TOP POLITICAL STORIES
Valley Politics:
Kevin McCarthy’s name tops House speakership buzz
It looks like Bakersfield’s Kevin McCarthy is going to get another shot at serving as speaker of the House.
See also:
● McCarthy has path to House speaker with Ryan leaving Modesto Bee
● McCarthy, Scalise are likely contenders for House speaker AP
● Conservatives search for Ryan replacement, won’t rule out McCarthy Miami Herald
● Scalise announces $3 million fundraising haul Politico
How Paul Ryan’s retirement will affect California politics
San Francisco Chronicle
House Speaker Paul Ryan’s decision to retire from Congress didn’t just send shock waves through Washington and his home state of Wisconsin. It’s likely to change the political dynamic in California as well.
See also:
● Some Republicans want Ryan out sooner than later Politico
Opinion: Now You’re Free, Paul Ryan. Fire Devin Nunes.
Politico
Ryan has presided over the abrupt destruction of one of Congress’s most important national security functions: intelligence oversight. As the sole person in this country with the ability to rein in or replace the chairman of the House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence (HPSCI), Devin Nunes, Ryan bears ultimate responsibility for Nunes’ bizarre and counterproductive behavior.
After Nunes’ threat, deputy AG relents
Fresno Bee
One day after Rep. Devin Nunes threatened to impeach two of the nation’s top law enforcement officials, saying they were holding back evidence about the FBI’s investigation of the Trump campaign’s possible connections with Russia, the Tulare Republican got what he was seeking.
See also:
● Justice Dept. gives Nunes access to document on Russia probe’s origins, cooling his threat to impeach its leaders Washington Post
● Justice Dept. turns over document that launched Russia probe Politico
FUSD Trustee Brooke Ashjian will not seek re-election
Fresno Bee
Fresno Unified School District trustee Brooke Ashjian will not seek re-election to the board in November, he announced Wednesday. Ashjian said he’s not running for any other office this year and will instead focus on his family, which includes his wife, four children and one grandchild.
See also:
● Brooke Ashjian announces he is not running for re-election to the Fresno Unified School Board ABC30
The new Walmart Supercenter in Fresno is happening, plus four stores get remodeled
Fresno Bee
The new Walmart Supercenter on West Shaw Avenue is scheduled to open later this year, and the company plans to remodel four stores in the central San Joaquin Valley. It also plans to roll out its Walmart pickup towers to stores in California. The West Shaw Walmart store has long been slated to move across Brawley Avenue, into the former Dan Gamel’s Camp America.
See also:
● Walmart to spend millions renovating California stores The Mercury News
Fresno tech growth spearheaded by Geekwise cohorts
The Business Journal
In recent years, the Central Valley tech industry has been growing rapidly, becoming one of the largest hubs in California outside Silicon Valley. Unlike Silicon Valley, however, the scene in Fresno has been standing out not only for innovation, but also for demographics.
Hanford official: Faraday Future sets May 21 target to install assembly lines
The Business Journal
Kings County officials this week traveled to the Southern California town of Gardena to meet with executive staff of Faraday Future as well as company founder Jia Yuetin to help make plans for the startup’s Hanford assembly plant.
Judge candidate will speak April 17
Sierra Star
Carol Moses will be talking about why she is running for Madera County Judge and speaking about the office she is seeking to fill at 6:30 p.m., April 17, at the Oakhurst Grill & the Whiskey 41 Lounge (formerly Yosemite Gateway Restaurant) during a Mountain Area Conservative Forum meeting. Moses is running for Madera County Superior Court Judge Seat No. 2, the seat that is currently held by the Honorable Charles Wieland, who is retiring this summer.
Bakersfield City Council may approve body-worn cameras for police
Bakersfield Californian
The Bakersfield City Council will consider approving a pilot project for the cameras during its Wednesday meeting. If approved, 14 officers and two sergeants with the department’s Special Enforcement Unit would be given the cameras. The project would last one year, starting in July.
Council conduct called to question
Hanford Sentinel
In an early February 2017 meeting, Councilman David Brown requested a review of the current policies that City Council was expected to abide by in order for the new council members, Brown and Councilwoman Holly Blair at the time, to better understand what is expected of them. The council agreed to direct city staff to do further research on the topic with no specific deadline.
