April 11, 2018

11Apr

TOP POLITICAL STORIES​​​​​​​

 

Valley Politics:

 

McCarthy plays inside game in shadow campaign for Speaker

TheHill

While House Majority Whip Steve Scalise (R-La.) led a delegation of lawmakers to Europe and Africa over the Easter recess, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy (R-Calif.) was back in Washington attending a small, private dinner with President Trump. It was, perhaps, the most recent illustration of how McCarthy has been playing the inside game with Trump, ensuring that there’s little political daylight — or literal distance — between him and the president.

See also:

·       Ryan bows out: ‘I have given this job everything I have’ Fresno Bee

     House Speaker Paul Ryan Won’t Seek Re-Election Wall Street Journal

     House Speaker Paul Ryan will not seek reelection The Washington Post

     Ryan to Announce Retirement From Congress Roll Call

     Speaker Paul Ryan Will Not Seek Re-election in November New York Times

     The race to replace Paul Ryan is on Politico

     Paul Ryan is abandoning the ship before it sinks The Washington Post

 

GOP lawmaker says he has enough support to force immigration votes

The Hill

A Republican congressman said Tuesday he’s rounded up enough GOP co-sponsors to force multiple immigration votes on the House floor. Rep. Jeff Denham (R-Calif.) told The Hill that he has secured support from more than 40 House Republicans on a resolution that would allow debate and votes on four separate immigration proposals.

 

Kern Co Sheriff Youngblood once said it’s cheaper to kill inmates

The Mercury News

A jail guard union has released a 12-year-old video of Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood saying it’s cheaper to kill than cripple jail inmates. Youngblood acknowledged making the remark but said it was being used out of context and he wasn’t urging anyone to kill inmates. In the one-minute clip released Monday by the Kern County Detention Officers Association, Youngblood says deputies handling detention duties are better trained than ever.

See also:

     Kern County sheriff is caught on tape saying it costs less to kill suspects than to wound them Los Angeles Times

Fresno police chief moonlights as a landlord. Many officers also have second jobs

Fresno Bee

Most people know Chief Jerry Dyer as Fresno’s top cop who oversees nearly 800 police officers whose job is to protect a city of 522,000 residents. But a few know Dyer as their landlord.

 

Atwater council changes requirements for police chief so interim chief can stay on

Merced Sun-Star

Atwater City Council waived the educational requirements this week needed to be police chief to allow the interim top officer to remain on the job. While city leaders brushed off any concerns over the decision made Monday, its another example related to the Atwater Police Department of a decision being made by ex-City Manager Art de Werk and then reinforced after the fact.

 

Visalia sees crime increase under Prop. 47

Visalia Times-Delta

The California Police Chiefs Association is proposing a statewide initiative that would help address some of the problems that have resulted from the passage of recent ballot measures, particularly Propositions 47 and 57.  Locally, Visalia Police Chief Jason Salazar is in support of the proposed Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act of 2018.

 

Mariposa schools receive shooting and bomb threats in what seems to be a statewide hoax

Sierra Star

According to the Mariposa Sheriff’s office, on the morning of April 10, deputies learned Mariposa County Unified School District Superintendent’s Office, received an email from an unknown person who threatened to bring a gun and bombs to school to harm students and staff. The email MCUSD received was generic and did not include specific school sight details. The district contacted the Sheriff’s Office immediately after reading the email.

 

Victims of crime in Fresno County joined together

ABC30

Victims of crime in Fresno County joined together, Tuesday evening, to honor those impacted by violence. It’s all part of National Crime Victims Rights Week. The events was organized by the Fresno County Probation Department’s James Rowland Crime Victim Assistance Center (CVAC). Their goal to “expand the circle” brought issues like homicide, domestic violence, robbery and assault to the forefront, doing so gave those impacted by crime a sense of healing.

 

Victims’ Rights March being held tonight in Downtown Bakersfield

The Bakersfield Californian

The Kern County District Attorney’s Office is holding its annual Crime Victims’ Rights March today in Downtown Bakersfield. The event will kick off at the Liberty Bell in front of the Kern County Superior Court building, 1415 Truxtun Ave. Information tables and displays will be made available for public view from 4-5 p.m. At 5 p.m., there will be several speakers prior to the start of the march, which ends at Mill Creek Park.

 

Fresno Parks And Arts May Get More Funding, But Voters Have To Approve It First

Valley Public Radio

Last Wednesday, a coalition called Fresno for Parks announced their campaign to fund these improvements via a measure on the November ballot. They’ve proposed adding a 3/8 cent sales tax to support parks, arts and trails. They say this would raise $37 million a year. The coalition is sponsored by the Central Valley Community Foundation.

 

Planning commission folds to southeast Visalia residents

Visalia Times-Delta

A project that would have likely brought economic and commercial growth will now bring appeals and potential lawsuits.  The Visalia Planning Commission bowed to residents in southeast Visalia on Monday and denied a project for ARCO AM/PM gas station, carwash and convenience store. Previously, commissioners said the vote would likely be to approve the project.

See also:

     Facing strong opposition, proposed Visalia gas station put on hold ABC30

 

Clovis culinary center to boost food makers

Fresno Bee

A former Thai restaurant in Clovis, turned commercial kitchen, could become the launching pad for the Valley’s next big food entrepreneur. Located on the northeast corner of Ashlan and Willow avenues, the 2,600-square-foot Clovis Culinary Center has everything an upstart food business would need: professional grade stoves, ovens, a flat top, mixers, dry storage, refrigerators and cold storage.

