Political Briefs Top stories Farmworker overtime vote highlights urban-rural divide — Monday’s approval of legislation to phase in state overtime rules for farmworkers again underscored the urban-rural divide on many of the issues that come before the California Legislature. Lawmakers representing more rural or suburban parts of the Central Valley, Republican and Democrat alike, voted against Assembly Bill […]

Political Stories Top stories  California farmworker overtime expansion bill sent to Gov. Brown — The California Assembly on Monday sent Gov. Jerry Brown a hard-fought and historic expansion of overtime rules for farmworkers, but it remains uncertain whether the Democratic governor will sign off. Sacramento Bee article; LA Times article;  Reuters article; Stockton Record article; […]

Political Stories Top stories  Almost 200 proposed laws await governor’s OK – or not — The fate of hundreds of bills will be decided by Wednesday, when state lawmakers wrap up their two-year session. There are already nearly 200 bills on Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk, including legislation to eliminate the statute of limitation on rape […]

Political Stories Top stories This wealthy farmer is taking on Sacramento: ‘God help you if you disagree’ — The state Capitol, Stockton-area farmer and food processor Dean “Dino” Cortopassi said, has been overrun by “porkers feeding at the public trough,” and if long-term debt is not constrained, he said his grandchildren’s generation will bear the […]

Political Stories Top stories Federal judge denies injunction against California vaccination law for schoolchildren – A federal judge has denied a request for a preliminary injunction against a new law that requires children in California’s public and private schools to be vaccinated unless they have a medical waiver from a licensed doctor. LA Times article; […]

Political Stories Top stories Farmworker overtime bill postponed — In a dramatic public escalation of the political dispute over a bill to give farmworkers more overtime pay, the leader of the California Assembly vowed to laborers massed outside the legislative chambers Thursday that he would champion the issue after an expected vote failed to materialize. […]

Political Stories Top stories  Gov. Jerry Brown hails sweeping climate legislation, plans to sign both measures into law — Flanked by legislative leaders, Gov. Jerry Brown said new measures approved on Wednesday would be a milestone for the state’s climate change policies.  “This is a real commitment backed up by real power,” he said during […]

Top stories California Assembly approves climate change law — After an intense floor debate, a bill extending California’s greenhouse gas emission targets squeaked by in the Assembly on Tuesday. Senate Bill 32 was seen as a crucial step for reauthorizing the state’s cap-and-trade program. Gov. Jerry Brown, who said he will sign the measure once it […]

Top stories California polling places as we know them would be a thing of the past if this measure becomes law — Sweeping legislation at the state Capitol would make the future of California elections dependent on a major expansion of absentee ballots, one that would give local officials the power to close thousands of neighborhood polling places. LA Times […]

Top stories George Skelton: On California’s crumbling roads, legislators haven’t even moved out of the driveway — Gov. Jerry Brown called a special legislative session last year to speed passage of a bill to repair California’s crumbling roads. The politicians have failed miserably. It’s worse than gridlock. Lawmakers haven’t even moved out of the driveway. Skelton column in […]