Delano police recommending charges against ICE agents in fatal crash
Delano police have requested charges against two Immigration and Customs Enforcement agents who were involved in a chase that ended with two people dead.
See also:
● Delano police ask D.A. to investigate ICE statements about crash that killed 2 Los Angeles Times
State Politics:
Jerry Brown agrees to Trump’s request for a National Guard call-up
Fresno Bee
California Gov. Jerry Brown has agreed to President Donald Trump’s request to put additional National Guard troops on the border with Mexico, though he will limit their involvement with immigration enforcement efforts. Brown, the fourth-term Democrat, announced Wednesday that he would accept federal funding to add 400 California National Guard members to statewide operations on drug smuggling, human trafficking and other organized crime through Sept. 30.
See also:
● Gov. Jerry Brown Agrees To Deploy California National Guard Troops To Mexican Border Capradio.org
● California’s governor agrees to deploy 400 National Guard troops at Trump’s request KCRA3
● Gov. Brown agrees to deploy 400 National Guard troops but not for immigration enforcement ABC30
● Brown agrees to send National Guard troops to Mexico border Politico
● California governor, a frequent Trump critic, agrees to limited National Guard role at Mexico border Washington Post
● Brown’s Bid to Finesse Trump’s Nat’l Guard Plan Calbuzz
Massive Delta tunnels project took a giant step forward – here’s what you need to know
Sacramento Bee
A powerful Southern California water agency voted Tuesday to cover two-thirds of the cost of building the controversial Delta tunnels, in one of the most significant California water actions in decades. If you’re confused about what’s going on, or maybe just need a refresher course, here are some answers to your questions about the $16.7 billion project on Sacramento’s doorstep that just took a giant step closer to reality.
See also:
· California Governor Jerry Brown’s Delta tunnels project still faces obstacles The Sacramento Bee
Jerry Brown endorses a Democrat. That’s a bad sign for the Democrat
San Francisco Chronicle
Gov. Jerry Brown just endorsed Democratic state Sen. Ricardo Lara for state insurance commissioner, and that may be bad news for Democrats. Not the endorsement itself, mind you. In a normal world, there’s nothing unusual about a Democratic governor giving his support to a Democrat running for statewide office. But this is Jerry Brown, the atypical politician who just doesn’t toss out endorsements like strings of beads at Mardi Gras.
PPIC Statewide Survey: Californians and Education
Public Policy Institute of California
The PPIC Statewide Survey delivers objective, advocacy-free information on the perceptions, opinions, and public policy preferences of California residents. PPIC invites input, comments, and suggestions from policy and public opinion experts and from its own advisory committee, but survey methods, questions, and content are determined solely by the PPIC survey team.
See also:
· Poll: Newsom still holds a solid lead in the governor’s race, and Cox remains in second place Los Angeles Times
· Gavin Newsom keeps lead over John Cox in new governor’s poll San Francisco Chronicle
· Education important in CA governor’s race The Sacramento Bee
Netflix CEO Reed Hastings donates $7 million to pro-Villaraigosa group
Los Angeles Times
The move is not surprising — Villaraigosa made waves taking on teachers unions as the mayor of Los Angeles, despite his roots as a labor organizer. Villaraigosa is the most prominent Democrat in California to challenge the teachers unions, a fight he has continued since leaving the mayor’s office in 2013.
Republican governor candidate Travis Allen champions farmers’ need for more water
Fresno Bee
It’s not surprising that Republican candidate for governor Travis Allen has earned the support of farmers in the central San Joaquin Valley. His words are music to their ears. “We need to flood the Central Valley with water,” Allen said Wednesday during a stop in Fresno. “When I drive up and down I-5 I want to see green fields, not a bunch of dirt.”
CALmatters
Cops have a lot of pull in the California Capitol, and over the decades, that’s added up to this startling reality: The Golden State now goes further than many states in terms of protecting police from public scrutiny. It’s a stark contrast to the state’s “left coast” image. On abortion rights, gun control and climate change, California has embraced some of the most liberal policies in the nation.
CA ‘rape kit’ backlog under fire
Capitol Weekly
Thousands of California women who said they were raped gave details of their assaults to investigators and provided critical data in “rape kits” — DNA, wounds, semen, hair, fibers — to identify their attackers. But many of the rape kits were not examined in a timely way, caught in a months-long backlog that has angered some lawmakers and women’s groups.