 

Lyons Magnus CEO Robert Smittcamp is stepping down in May

Fresno Bee

Robert Smittcamp, the longtime CEO of Fresno-based Lyons Magnus Inc., is stepping down after more than 40 years. Ed Carolan, who has worked for the Campbell Soup Company for 17 years, will take Smittcamp’s place on May 15 as head of the food-service company.

 

Kern County approves anti-hunger program; hears demand for ethics investigation

The Bakersfield Californian

Kern County Supervisors voted on Tuesday to launch the Waste Hunger, Not Food program.The pilot program — funded by grants and made possible through partnerships with local businesses, nonprofits and government agencies — will begin in May.

 

Ralph Anthony, former school board member, leads polls to become next BCSD trustee

The Bakersfield Californian

Ralph Anthony, a retired pastor and former school board member who led a scrappy, shoestring campaign and was outspent by his opponents by thousands was the apparent winner of the Bakersfield City School District’s Area Three trustee race Tuesday night. Anthony captured almost 32 percent of the vote when all precincts were reported after 9:30 p.m.

 

Price: Merle would agree: Time for a Warren courthouse

Bakersfield.com

After a rough start, Haggard honored his hometown with a lifetime of artistry and, yes, integrity. He took a lot of pride in who he was and in so doing encouraged working-class Americans like himself to take pride in who they were, too. He spoke his mind, in both poetry and prose, and people respected it.

 

Walters: Bullet train colliding with reality

CALmatters

Reality may finally be catching up with the vision – or pipedream – of a 200-mile-per-hour train connecting California’s northern and southern regions. A few weeks ago, the High-Speed Rail Authority released its latest “business plan” that was supposed to tell Californians how the brief stretch of track now being constructed in the San Joaquin Valley can grow into a system stretching from San Francisco and Sacramento in the north to Los Angeles and San Diego in the south.

 

State Politics:

 

Metropolitan Water District backs two Delta tunnels

Sacramento Bee

After a decade of planning and debate, the controversial Delta tunnels project got a huge cash infusion Tuesday and took a giant step toward becoming reality.

In a historic decision, the wealthy Metropolitan Water District of Southern California voted to take a majority stake in the $16.7 billion twin-tunnels project, a plan championed by Gov. Jerry Brown as a way of protecting the water supply for more than 25 million Southern California and Bay Area residents.

See Also:

     Water agency approves $11B for California twin tunnels plan abc30

     Governor Brown Issues Statement on Metropolitan Water District’s Vote to Support WaterFix

     Southern California water agency votes to fund controversial plan to build two delta tunnels Los Angeles Times

     California’s 2-tunnel delta project back on track with SoCal water district’s vote San Francisco Chronicle

     A Big Boost for Jerry Brown’s Elusive Water Project New York Times

     SoCal Water Agency Commits $10.8B to Construction of Massive Water Tunnels That Would Bring Water From NorCal KTLA

 

Jerry Brown’s work to seal his climate legacy is only half done

Los Angeles Times

It seems a little churlish to prod Jerry Brown on carbon issues. He’s done as much as any leader in the world to move forward on the climate and energy crises that are the defining challenges of our time. But the truth is Brown’s not done anywhere near what he could, nor what the situation demands.

 

Why Jerry Brown Might Agree To President Trump’s National Guard Border Deployment In California

Capradio.org

By agreeing to the deployment and negotiating rules of engagement for the California National Guard, Brown would remain in command of the troops — rather than ceding that control to Trump should the president seek to federalize the Guard.

 

California governor endorses Feinstein for US Senate

The Bakersfield Californian

U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein won California Gov. Jerry Brown’s endorsement Tuesday in her bid for a fifth full term in Washington. Brown, in the final year of his fourth term as governor, is the latest prominent California Democrat to line up behind Feinstein as she battles a challenge from a fellow Democrat. State Sen. Kevin de Leon argues that Feinstein hasn’t been liberal enough or stood up to Trump with enough force on immigration and other issues.

See also:

     Gov. Jerry Brown endorses Sen. Dianne Feinstein for reelection Los Angeles Times

 

Delaine Eastin is fighting for momentum in the governor’s race — and she’s going to all 58 counties in California to do it

Los Angeles Times

Delaine Eastin was a sophomore in high school when a drama teacher urged her to try out for a part in “The Man Who Came to Dinner.” She hesitated until he told her: “This is a metaphor for your whole life. If you never try out, you will never get the part.” Eastin auditioned and won the role. Decades later, the advice sticks with the former state schools chief, this time in her unlikely run for governor.

See also:

     Delaine Eastin calls on rivals in California governor’s race to pledge pay equity and gender parity in hiring Los Angeles Times

 

How single-payer healthcare has divided Democrats in California’s race for governor

Los Angeles Times

When Gavin Newsom campaigns on his support for a California single-payer healthcare system, he’s talking about more than the virtues of universal care. He’s trying to sell himself as a bold visionary. When Antonio Villariagosa warns of the financial calamity that awaits if the state adopts single payer, he’s trying to send a different message — that he’s a fiscally responsible realist who won’t make promises he can’t keep.

 

Fox News, Gingrich think California may elect a GOP governor. It’s not likely

San Francisco Chronicle

There’s nothing the folks at Fox News love more than a story rooted in crazy liberal California. And now Fox is warming up to California’s gubernatorial race. On Tuesday, this flashed on the screen during Stuart Varney’s Fox Business Network show: Newt Gingrich: California may elect a Republican governor — Incredible as that sounds.”

