure or otherwise discipline president Brooke Ashjian, after he made controversial comments about the LGBT community.
Leveling the playing field: New leader works to improve equity for SUSD students
Stockton Record
In her newly created role as Stockton Unified’s director of educational equity, Barnes is speaking to teachers, parents, administrators and the community to try to pinpoint the needs of the district’s 40,000 students both in the classroom and at home.
Law that would expand firearms ban on California campuses goes to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk
Los Angeles Times
A measure that would expand a firearms ban on school campuses in California won final legislative approval Monday and was sent to Gov. Jerry Brown, a rifle owner who has been skeptical about some gun control measures.
Paid pregnancy leave bill for teachers goes to governor
Los Angeles Times
A bill that would provide paid pregnancy leave for teachers and school employees passed the California Assembly on Monday, and will go to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk.
Elevate CA: San Diego school aims to knock down barriers to economic prosperity for all students
California Economy Reporting
Our MAAC Community Charter School opened in 2001 in response to the high percentage of high school pushouts / dropouts in the low income communities of southern San Diego County and the lack of a safety net for these students. While traditional high schools provide us with basic life skills, enhance our academic education, and prepare us for either higher education or the workforce, they are limited in their ability to address the needs that some atypical students face. Low socioeconomic status, social challenges, family instability, language barriers, teen pregnancy, mental health, abuse and many other issues can make it difficult for students to succeed in traditional schools.
California’s education plan must be more transparent about student performance
EdSource
There is no place for shaming if we want to improve outcomes for kids. We know human beings shut down when they experience shame, making it nearly impossible to reflect, connect and grow — the very skillset that is essential to foster effective teaching and learning in classrooms, in schools and in the systems that serve public education. But promoting equity and shining a light on the achievement of all students is not mutually exclusive with that vision.
U.S. News Ranks UC Merced No. 1 in the Nation for Financial Aid
University of California Merced
The University of California, Merced, is the No. 1 public university in the nation for financial aid given to first-year students — and a strong performer in graduation and retention rates — according to the U.S. News & World Report “Best Colleges” rankings released today.
Iraqi and Afghan refugees could soon pay resident student tuition at California community colleges
Los Angeles Times
Iraqi and Afghan refugees who worked with the U.S. Armed Forces, whether as interpreters, translators or advisors, could soon be exempted from paying nonresident student fees at community colleges in California.
“Transfer maze” awaits California community college students, advocacy group says
EdSource
California’s community college students face frustrations on the path to a four-year degree, enduring confusing and competing policies that result in a small share of students actually transferring to a Cal State or University of California campus.
Public Policy Institute of California
As the federal government moves to end the DACA program, California is continuing to support the higher education aspirations of undocumented students.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Climate-change denial is a cruel insult to storm victims
Sacramento Bee
When, if not now, is the time to talk about global warming and what to do about it? The answer from the Trump administration and the Republican Party, basically, is succinct in its willful ignorance: “How about never? Is never good for you?”
Big money for clean vehicles in California cap-and-trade spending deal
Los Angeles Times
California will use cap-and-trade revenue for a massive investment in clean trucks, buses, cars and other vehicles, according to details of an agreement obtained by The Times on Monday evening.
Carmakers face electric reality as combustion engine outlook dims
Reuters
European car bosses gathering for the Frankfurt auto show are beginning to address the realities of mass vehicle electrification, and its consequences for jobs and profit, their minds focused by government pledges to outlaw the combustion engine.
See also:
· China looks at ending sales of gasoline cars sfgate.com
· China eyes eventual ban of petrol and diesel cars Financial Times
Time to Play Ball with CEQA Reform
Fox&Hounds
SB 798, the bill to give CEQA (California Environmental Quality Act) exceptions to a proposed L.A. Clippers sports arena in Inglewood and transportation projects tied to L.A.’s 2028 Olympics, was put aside by the legislature. Too bad—but not for reasons you might think.
Energy:
Lawmakers move to add other states to oversight of California’s electric grid
Los Angeles Times
Under the banner of clean energy growth, lawmakers are working to change oversight of the state’s power grid to include other Western states — a move critics say will surrender California’s control over its own electricity system.
See also:
· California lawmakers consider plan for regional power grid San Jose Mercury News
· Power play: Electric grid plan resurfaces at end of session San Diego Union-Tribune
If Going 100% Renewable Is So Good For California, Why The Backroom Dealing?
Forbes
“…it seems like the state is trying to move forward with 100% renewable without really understanding how to do it.”