Elimination of elected fiscal watchdog positions without voter approval erodes democracy
OCRegister
Fiscal responsibility and transparency is at the core of county governments’ role. That responsibility and transparency is called into question when counties propose changing the roles of elected offices to an appointed or consolidated position without voter approval. Few realize that this action threatens the balance of power that is the foundation of democracy and good governance, which is the hallmark of well-managed counties.
California Today: Could the State Weather a Recession?
The New York Times
John Chiang, the state treasurer of California, is a Democrat running to succeed Gov. Jerry Brown. California Today is conducting occasional question-and-answer sessions with candidates for office, and today is Mr. Chiang’s day at the plate. The interview, edited and condensed for clarity, was done for our story on the race.
Federal Politics:
Valley counties stand to suffer in a trade war
Modesto Bee
If President Trump follows through on his trade threats against China, it will open a broad new front in his administration’s war with California, a new study underscores.
See also:
· Trump Looks to Assuage Trade Critics With Farm Package WSJ
· More Than 100 Trade Groups Oppose China Tariff Plans WSJ
Other:
California tool used to squeeze ‘top 500’ tax scofflaws upheld by court
SFGate
California can legally suspend the driver’s licenses of the unhappy members of a state “top 500” list, a federal appeals court said Wednesday in a ruling that applies to a roster of taxpayers who owe the state at least $100,000 and haven’t paid it. Since 2012, state law has required the license suspensions of the top 500 delinquent taxpayers, a list published twice a year.
Zuckerberg, House panelists clash over Facebook data practices
Fresno Bee
Mark Zuckerberg faced two days of grilling before House and Senate committees Tuesday and Wednesday to address Facebook’s privacy issues and the need for more regulation for the social media site.
See also:
● Mark Zuckerberg: Facebook collects data on non-users for ‘security’Business Insider
● Facebook, the Company That Loves Misery WSJ
● In Facebook Hearings, Lawmakers Ramp Up Talk of Regulation WSJ
● Downloaded the Information That Facebook Has on Me. Yikes. The New York Times
● Silicon Valley to Washington: Why Don’t You Get Us? WSJ
● Facebook’s Days as an Unregulated Monopoly May Be Numbered WSJ
● Facebook Says It Won’t Put More Money Into Fighting California Privacy Measure | The California Report KQED News
● Here’s How Much You Are Worth to Facebook in Dollars and Cents KQED
● Facebook to stop spending money against California privacy measure CALmatters
● Skelton: The internet is no longer an infant that needs freedom to innovate — it’s grown into a monster and needs to be restricted Los Angeles Times
The Lost Cause roots of Sinclair’s propaganda (article by Cal State Fresno profs)
The Washington Post
Last week, a mash-up video of dozens of local news anchors denouncing the spread of “biased and false news” and professing a commitment to being “fair, balanced, and factual” went viral. The clip revealed that these Sinclair Broadcast Group journalists were reciting from an identical script.
Kaiser Permanente will start filling the vacuum in gun research with a $2-million study program
Los Angeles Times
The vacuum in gun violence research in America is slowly being filled by independent organizations. The latest to accept the responsibility for studying one of our most pressing public health crises is Kaiser Permanente, the giant healthcare system, which this week announced a $2-million program to study how to prevent gun injuries and deaths.
California parents fear school shootings but don’t want to arm teachers, survey finds
Los Angeles Times
Two months after a gunman killed 17 people at a Florida high school, a new survey finds that most California parents are concerned about the threat of school shootings but that a large majority opposes allowing more teachers and school officials to carry guns on campus.
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
For impact of “trade war” on agriculture, See: Top Stories – Federal, above
For farmers, being creative with water is a way of life
Modesto Bee
Within California’s almond industry, the sufficiency of water and its efficient use is a constant area of focus. After all, almond trees are permanent crops which cannot survive without water year to year, a fact exacerbated in periods of drought. It comes down to two choices: go nuts, if you will, worrying over water or do something creative to improve water efficiency.
Cannabis rules in California: Are some cities trying to regulate away Prop 64?