 

Labor leader Maria Elena Durazo endorses Antonio Villaraigosa for governor

Los Angeles Times

Big LA/labor endorsement — Maria Elena Durazo says she is backing Villaraigosa for gov: “Thousands of families are better off because Antonio heard them, stood with them and acted on their behalf.”

 

CA120: Get ready for the 2018 election reforms

Capitol Weekly

One of the ongoing themes in analyzing California’s 2018 elections is the impact of the reforms that were enacted in 2012 – the state’s open primary, the extension of term limits and the new district lines drawn by the state’s independent redistricting commission.

 

California attorney general says he’ll appeal ruling allowing Trump border wall projects to proceed

San Diego Union-Tribune

A ruling by a San Diego federal judge allowing construction of President Donald Trump’s border wall to go ahead will be appealed by two entities that opposed it, including the state Attorney General.

 

California state workers would get paid twice a month if Vidak bill passes

Sacramento Bee

A Republican lawmaker wants to help California state workers balance their checkbooks without actually giving them a raise. Sen. Andy Vidak of Hanford is carrying a bill that would compel the state to pay its employees more often, switching to biweekly paydays instead of the monthly schedule state government uses now.

 

California lawmakers advance measures to curb opioid crisis

Fresno Bee

California lawmakers advanced 10 opioid-related bills Tuesday in an effort to address the drug abuse crisis in the state, including a proposal that would let California share prescription records with other states.

 

Lawmakers retreat from ‘zero tolerance’ policy for young motorists who use pot

Los Angeles Times

Faced with opposition from drug legalization advocates, California lawmakers backed away Tuesday from a proposal to adopt a “zero tolerance” policy on motorists under age 21 who drive after using marijuana. A bill by state Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) originally proposed a one-year suspension of driver’s licenses for minors caught for the first time driving with measurable amounts of marijuana in their system.

 

Are Exxon, Facebook in California’s cross hairs? Top cop hints at investigations

Sacramento Bee

California’s top cop hinted this week that the state Department of Justice is looking into the business practices of Big Oil giant Exxon Mobil and Facebook. State Attorney General Xavier Becerra did not say explicitly that he is investigating ExxonMobil, but in response to questions from The Sacramento Bee’s Editorial Board, he suggested an investigation is underway.

 

The CalEITC Builds on the Well-Documented Success of the Federal EITC

California Budget & Policy Center

Established as part of the 2015-16 state budget package, the California Earned Income Tax Credit (CalEITC) is a refundable state credit that helps people who earn little from their jobs to pay for basic necessities.

 

Wiener scales back bill that would allow taller housing near public transit

SFGate

State Sen. Scott Wiener scaled back a controversial housing proposal that would strip local governments of their ability to block construction of taller and denser apartment and condominium buildings near public transit stops, and conceded the bill might not make it through the Legislature this year.

 

Federal Politics:

 

California Air Resources Board sues Trump administration over repeal of anti-pollution rule

Los Angeles Times

California’s clean-air board and its attorney general have sued the Trump administration to challenge as illegal the repeal of a policy that requires major sources of air pollutants, including oil refineries, to permanently take action to reduce their emissions, officials announced Tuesday.

See Also:

     California Says a Car-Emissions Deal With Trump Could Be Doable Bloomberg

Trump calls California a ‘border-free zone’

Los Angeles Times

President Trump devoted his weekly address over the weekend to his attack on California’s sanctuary laws, arguing without evidence that the state had made itself “a border-free zone where thousands of criminal aliens can roam free.”

 

Fight over Trump sanctuary order heads to appeals court

AP

The Trump administration will try to convince a federal appeals court that the president’s executive order threatening to cut funding from states and cities that limit cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities was narrow and legal.

 

Trump Signs Executive Order for Revamp of Federal Aid Programs

Wall Street Journal

President Donald Trump signed a broad executive order urging a revamp of federal government aid programs Tuesday, invigorating a contentious debate from which Republicans hope to gain momentum before the November elections.

 

Trump’s Bid for Spending Cuts Faces GOP Skepticism

Wall Street Journal

A handful of Republican senators have expressed concerns over President Donald Trump’s efforts to roll back some of the $1.3 trillion spending bill signed into law last month, indicating the plan is likely to fizzle on Capitol Hill. Several GOP senators said this week they didn’t support canceling parts of the spending bill, which was the product of months of bipartisan negotiations from the top four congressional leaders.

 

Trump Looks to Assuage Trade Critics With Farm Package

Wall Street Journal

The Trump administration is seeking to blunt domestic opposition to its trade policies with a relief package for farmers affected by the U.S. trade spat with China, say officials involved in the discussions. The aid package, which could climb into the billions of dollars, is still being developed.

 

Facebook fiasco: Feinstein focuses on politics, Kamala Harris on users

San Francisco Chronicle

California Sens. Dianne Feinstein and Kamala Harris highlighted very different worries Tuesday when they had their chance to question Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg in a televised Senate hearing that ran for nearly five hours. For Feinstein, the “alarming” Russian intrusion into the 2016 presidential campaign was her top concern.