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Saint Agnes ranked in Healthgrades top 10 percent for women’s health care
Business Journal
Saint Agnes Medical Center has earned praise from Healthgrades and Blue Shield and Blue Cross companies for successful outcomes of common gynecologic procedures, and for the quality of care provided to women during and after childbirth.
Is All That Wildfire Smoke Damaging My Lungs?
capradio.org
It’s an unusually bad wild fire season in the West, and for weeks people across the region have been breathing air thick with smoke.
Modesto, San Diego health care companies have the same name. They’re headed to court.
Modesto Bee
A company that calls itself one of the fastest-growing health care businesses in the United States is suing a Modesto-based company that has grown rapidly itself in the last four years.
California Assembly passes drug price transparency bill
San Jose Mercury News
The California State Assembly on Monday overwhelmingly approved Senate Bill 17, controversial legislation that could soon become the nation’s most comprehensive law aimed at shining a light on prescription drug prices.
IMMIGRATION
California sanctuary state bill changed for Jerry Brown
Sacramento Bee
Gov. Jerry Brown and Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León struck a deal on California’s “sanctuary state” bill Monday after weeks of negotiations.
Undocumented renters protection bill clears CA Legislature
Sacramento Bee
With tensions running high over both soaring housing costs and increased threats of deportation, California lawmakers moved Monday to give more tenant protections to immigrants living in the state illegally.
Undocumented immigrants should not have to risk deportation for talking to police
Sacramento Bee
In 2015, the San Francisco Sheriff’s Department released an undocumented immigrant as required by local ordinance. He later allegedly murdered Kate Steinle. This undeniable tragedy stirred a national controversy over “sanctuary laws.”
California sues Trump administration over decision to end DACA protections for young immigrants
Los Angeles Times
Continuing its role as a leading counter-force to Trump administration policies, California filed a lawsuit Monday challenging as unconstitutional the president’s plan to rescind a program that protects young immigrants from deportation, with officials warning the state will be hardest hit by the change.
What It Means to Be a ‘Sanctuary State’
New York Times
For months, lawmakers in Sacramento have debated what it would mean for California to become a “sanctuary state,” with strict regulations over how much law enforcement agencies could do to help federal immigration authorities. On Monday, Gov. Jerry Brown and Kevin de León, the Democratic leader of the state Senate who introduced the legislation, reached an agreement that seemed to appease both supporters and critics.
Mexico diplomat talks immigration in California trip
San Francisco Chronicle
After a day huddling in California’s capital on immigration, trade and climate, Mexico’s top diplomat is hitting Los Angeles to close out a two-day visit to the immigrant-friendly state.
Congress must find a solution to DACA or the U.S. risks losing on the investment it’s made
TheHill
USC President C.L. Max Nikias for The Hill: “…democracies, from the beginning, have agonized over the moral issues at the heart of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, whose fate Congress must now resolve in the coming months.”
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Exterior renovations begin on Fresno’s Rowell Building
Fresno Bee
Renovation work on the Rowell Building in downtown Fresno has moved from the inside out.
Time-lapse video: Watch 32 years of Fresno urban sprawl
Fresno Bee
More than three decades of northward sprawl in Fresno and Clovis look dramatic when the changes are squeezed into seconds.
Housing:
Undocumented renters protection bill clears CA Legislature
Sacramento Bee
With tensions running high over both soaring housing costs and increased threats of deportation, California lawmakers moved Monday to give more tenant protections to immigrants living in the state illegally.
Ahead of final week, California lawmakers change bills to garner support for housing package
Los Angeles Times
A package of bills to address California’s housing affordability crisis inched forward late last week ahead of a do-or-die week in the Legislature. Lawmakers introduced or changed two bills aimed at attracting support for key parts of the housing package from wary colleagues and Gov. Jerry Brown.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Congress must find a solution to DACA or the U.S. risks losing on the investment it’s made
TheHill
USC President C.L. Max Nikias for The Hill: “…democracies, from the beginning, have agonized over the moral issues at the heart of the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals (DACA) program, whose fate Congress must now resolve in the coming months.”
TRANSPORTATION
Bullet train from San Jose to Fresno: Silicon Valley Express?
San Jose Mercury News
California’s Central Valley and Silicon Valley are less than three hours apart by car, but the small towns and vast stretches of farmland along the middle of the state are a world away from $3,000-per-month studio apartments and jammed freeways.
WATER
‘Winter is coming’: What do climate scientists predict for California?
San Jose Mercury News
Several climate experts, flummoxed by the failure of a widely predicted El Niño to make a dent in California’s drought during the winter of 2015-16, are saying they are unsure what this winter will bring. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration says December-January-February in California will be a winter with equal chances of normal, below normal and above normal rain.
“Xtra”
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