OCRegister
Cities and counties can’t stop residents 21 and older from consuming cannabis in private. They can’t stop adults from buying and possessing up to an ounce of marijuana. And they can’t completely prohibit residents 21 and older from growing up to six marijuana plants per household, so long as those plants are in a locked area that’s not visible from the street. But state law does say cities can enact and enforce “reasonable” regulations on in-home marijuana cultivation.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
For stories on ”gun control,” See: “Top Stories – Other olitics,” above
Crime:
CA ‘rape kit’ backlog under fire
Capitol Weekly
Thousands of California women who said they were raped gave details of their assaults to investigators and provided critical data in “rape kits” — DNA, wounds, semen, hair, fibers — to identify their attackers. But many of the rape kits were not examined in a timely way, caught in a months-long backlog that has angered some lawmakers and women’s groups.
California news media sue state to make public all portions of executions
Los Angeles Times
California news media organizations sued the state Wednesday to make public all portions of executions, including the preparation of the deadly chemical used for lethal injection. The Times and two Bay Area media outlets said California’s execution protocol “intentionally places critical portions of the execution beyond public observation.”
Washington Post
President Trump signed a bill Wednesday that gives federal and state prosecutors greater power to pursue websites that host sex-trafficking ads and enables victims and state attorneys general to file lawsuits against those sites. Addressing the victims and family members in attendance, the president said, “I’m signing this bill in your honor. … You have endured what no person on Earth should ever have to endure.”
Public Safety:
Bakersfield City Council may approve body-worn cameras for police
Bakersfield Californian
The Bakersfield City Council will consider approving a pilot project for the cameras during its Wednesday meeting. If approved, 14 officers and two sergeants with the department’s Special Enforcement Unit would be given the cameras. The project would last one year, starting in July.
Pushback on proposed law that would limit officers use of force
ABC30
A law proposed in Sacramento would limit when officers could use force. California Assembly Bill 931 would change the current “reasonable force” rule to “necessary force.” “This basically says that lethal force should only be used when it is absolutely necessary to prevent imminent danger to the officer or to some citizen that’s there,” said Assemblymember Shirley Weber (D- San Diego). “If you’re not in imminent danger then you should look at other things that could be used.”
CALmatters
Cops have a lot of pull in the California Capitol, and over the decades, that’s added up to this startling reality: The Golden State now goes further than many states in terms of protecting police from public scrutiny. It’s a stark contrast to the state’s “left coast” image. On abortion rights, gun control and climate change, California has embraced some of the most liberal policies in the nation.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Consumer prices up 2.4 percent over last year
Fresno Bee
U.S. consumer prices rose 2.4 percent in March from a year earlier, the fastest annual pace in 12 months.
California’s economy isn’t just LA and Silicon Valley. We need a statewide strategy
Sacramento Bee
We all feel California is in the driver’s seat. The Golden State has the keys to the most innovative economy in the world, yet we are constantly managing economic crises in housing, poverty, homelessness, and infrastructure. Why are we faced with these ongoing, systemic issues when we are the world leader in innovation and fuel the strongest economic engine in the country?
EDUCATION
K-12:
Education important in CA governor’s race
The Sacramento Bee
An overwhelming majority of Californians say K-12 education is important to them in the 2018 governor’s race, but only slightly more than half are paying close attention to news about the candidates.
See also:
· Walters: California again ranks low in academic testing CALmatters
FUSD Trustee Brooke Ashjian will not seek re-election
Fresno Bee
Fresno Unified School District trustee Brooke Ashjian will not seek re-election to the board in November, he announced Wednesday. Ashjian said he’s not running for any other office this year and will instead focus on his family, which includes his wife, four children and one grandchild. “If I ran again, I would win,” Ashjian said.
See also:
● Brooke Ashjian announces he is not running for re-election to the Fresno Unified School Board ABC30
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.
Fresno Unified Board accepting list of names for new school
ABC30
The Fresno Unified Board of Trustees will be accepting the list of names for a new elementary school at Wednesday nights meetings. The names were submitted through a public survey promoted on the districts website and social media. The survey was available to the public for 30 days. The chosen name will be given to the districts new Southeast Elementary school.