 

Former Defense Secretary Leon Panetta Discusses President Trump’s National Guard Border Deployment

Capradio.org

First of all, because as I said, there is a need to be able to bolster and supplement the security needs along our borders. Secondly, it would look like, in rejecting this request, that it’s just another political punch aimed at the president. And while I understand that kind of reaction, I think in this case, the governor should rise above it and do what is important for California, regardless of what the president says or doesn’t say.

 

Opinion: Is Pelosi Still the Gift that Keeps on Giving for Republicans?

Roll Call

Is Nancy Pelosi all she’s cracked up to be or a political conundrum? I’m talking about the nearly legendary notion in the GOP consulting community that Pelosi is the gift that keeps on giving to Republican candidates and campaigns.

 

The people pouring millions into the 2018 elections

Washington Post

Ten wealthy donors gave more than 20 percent of the $296 million that flowed this cycle into super PACs, which can accept unlimited contributions from individuals and corporations.

While these groups cannot coordinate their advertising with candidates or political parties, they often work closely with official campaigns, and they are poised to be influential forces in this year’s congressional midterm elections.

 

Senate Republicans Growing Anxious About Their Majority

National Journal

Mitch McConnell raised alarms about the grim political environment for Republicans last week. He had good reasons.

 

Other:

 

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg Testifies Before U.S. Senate

Capradio.org

“We didn’t take a broad enough view of our responsibility, and that was a big mistake. It was my mistake, and I’m sorry,” the co-founder and CEO of Facebook, uncharacteristically wearing a suit, said in his opening remarks. “I started Facebook, I run it, and I’m responsible for what happens here.”

See Also:

     More questions confront Facebook after Zuckerberg’s Senate hearing San Jose Mercury

      Mark Zuckerberg struggles to put his best Facebook forward during a day in the hot seat  Los Angeles Times

     Opinion: Mark Zuckerberg and the Theater of Contrition Roll Call

     Facebook’s Mark Zuckerberg testifies before Congress. What comes next? Brookings

     Zuckerberg Testimony: Why Facebook Is Winning So Far Bloomberg

     Did Fake News On Facebook Help Elect President Trump? Here’s What We Know NPR

     Fact Check: What Mark Zuckerberg Said About Facebook, Privacy and Russia The New York Times

     Mark Zuckerberg Testifies Before Skeptical Lawmakers Wary of Facebook’s Power  The New York Times

     How to Check If Your Facebook Data Was Used by Cambridge Analytica NPR

     Mark Zuckerberg Tells Congress He’s Sorry Time

     Facebook Fallout Deals Blow to Mercers’ Political Clout The New York Times

Sinclair: Criticism of ‘fake stories’ script is dishonest and reprehensible

The Hill

The Sinclair Broadcasting Group is blasting CNN and other media organizations for attacking their anti-“fake news” promotion, saying the criticism is “dishonest and reprehensible.”

Sinclair uploaded a YouTube video on Tuesday accusing the mainstream media of attacking their company for “doing exactly what CNN has done for years.”

“Fake News is a problem,” the video reads. “Everyone knows it. Calling out Sinclair for calling out ‘Fake News’ is dishonest and reprehensible.”

See Also:

     Sinclair’s Boss Responds to Criticism: ‘You Can’t Be Serious!’ The New York Times

America’s Parties, Divided Every Which Way

Wall Street Journal
Millions of Americans yearn for a more civil and cooperative form of politics, but the Republican and Democratic parties are pulling us in the opposite direction. By every measure, the parties have drifted ideologically further apart than they were two decades ago, and there is no reason to think the trend will be reversed anytime soon.

 

Is democracy actually in retreat? There’s some evidence to the contrary

AEI

One could fill a library with the books and reports regarding the ongoing “crisis” of democracy. But what if democracy is not in decline? A new dataset appears to show quite the opposite. Catastrophes and crises, real and imagined, trigger avalanches of proposed solutions. The most recent offer is “Constitutional Localism,” the idea that a devolution of power to local communities will solve the frustration and anger of the American voter.

 

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING  

 

Sunday, April 15, at 10 a.m. on ABC 30 – Maddy Report: “The Road Ahead for Zero-Emission Vehicles in CA”​ –Guest: F. Noel Perry, Founder of Next 10. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, April 15, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report ​ – Valley Views Edition​: “Climate Change and Electric Vehicles: Public Action and Private Markets?” – Guests: F. Noel Perry, Founder of Next 10 & State Senator Fran Pavley. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, April 15, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “California’s Top Ten”  Guests: Alexei Koseff, Sacramento Bee reporter. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.

 

Support the Maddy Daily HERE.

 

Thank you!

 

 

Topics in More Detail…

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

What do farmers think about trade wars?

Fresno Bee

What do farmers think about trade wars? Easy – we don’t like them. What we do like is fair trade. I have been asked a lot recently about tariffs and trade wars.

See Also:

     Trump’s Trade War Is About to Screw Over California’s Remaining Republicans Mother Jones

●     Planes, plastics and wine: Trump’s trade war could hit Democrats where it hurts  Washington Post

●     Trump Looks to Assuage Trade Critics With Farm Package Wall Street Journal

 

70 Percent of Fruit and Vegetables in the US Has Pesticide Residue

KQED

Even after being carefully washed or peeled, nearly 70 percent of fruit and vegetables sold in the U.S. contained pesticide residues, according to an independent review of recent tests conducted by the Department of Agriculture.

 

Can California avert a citrus apocalypse?