Camarena Health expands to Madera South High
Madera Tribune
Although rain was in the forecast, it didn’t dampen the spirits of the constellation of community leaders who gathered at Madera South High School Friday to celebrate the opening of the Camarena School Based Health Center.
YUSD will not seek bond measure, for now
Sierra Star
After assessing the findings of a phone survey of 400 property owners in the district, the Yosemite Unified School District at this time will not be placing a bond measure on the November ballot.
The feds are on the wrong train to better schools. California needs to get off
Sacramento Bee
Congress reauthorized the Elementary and Secondary Education Act at the end of 2015, to almost universal surprise and relief. The law abandoned some of the worst ideas of No Child Left Behind, freeing California and other states to design more flexible policies on school accountability. Sadly, Congress held on to one really bad idea.
California parents fear school shootings but don’t want to arm teachers, survey finds
Los Angeles Times
Two months after a gunman killed 17 people at a Florida high school, a new survey finds that most California parents are concerned about the threat of school shootings but that a large majority opposes allowing more teachers and school officials to carry guns on campus.
Testimony: How an Integrated Data System Could Improve Education
Public Policy Institute of California
Right now, educational institutions and government agencies already collect plenty of data. However, these data sources remain largely separate—which prevents the state from understanding how students move across educational institutions and into the workforce. Below are three key considerations in thinking about the potential value of an integrated data system.
California’s largest virtual charter school network agrees to contract with its teachers
Los Angeles Times
Nearly four years after teachers at California’s largest online charter school voted to unionize, they have reached a deal to increase pay and create job protections, according to a spokesman for the California Teachers Assn.
In California, The First Union Forms At A Virtual Charter School
NPR
West Virginia. Oklahoma. Arizona. Teachers are organizing for better working conditions all over the country. And now in California, a group of teachers announced today that they are forming the first union for an online charter school.
See also:
● Strike avoided: Teachers at California online charter schools reach landmark union agreement with K12 Inc. Washington Post
The Atlantic
In the early ‘90s, a New Zealand man named Neil Fleming decided to sort through something that had puzzled him during his time monitoring classrooms as a school inspector. In the course of watching 9,000 different classes, he noticed that only some teachers were able to reach each and every one of their students. What were they doing differently?
Higher Ed:
EdSource
A plan to expand the state’s community college system to include a new online college would be a dramatic expansion in online education aimed at a segment of the labor force that higher education has not traditionally served, Gov. Jerry Brown contends.
Guaranteed transfer path from community college to University of California announced
EdSource
More California community college students are expected to transfer to the University of California — and face fewer hassles along the way — starting in fall 2019 as the result of a new agreement between the two education systems. Community college students who complete existing sequences of courses — known as pathways — that make it easier to transfer into particular majors at UC’s nine undergraduate campuses will be guaranteed a spot somewhere in UC if their grades are high enough, under the plan announced Wednesday.
Blackface Leads to Fraternity Suspension at Cal Poly
New York Times
A fraternity at California Polytechnic State University was sanctioned by its national organization on Tuesday after students dressed as gang members, including one in blackface, during the college’s annual multicultural event over the weekend. Photos first surfaced online on Sunday showing white students from Lambda Chi Alpha outside their fraternity house wearing baggy jeans, gold necklaces and bandanas as they flashed fake gang signs.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
America’s Most Powerful Car Regulator Isn’t Going to Stop for Trump
Bloomberg
Mary Nichols, California’s top air regulator, is gearing up for a battle with the Trump administration over the future of U.S. auto pollution standards. Scott Pruitt, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said last weekthat emission targets previously agreed to by California and the auto industry are too stringent and should be revised. Pruitt also said it was considering whether to revoke a waiver that has allowed California to set its own, tougher standards and push for the adoption of electric cars.
The big one is coming to California, seismologist Lucy Jones says cheerfully
Los Angeles Times
“I’m an inherent optimist,” says earthquake expert Lucy Jones. Sitting in her bright, tidy office at Caltech, the world-renowned seismologist does not betray a shred of irony at this admission, despite how surprising it may seem coming from a woman who asserts in no uncertain terms that Southern California is headed for a devastating magnitude 7.5 to 8.2 earthquake — it’s only a matter of time, she says.