Los Angeles Times

I don’t usually just wave agents of the state into my house. But when a nice lady from the California Department of Food and Agriculture showed up at my door last week, I welcomed her with a genuine smile. “You’re here for the psyllids, right?” I asked, as two masked men on the street waited for her orders. “Come on in!”

 

California not meeting revenue projections for commercial cannabis, analyst says

Sacramento Bee

In the first two months of cannabis legalization, consumers bought an estimated $339 million worth of marijuana products from retailers in California, 13 percent less than state projections, according to a leading analytics firm. The state has estimated that retail cannabis sales for the remaining six months of this fiscal year would be $1.15 billion, or $383 million every two months.

 

Forget the Emerald Triangle. The Central Coast is becoming California’s weed hotspot

Sacramento Bee

To view the revolution taking place in California’s commercial cannabis industry, head to the Central Coast. Turn off Highway 101 in the Salinas Valley. Look for the clusters of greenhouses protected by fences with razor wire, security cameras and guards. There you will find some of the largest marijuana grows in the state.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

Visalia sees crime increase under Prop. 47

Visalia Times-Delta

The California Police Chiefs Association is proposing a statewide initiative that would help address some of the problems that have resulted from the passage of recent ballot measures, particularly Propositions 47 and 57.  Locally, Visalia Police Chief Jason Salazar is in support of the proposed Reducing Crime and Keeping California Safe Act of 2018.

 

Kern County sheriff is caught on tape saying it costs less to kill suspects than to wound them

Los Angeles Times

In blue California, Kern County Sheriff Donny Youngblood has long bucked the liberal trend. He’s fought California’s “sanctuary state” movement, asked that Kern be labeled a “law and order” county and stood up for deputies accused of misconduct. Now, the sheriff faces new questions.

 

Politifact CA: Protesters for hire? Sacramento Sheriff provides no evidence for inflammatory claim

Politifact CA

Sacramento County Sheriff Scott Jones claimed “paid protesters” fueled the conflict with law enforcement after a recent vigil and demonstration for Stephon Clark, a 22-year-old shot and killed by police.

 

Victims of crime in Fresno County joined together

ABC30

Victims of crime in Fresno County joined together, Tuesday evening, to honor those impacted by violence. It’s all part of National Crime Victims Rights Week. The events was organized by the Fresno County Probation Department’s James Rowland Crime Victim Assistance Center (CVAC). Their goal to “expand the circle” brought issues like homicide, domestic violence, robbery and assault to the forefront, doing so gave those impacted by crime a sense of healing.

 

Lawmakers retreat from ‘zero tolerance’ policy for young motorists who use pot

Los Angeles Times

Faced with opposition from drug legalization advocates, California lawmakers backed away Tuesday from a proposal to adopt a “zero tolerance” policy on motorists under age 21 who drive after using marijuana. A bill by state Sen. Jerry Hill (D-San Mateo) originally proposed a one-year suspension of driver’s licenses for minors caught for the first time driving with measurable amounts of marijuana in their system.

 

Public Safety:

 

California police chiefs denounce proposed use of force legislation

The Mercury News

Police chiefs from Vacaville to Citrus Heights to San Rafael to Watsonville and points in between gathered Monday at the Art Koch Training Facility in Fairfield to denounce pending legislation regarding an officer’s decision to use force. A bill authored by assembly members Shirley Weber, D-San Diego, and Kevin McCarty, D-Sacramento, would reportedly raise the standard for legal review of such actions — after the fact.

See Also:

      Stanislaus law-enforcement leaders speak out on proposed lethal-force legislation Modesto Bee

●     Sacramento police unveil body cam policy after protests The Bakersfield Californian

●     Pushback on proposed law that would limit officers use of force ABC30

 

Fire:

 

Let PG&E ‘off the hook’ for wildfire costs? If not, your utility bills could rise

Sacramento Bee

It may be the toughest question the California Legislature takes up this year: Who should pay the bill for massive wildfires? Today, California utilities could be on the hook for billions of dollars in damages if investigators connect their equipment to what became the largest and most destructive wildfires in state history.

 

California wildfires linked to heart problems, study shows

San Francisco Chronicle

Last year’s busy wildfire season was an all-too-close reminder that smoky skies can cause coughing, wheezing and difficulty breathing. As it turns out, though, the health issues don’t end there. One of the most comprehensive studies yet on the impacts of wildfire smoke in California, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association, suggests that heart problems are as much a concern as respiratory problems, perhaps even more so.

 

ECONOMY / JOBS

 

Economy:

 

Lyons Magnus CEO Robert Smittcamp is stepping down in May

The Fresno Bee

Robert Smittcamp, the longtime CEO of Fresno-based Lyons Magnus Inc., is stepping down after more than 40 years. Ed Carolan, who has worked for the Campbell Soup Company for 17 years, will take Smittcamp’s place on May 15 as head of the food-service company.

 

If the Poverty Rate for Kids of Color Were as Low as That for White Kids, 977,000 Fewer Kids Would be in Poverty

California Budget & Policy Center

Children of color in California are more likely to live in poverty. 32% of Latino children, 28% of back children, and 14% of other children of color live in poverty versus 12% of white children.

 

Jobs:

 

Federal Court Rules Employers Can’t Pay Women Less Than Men Based On Prior Salary

NPR

In a unanimous ruling, a federal appeals court has ruled that employers can’t pay women less than men just because they made less at a previous job. The court said a woman’s prior salary, whether considered on its own or along with other factors, can’t be used to justify paying a female employee less than her male counterpart.