Energy:
New solar project could come to Kings County
Hanford Sentinel
A huge solar project to be located in Kings County is in the planning stages, and developers are happy to possibly be coming back to the area. Recurrent Energy, a project developer for solar and energy storage systems, is in talks with the county for a multi-year project, said Kelley Vendeland, director of marketing and communications for the company.
California offshore oil firms hit with nearly 400 violations
The Bakersfield Californian
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 showed state violations ranging from severe corrosion to failed and missing tests required to gauge the strength of wells. No civil penalties were issued for any of the violations, according to a spokesman for the state agency responsible for overseeing oil operations.
See also:
● Oil company with checkered history hit with $12.5M fine San Francisco Chronicle
● California oil company with checkered past hit with $12.5M fine KCRA Sacramento
● California oil firms have had nearly 400 violations since 2015, reports show 89.3 KPCC
● Oil Prices Hit Three-Year High on Geopolitical Risk WSJ
● Oil ‘is killing us.’ Activists call on Jerry Brown to halt California drilling Sacramento Bee
● Gov. Brown urged to phase out state’s fossil-fuel industry San Francisco Chronicle
Facing Widespread Opposition, Lawmaker Ends Effort to Increase Refinery Penalties
KQED
State Sen. Bill Dodd, D-Napa, is dropping a bill that would have tripled fines for refineries that violate air quality laws amid opposition from the oil industry, at least two Bay Area mayors, the region’s air regulators and environmentalists. Dodd’s proposal was prompted by recent incidents at Benicia’s Valero refinery andPhillips 66 in Rodeo that led to large pollution releases, illnesses, evacuations and shelter-in-place orders.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Camarena Health expands to Madera South High
Madera Tribune
Although rain was in the forecast, it didn’t dampen the spirits of the constellation of community leaders who gathered at Madera South High School Friday to celebrate the opening of the Camarena School Based Health Center.
California bill would create health care price controls
The Business Journal
California’s government would set prices for hospital stays, doctor visits and other health care services under legislation introduced Monday, vastly remaking the industry in a bid to lower health care costs. The proposal, which drew swift opposition from the health care industry, comes amid a fierce debate in California as activists on the left push aggressively for a system that would provide government-funded insurance for everyone in the state.
A case for charitable health care
Capitol Weekly
If it becomes law, SB 1156 will harm some of California’s most at-risk residents — low-income, disproportionately minority dialysis and transplant patients who depend on charitable assistance to afford their health care.
Human Services:
Most Working-Age SNAP Participants Work, But Often in Unstable Jobs
Center on Budget and Policy Priorities
SNAP (formerly known as the Food Stamp Program) helps millions of Americans put food on the table each month. While two-thirds of participants are children, elderly, and people with disabilities, who are not expected to work, SNAP also helps workers, both to supplement low wages and support them when they are between jobs.
Los Angeles Times
The Trump administration is considering a plan that would allow states to require certain food stamp recipients to undergo drug testing, handing a win to conservatives who’ve long sought ways to curb the safety-net program. The proposal under review would be narrowly targeted, applying mostly to people who are able-bodied, without dependents and applying for some specialized jobs, according to an administration official briefed on the plan.
See also:
● Trump considering drug testing plan for food stamp recipients The Hill
IMMIGRATION
Delano police ask D.A. to investigate ICE statements about crash that killed 2
Los Angeles Times
The Delano Police Department has forwarded a report to the Kern County district attorney’s office asking prosecutors to review whether federal immigration agents gave false information to police investigating a traffic crash that killed a couple who were in the country illegally.
Newport Beach is the latest city to fight California ‘sanctuary state’ law
Los Angeles Times
The Newport Beach City Council unanimously passed a resolution Tuesday night opposing California’s key “sanctuary state” law and said it might follow up with a court brief supporting a federal lawsuit against recently enacted policies that aim to expand protections for people in the United States illegally.
See also:
● Orange, Newport Beach join other Orange County cities opposing California sanctuary law OCRegister
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
These 1910 homes hosted punk rockers and poets. They were just spared from demolition
Sacramento Bee
A century before the dog parks and the coffee shops and the high-end condos started popping up around midtown Sacramento, a bartender by the name of Alex Fourness built a home near the corner of 21st and Q streets. There wasn’t anything unusual about the home – it looked a lot like many of the other houses built around 1910 in that part of town.