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

VUSD looks to fill board vacancy after trustee’s death

Visalia Times-Delta

Visalia Unified School District board members will focus on filling the seat left vacant by the death of Board Member Patricia Griswold. Griswold, who’s family notified the district of her death on Thursday, held the Trustee Area 5 seat and served as board clerk.

 

Ralph Anthony, former school board member, leads polls to become next BCSD trustee

Bakersfield.com

Ralph Anthony, a retired pastor and former school board member who led a scrappy, shoestring campaign and was outspent by his opponents by thousands was the apparent winner of the Bakersfield City School District’s Area Three trustee race Tuesday night. Anthony captured almost 32 percent of the vote when all precincts were reported after 9:30 p.m.

 

Tulare County’s only 2018 distinguished school might surprise you

Visalia Times-Delta

Principal Andy Gomez is known for giving  students a fist bump as they walk onto campus each morning. The Manual F. Hernandez Elementary School principal also makes it a point to ensure he tours the campus with new students.  Last week, he walked a new student and his mother to the student’s classroom.

 

California: Prevent inflation in high school graduation rates

Sacramento Bee

California dramatically improved its graduation rates by fiddling with the high-school exit exam, first by making it easier, then by eliminating it altogether. Considering that the test measured largely 9th grade skills, this isn’t cause for optimism.

 

Here’s one thing that California charter schools and public school boards agree on

Sacramento Bee

The California Charter Schools Association and the California School Boards Association are unlikely partners. We are rarely on the same side of an issue, and we’re occasionally on opposing sides of a courtroom. It takes a special matter for us to put our differences aside, and we’ve done exactly that in support of Assembly Bill 2635, which calls for equity in public school funding for the state’s lowest-performing student group.

 

Where the New School Money Really Goes

Fox & Hounds

School funding in California is at record levels. But school districts are cutting staff and holding down raises. That’s largely because they are subsidizing retirees at the expense of active employees. Eg, San Francisco Unified School District will spend >$40 million this year to subsidize health care spending by retirees and divert nearly $100 million to retirement costs in total, more than double five years ago.

 

Illuminating science for blind students, with help from latest tech devices

EdSource

An explosion of new technology has made it much easier for blind students to study science the way some educators say it’s best learned: by doing hands-on projects, not listening to someone else talk about it.

 

Higher Ed:

 

Cal Poly fraternity suspended for blackface incident

The Mercury News

Hundreds of students at California Polytechnic State University held an emergency town hall at the San Luis Obispo campus to denounce racism and intolerance after social media posts showed a fraternity member in blackface and others dressed as gangster stereotypes and throwing gang signs.

See Also:

      Fraternity brothers posed in blackface and gangster costumes, this college’s latest racist dust-upWashington Post

 

Financial literacy can hold key to college success

EdSource

Picture this: Sonya, a low-income student at a California high school, receives an acceptance letter from the University of Hawaii. While the tuition is higher than a public university in California, she decides to go to Hawaii, even though it means that both Sonya — not her real name — and her mother would have to take out loans. After two semesters of lackluster grades, Sonya loses her merit-based aid and has a hold on her student account (also known as a bursar’s account) due to an outstanding balance because of a lack of payment, so her transcript cannot be released to transfer her credits. She is now in debt, out of school and stuck. With some financial guidance, Sonya could have been facing much better prospects.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

California’s State Parks Have Received Facelifts, And Not Everyone Is Happy

Valley Public Radio

In 2011, dozens of California’s State Parks were set to close due to sharp budget cuts in Sacramento. Seven years later, the budget crisis is over and most parks have recovered—though only after undergoing a quiet but significant reformation.

 

Energy:

 

California oil firms had nearly 400 violations

Washington Post

Oil and gas companies drilling in state waters off Southern California violated regulations nearly 400 times in the past three years, according to a report being released Wednesday by an environmental group. Records compiled by the Center for Biological Diversity and obtained by The Associated Press show state violations ranging from severe corrosion to failed and missing tests required to gauge the strength of wells.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

California Lawmakers Advance Measures To Curb Opioid Crisis

AP

California lawmakers advanced 10 opioid-related bills Tuesday in an effort to address the drug abuse crisis in the state, including a proposal that would let California share prescription records with other states.

 

Donate Life raises a flag to donors at Kern Medical

The Bakersfield Californian

About 50 people gathered around the entrance of Kern Medical to honor organ donors and celebrate organ donor recipients getting a second chance at life. Kern Medical raised a Donate Life flag to honor organ donors on Tuesday as part of a nation-wide initiative, Flags Across America. Flags Across America is part of Donate Life Month, created by Donate Life America.

 

California wildfires linked to heart problems, study shows

San Francisco Chronicle

Last year’s busy wildfire season was an all-too-close reminder that smoky skies can cause coughing, wheezing and difficulty breathing. As it turns out, though, the health issues don’t end there. One of the most comprehensive studies yet on the impacts of wildfire smoke in California, published Wednesday in the Journal of the American Heart Association, suggests that heart problems are as much a concern as respiratory problems, perhaps even more so.

 

What ails America? The answer varies from state to state

Los Angeles Times

The state of the union’s health is improving. But it is doing so very unequally, and recent signs of progress are in danger of being reversed by diseases of excess and despair, including obesity, depression, suicide and substance abuse.

 

How Death Strikes Around the U.S.