Housing:
A change to California’s housing supply law could spur a big expansion in home building
Los Angeles Times
A Bay Area lawmaker’s housing proposal could expand the size and scope of home building efforts in California at an unprecedented scale. The legislation, Senate Bill 828, from state Sen. Scott Wiener (D-San Francisco), would require cities and counties to rezone land in their communities to permit many more homes than are currently in their plans.
PUBLIC FINANCES
Earned Income Tax Credits in California
Public Policy Institute of California
Earned Income Tax Credits assist low and moderate income workers. The federal and state Earned Income Tax Credits (EITC) are designed to boost earnings, especially among families with children, by reducing taxes or providing refunds to filers who do not owe taxes.
Retirement Debt: What’s the problem and how does it affect you? | CALmatters
Across California, the cost of retirement benefits for public employees remains untamed. The total cost to state and local governments as well as schools and colleges has more than tripled since 2003—and projections indicate the burden in coming years will continue to grow.
See also:
· ‘We are disappointed at the continued unbalanced coverage’ (on public employee pensions) CALmatters
· Mounting Headlines are Fuel for Pension Reform Movement Fox and Hounds Daily
CalPERS weighs push for sexual-harassment corporate disclosure
OCRegister
The California Public Employees’ Retirement System, the largest U.S. pension fund, is weighing a policy to urge companies in which it invests to disclose sexual-harassment settlements. The pension system, which has about $350 billion in assets, would add the language to its corporate-governance policy amid growing fallout from the #MeToo movement, which has led to the ouster of executives who engaged in sexual misconduct and reached secret settlements in entertainment, travel and the news media among other industries.
CBO Warns Lawmakers That Interest Payments Will Outpace Military Spending by 2023
Bloomberg
The head of the Congressional Budget Office warned lawmakers that the U.S. government is on track to pay more to its creditors than on its own military, as interest rates and debt levels continue to climb.
TRANSPORTATION
One way delays on 41 stretch from Oakhurst to the San Joaquin River for two months
Sierra Star
The California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) in cooperation with Cal Stripe, Inc. has announced one-way traffic control over the next two months on Highway 41 between Oakhurst and the San Joaquin River and on Highway 49. Starting next week, the one-way traffic control will be in effect Sunday night through Thursday night between the hours of 6 p.m. and 6 a.m., with delays of up to 15 minutes. Depending on traffic volumes, delays may extend longer.
I-5 is ‘falling apart’ and a massive fix is coming. Drivers, buckle up.
Sacramento Bee
On a rainy morning two years ago, a Federal Express truck slid across three lanes of Interstate 5, vaulted the center divider and smashed a pickup truck, killing an Elk Grove man. The crash set off alarm bells at Caltrans. Tests showed some portions of I-5 in south Sacramento no longer provided minimal grip for tires.
Walters: New high-speed rail plan: Experts see ‘little prospect’ one part will ever work
The Mercury News
Reality may finally be catching up with the vision – or pipedream – of a 200-mph 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.
City Council approves long-awaited people mover to LAX
Los Angeles Times
Within five years, the defining experience of traveling in and out of LAX could change, as the city moves forward on an ambitious and long-awaited transit project that will connect the airport to Los Angeles County’s growing mass transit system.
DMV officials: Self-driving car regulations will continue to evolve
San Francisco Chronicle
California lawmakers wanted rules of the road for self-driving cars. So in 2012 they asked the state Department of Motor Vehicles to write them, making the state among the first to officially green-light autonomous cars. Brian Soublet, 59, DMV deputy director and general counsel, and Bernard Soriano, 55, DMV deputy director, took on the challenge of crafting regulations for what still seemed like a sci-fi invention.
America’s Most Powerful Car Regulator Isn’t Going to Stop for Trump
Bloomberg
Mary Nichols, California’s top air regulator, is gearing up for a battle with the Trump administration over the future of U.S. auto pollution standards. Scott Pruitt, administrator of the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, said last weekthat emission targets previously agreed to by California and the auto industry are too stringent and should be revised. Pruitt also said it was considering whether to revoke a waiver that has allowed California to set its own, tougher standards and push for the adoption of electric cars.