Wall Street Journal

A grim tally of “years of life lost” shows that substance abuse, suicides and diabetes drove a rise in premature deaths in nearly half the country, according to researchers who mapped variations in death rates among people 20 to 55 years old. The research offers a detailed look at the trends pulling down life expectancy among young and middle-aged Americans in recent years.

 

Teens Think It’s Cool to Juul

East Bay Express

Smokin’ in the boys’ room — or girls’ room — used to be the summit of juvenile mischief. Not to mention the launch of lifelong nicotine addictions for entire generations. But that’s so old school. These days, teens think it’s cool to juul.

 

Human Services:

 

Kern County approves anti-hunger program; hears demand for ethics investigation

The Bakersfield Californian

Kern County Supervisors voted on Tuesday to launch the Waste Hunger, Not Food program.The pilot program — funded by grants and made possible through partnerships with local businesses, nonprofits and government agencies — will begin in May.

 

Trump Signs Executive Order for Revamp of Federal Aid Programs

Wall Street Journal

President Donald Trump signed a broad executive order urging a revamp of federal government aid programs Tuesday, invigorating a contentious debate from which Republicans hope to gain momentum before the November elections.

See also:

·       Trump orders top-to-bottom review of welfare programs Politico

 

IMMIGRATION

 

Justice Dept. to halt legal-advice program for immigrants in detention

Washington Post

The U.S. immigration courts will temporarily halt a program that offers legal assistance to detained foreign nationals facing deportation while it audits the program’s cost-effectiveness, a federal official said Tuesday. Officials informed the Vera Institute of Justice that starting this month it will pause the nonprofit’s Legal Orientation Program, which last year held information sessions for 53,000 immigrants in more than a dozen states, including California and Texas.

 

Fight over Trump sanctuary order heads to appeals court

AP

The Trump administration will try to convince a federal appeals court that the president’s executive order threatening to cut funding from states and cities that limit cooperation with U.S. immigration authorities was narrow and legal.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 Planning commission folds to southeast Visalia residents

Visalia Times-Delta

A project that would have likely brought economic and commercial growth will now bring appeals and potential lawsuits.  The Visalia Planning Commission bowed to residents in southeast Visalia on Monday and denied a project for ARCO AM/PM gas station, carwash and convenience store. Previously, commissioners said the vote would likely be to approve the project.

See also:     Facing strong opposition, proposed Visalia gas station put on hold ABC30

 

Housing:

 

Californians less familiar with Prop 13, but still feel property taxes too high

The Mercury News

Like many of those who lined up at the Santa Clara County government center with their statements and salmon colored envelopes to pay their property taxes by Tuesday’s deadline, Nader Ezaz looked puzzled when asked about Proposition 13. That’s California’s landmark tax revolt measure, approved by nearly two-thirds of voters almost 40 years ago, which limited property taxes that had been soaring with surging real estate values.

 

Northern California builder improves ‘tiny house’ concept

The Mercury News

It may be the wall color or the slant of the roof that catches your eye from Humboldt Road, but two new small homes could be a trend for the Chico rental market.

 

Fox: The March of the Price Fixers

Fox & Hounds

California is an expensive place to live so many activists inside and outside government want the government to do something about it. Enter the price fixers. The newest price control effort is on health care in California but that occurs at the same time of an on-going attempt to establish rules for broader rent control.

 

Major California housing bill narrowed before its first legislative debate

Los Angeles Times

Ahead of its first legislative committee hearing scheduled for next week, a Bay Area lawmaker has narrowed his bill aimed at building more housing near transit across California. Under the newly amended Senate Bill 827 from Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), cities would be allowed to restrict building heights to four or five stories, down from a maximum of eight stories, within a half-mile of rail and ferry stops. Wiener also limited changes surrounding bus stops.

See Also:

     High-rise apartments stripped from controversial California housing bill The Mercury News

     Wiener scales back bill that would allow taller housing near public transit SFGate

 

Mayors of California’s 10 biggest cities – including Anaheim and Santa Ana – ask state for $1.5 billion for homeless …

OCRegister

As Orange County elected officials struggle to house the homeless locally, mayors from the county’s two biggest cities are scheduled to lobby legislators for funding to help address the issue. Anaheim Mayor Tom Tait, Santa Ana Mayor Miguel Pulido and the mayors of eight other large cities, including Los Angeles and San Francisco, plan Wednesday, April 11, to be in Sacramento to urge passage of an assembly bill that would provide $1.5 billion in surplus state funds to cities for homeless solutions.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

Deficits & Government Spending Out of Control

National Review

It nicely summarizes what should be obvious to all: the Republican Congress and president do not seem to care about deficits or debt, and are not only failing to take steps to address the government’s poor fiscal situation but are taking steps likely to worsen it some. If numbers like these were to be published while a Democratic Congress and president were in office, they would be taken by many of us on the right as a blaring alarm and a strong reason to worry. We should take them precisely that way now; there is no excuse for doing otherwise.

 

Trump’s Bid for Spending Cuts Faces GOP Skepticism

Wall Street Journal

A handful of Republican senators have expressed concerns over President Donald Trump’s efforts to roll back some of the $1.3 trillion spending bill signed into law last month, indicating the plan is likely to fizzle on Capitol Hill. Several GOP senators said this week they didn’t support canceling parts of the spending bill, which was the product of months of bipartisan negotiations from the top four congressional leaders.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

Direct flights to Paris – cheap ones – just got closer to Sacramento’s door

Sacramento Bee

Oakland International Airport on Tuesday announced nonstop flights to Paris begin this week on low-cost Norwegian Air with some one-way tickets priced at $180. Airport officials said the airline will offer four flights in each direction weekly, on Tuesdays, Thursdays, Saturdays and Sundays, with discounted fares on return flights as low as $236.