WATER
For information on the “twin tunnels” project, See: Top Stories – State Politics, above
Report to the Madera City Council on water rate costs
Madera Tribune
Because the impetus for my review was partially initiated as the result of criticism of City of Madera’s Water Rates and related complaints that total Management & Administrative Overhead “Cost Allocation” to Enterprise Funds such as Water Rates were excessive, my review focused on the actual categories or “cost centers” that constitute the City’s Total Water Services Cost Expenditures. My findings may be summarized as follows.
For farmers, being creative with water is a way of life
Modesto Bee
Within California’s almond industry, the sufficiency of water and its efficient use is a constant area of focus. After all, almond trees are permanent crops which cannot survive without water year to year, a fact exacerbated in periods of drought. It comes down to two choices: go nuts, if you will, worrying over water or do something creative to improve water efficiency.
“Xtra”
Journalist and activist Maria Shriver to speak at Fresno women’s conference
Fresno Bee
Journalist and activist Maria Shriver, who was once first lady of California, will be the keynote speaker at the 31st annual Central California Women’s Conferenceon Sept. 25 in Fresno.
Restaurants host Tip-A-Cop/Special Olympics fundraisers
The Mercury News
There’s good reason to tip lavishly at these upcoming restaurant fundraisers. Law enforcement officers will be waiting on tables — and doing it for a good cause. Called Tip-A-Cop, the events will raise money for the Special Olympics of Northern California via the Law Enforcement Torch Run and other benefits. Here’s a roundup.
Much ado about Second Saturday? Don’t mind if we do
It’s not just the weather that’s heating up. Second Saturday, the monthly gathering promoting businesses and activities downtown, is bringing a fresh lineup of fun, from blowouts to free yoga, movie screening and discounts galore.
Spring awakening at local theaters
Theatrically, there is an embarrassment of riches this weekend in Bakersfield. Three shows are opening at community theaters and Cal State Bakersfield is presenting its showcase of student playwrights and directors. That’s in addition to two other shows already playing.
EDITORIALS
The delta tunnels plan is costly, risky and unfair to L.A. It’s also the right thing to do
Los Angeles Times
In voting Tuesday to pay two-thirds of the cost of building two tunnels to divert river water around the Sacramento-San Joaquin River Delta and direct it southward, the Southern California Metropolitan Water District’s board bought into a plan that’s costly, risky, uncertain and unfair. And it is taking its ratepayers with it, because they will have to shoulder the costs on their water bills.
Voter intent on Proposition 1 was clear as water, but the state’s bogged down in mud
OCRegister
Nearly four years ago, in the midst of the worst drought in recent memory, California voters approved a $7.5 billion water bond measure that allocated $2.7 billion for water storage — dams and reservoirs, for example. Yet the funding for projects has been held up. The staff of the California Water Commissiondoesn’t think the projects submitted provide “public benefits” of sufficient value to justify their cost. File this under “Only in California,” and not in a good way.
Floating new water bonds on 2018’s ballots
OCRegister
Busy as they are with their lives, California citizens can probably only be asked to concentrate on one part of the state’s prismatic double-rainbow of water issues at a time. When it was the killer drought, it was pretty much only the drought, until a rainy mid-winter of 2017 got us off the hook, sort of. This rainy season, when it finally came, was only a drop or two above plunging us back into formally defined drought, and the Sierra snowpack is still lousy.
Gov. Brown has sensible approach to National Guard at border
The San Diego Union-Tribune
Faced with an either-or choice, Gov. Jerry Brown chose a smarter third option to de-escalate a feud between California and the federal government over immigration: He will send National Guard members to the southern border — but with restrictions. In so doing, Brown likely appeased President Donald Trump in a way that could seem reasonable to groups like the San Diego Regional Chamber of Commerce and The San Diego Union-Tribune Editorial Board, which urged Brown to reject Trump’s deployment request because of open questions.
WSJ
A common refrain from businesses is that they can’t find enough workers. The unemployment rate is a low 4.1%, but one reason for the shortage are government benefits that corrode a culture of work. So credit to House Republicans for trying to fix disincentives in food stamps amid what are sure to be nasty and dishonest attacks.
WSJ
Members of Congress took turns lashing Mark Zuckerberg this week for Facebook’s myriad screw-ups. The CEO showed contrition, but his apologia has raised important questions about the government’s failures.