 

Walters: Bullet train colliding with reality

CALmatters

Reality may finally be catching up with the vision – or pipedream – of a 200-mile-per-hour train connecting California’s northern and southern regions. A few weeks ago, the High-Speed Rail Authority released its latest “business plan” that was supposed to tell Californians how the brief stretch of track now being constructed in the San Joaquin Valley can grow into a system stretching from San Francisco and Sacramento in the north to Los Angeles and San Diego in the south.

 

WATER

 

For recent Metropolitan Water District decision regarding “twin tunnels,” See: Top Stories – State Politics.

 

Walters: As climate changes, more dams will be needed

Modesto Bee

The first thing to remember about precipitation in California is that it’s unpredictable, as the past several winters have proved again. Several years of severe drought ended in the 2016-17 winter with near-record rain and snow, filling the state’s badly depleted reservoirs.

 

Westlands Growers Hope Late Season Storms Boost Water Allocations

Valley Public Radio

It wasn’t a “Miracle March” but last month’s spring storms helped turn around what might have been a devastating year for California’s water supplies into one that is merely depressing. But was it too late for many valley farmers?

 

3 Things to Know about California Droughts

Public Policy Institute of California

The erratic weather in recent months—a dry winter followed by “atmospheric rivers” that packed a punch in March and April, capped by a poor report on the state’s snowpack—hasn’t exactly offered a clear picture for drought watchers. In fact, there is no universal definition of when a drought begins or ends. Here are three things about droughts that every Californian should know. Rain, snow, and water in storage are the conditions that define a drought in California.

 

“Xtra”

 

This Fresno teenager let students who can’t afford a prom dress borrow hers

Fresno Bee

With prom season around the corner, one Fresno teenager is making the big night less expensive for students in need. Sophia Bautista, a Clovis West graduate, took to Twitter this week to offer her past prom dresses to students who can’t afford their own.

 

Fresno’s Iris Society gearing up for annual showcase at Sierra Vista Mall

ABC30

Wake up and smell the roses– or irises in this case. Non-profit The Fresno Iris Society is holding their 47th annual showcase this weekend. People are encouraged to come out and enjoy the show, and if you’re an iris enthusiast than this is your time to shine. The show is also accepting flowers for their competition portion. Potted irises will also be on sale.

Chaffee Zoo’s newest attraction Wilderness Falls is gearing up to open

ABC30

Follow your adventurous side to Wilderness Falls at the Fresno Chaffee Zoo opening in a few weeks. When you go to the new attraction you may notice the water flowing and shooting up high. Their kids can cool off and still visit the animals. Executive Director Scott Barton said, “Typically, on a hot summer day people stay away from the park and the zoo because it’s too hot. This gives people a chance, on a hot summer day, come out and play in the water.”

 

EDITORIALS

 

Is the GOP’s balanced budget amendment cynical, hypocritical or both?

Los Angeles Times

As House Republicans prepare to vote this week on a constitutional amendment to require a balanced federal budget, it’s hard to know what adjective to apply: Cynical? Ironic? Hypocritical? Or all of the above? Let’s dispense with the easy part first.

 

Even Republicans should be horrified by Trump’s latest Mueller meltdown

Los Angeles Times

Americans have become accustomed, if not resigned, to the spectacle of the president of the United States attacking his own attorney general and denouncing the investigation into possible collusion by his campaign with Russia as a “witch hunt.”

 

Despite Zuckerberg’s apology, Congress shouldn’t let Facebook off the hook

San Francisco Chronicle

Facebook CEO Mark Zuckerberg’s Tuesday appearance at the U.S. Senate was presumably about Facebook’s plans to protect user privacy in the wake of the Cambridge Analytica scandal. But it quickly became about far more than that.  Many of the senators quickly demonstrated that they didn’t understand Facebook, or the Internet, very well.

 

Democrats and Trump share blame on DACA impasse

OCRegister

While President Trump blames the failure of any emergent DACA fix on the Democrats, a closer look reveals a more complicated situation. Last September, Trump issued an executive order giving Congress six months to come up with a permanent, legislative solution to the situation of the up to 2 million young people who qualified for deferred deportations under President Obama’s Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program.

 

More oversight needed on police militarization

OCRegister

Across the country, state and local law enforcement agencies have acquired equipment that belongs on battlefields, not the streets of America. The unchecked militarization of local police is a disturbing trend that cannot be allowed to continue in a society predicated on limited government. Tanks, grenade launchers, mine-resistant ambush-protected vehicles and other such equipment have been acquired by local police departments and school districts alike, typically via the U.S. Department of Defense’s 1033 program.

 

Cancer-causing coffee? Proposition 65 warnings becoming too common

San Diego Union-Tribune

preliminary decision by Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Elihu M. Berle — that coffee should carry a warning that it is potentially carcinogenic because it has trace amounts of acrylamide — should be maddening to those who care about public health.

When the fight to remove statues become a struggle against history

Los Angeles Times

Five years after President William McKinley was assassinated at the 1901 Pan-American Exposition in Buffalo, N.Y., farmer George Zehnder presented the Northern California city of Arcata with a 8.5-foot-tall statue of the 25th president.

 

 

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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.

                                                      

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