April 20, 2016

20Apr

Political Stories

Top stories

Delta tunnels bill mandating voter approval advance — A California Assembly committee on Tuesday moved to force a public vote on a controversial water conveyance project. The $15.5 billion plan to construct two massive water conveyance tunnels in the heart of California’s water circulatory system has driven the latest round of a decades-long battle over exporting water from wetter Northern California to more populous Southern California. Sacramento Bee articleLA Times articleStockton Record article 

New California gun restrictions clear Senate committee – A California Senate committee advanced five bills Tuesday that its authors say will keep more firearms out of the hands of those who are not allowed to possess them and help reduce the threat of mass shootings. Sacramento Bee articleLA Times articleKQED report

Valley politics

Candidates say Merced County should rethink budget priorities – Candidates running for the District 4 seat on the Board of Supervisors seemed to be in consensus that Merced County needs to rethink its budget priorities and focus on public safety and infrastructure, though views vary on what policies to implement. Merced Sun-Star article

Stockton council District 2 candidates spell out issues — Dan Wright, the Rev. Dwight Williams, businessman Steve Colangelo and San Joaquin County technology supervisor Waqar Rizvi will face each other in district voting June 7. The top two finishers will face each other in the citywide election Nov. 8. Following is a look at the candidates. Stockton Record article

Stockton council District 4 candidates see crime as an issue — Following public interviews in late February, the council appointed Realtor Michael Blower to serve the final 10 months of Zapien’s term. The council chose Blower over three other applicants, including Marcie Bayne and Susan Lenz. Blower, Bayne and Lenz will face each other in district voting June 7. The top two finishers will meet in the citywide election Nov. 8. Following is a look at the candidates. Stockton Record article

Statewide politics/Ballot Measures

Sharp concerns over crowded ballot — California’s clogged, high-stakes November ballot is riveting voters’ attention – and raising fears among those who have to count the votes. Capitol Weekly article 

Alex Padilla urges youth to vote in Visalia visit — California Secretary of State Alex Padilla visited Mt. Whitney High in Visalia on Tuesday to urge students to register to vote. Fresno Bee articleVisalia Times-Delta article
Immigration

Sacramento Bee: A Supreme Court ‘no comment’ in Texas case is not acceptable — Once again, the U.S. Supreme Court seems likely to deadlock on a case of national importance, this one involving illegal immigration, presidential power and states’ authority. No matter how you come down on those questions, we deserve an answer. Sacramento Bee editorial

Apple/FBI

Congress hears more views on iPhone encryption — Encrypted smartphones are piling up in law enforcement lockers, potentially stuffed with evidence that remains out of reach, but the conflict between law enforcement and privacy advocates seems no closer to resolution. McClatchy Newspapers articleNew York Times article

Other areas

Lawmakers approve bill that could require thumbprints from bullet buyers — The California Senate’s Public Safety Committee on Tuesday approved a bill aimed at allowing the state to collect information on those who buy ammunition for firearms. LA Times article (scroll to article)

Uber forcing Democrats to rethink labor rules – Organized labor has always counted on Democrats’ support for issues like raising the minimum wage and paid sick leave. But in the new gig economy, run on apps for companies like Uber and TaskRabbit, the very nature of work is changing. And the new tech-driven workplace could put some Democrats at odds with their friends in the labor movement. KQED report 

Uber and Lyft surge pricing bill dies – An effort by a state senator to regulate surge pricing by Uber, Lyft and other ridesharing companies failed in a Senate committee Tuesday. LA Times article 

Fresno chamber to join CalChamber in targeting ‘job killer’ bills – The California Chamber of Commerce has released its annual list of “job killer” bills currently winding their way through the California Legislature, and the Greater Fresno Area Chamber of Commerce appears poised to join the state organization in opposing the “business unfriendly” legislation. The Business Journal article

Congressman calls for cellphone hacking investigation after ‘60 Minutes’ investigation — U.S. Rep. Ted Lieu (D-California) is asking for a congressional investigation after an episode of “60 Minutes” in which his phone was hacked to show how easy it is. LA Times article

Appeals court favors transgender student in Virginia restroom case — A federal appeals court in Richmond, Va., ruled on Tuesday in favor of a transgender student who was born female and wishes to use the boys’ restroom at his rural Virginia high school. It was the first time a federal appellate court has ruled that Title IX — the federal law that prohibits gender discrimination in schools — protects the rights of students to use the bathroom that corresponds with their gender identity. New York Times article

Trump campaign sets big goals as California primary looms – On the Republican side, Sen. Ted Cruz is thought to have the best-organized ground game in California. But Donald Trump is making his presence known. The campaign recently hired Republican strategist Tim Clark as its state director. And Clark is aiming high. KQED report

Ruben Navarrette: Latinos may have to hold their nose at ballot box — Lately, there is much talk about how Latino voters have so much power. They don’t. Like other Americans, what they have are choices. And, if the immigration debate is any indicator, almost all of them are bad. Navarrette column in Sacramento Bee

California Government Today:

Senate Daily File

Assembly Daily File

News Stories

Top Stories

Chowchilla Brake Parts to cut 40 jobs – Brake Parts, Inc., one of the largest private employers in Chowchilla, will lay off approximately 40 workers over the next several weeks in order to become more competitive by moving production to Mexico, a company official told the Sun-Star on Tuesday. Merced Sun-Star article

Richard Gearhart: Negative impacts of minimum wage hike may be higher in Kern – The assistant professor of economics at CSU Bakersfield writes, “The negative impacts of a minimum wage increase are certainly nowhere near as large as commonly thought; however, they are likely to be much higher in areas such as Kern County, where many more workers work in occupations that tend to be labor-intensive.” Gearhart op-ed in Bakersfield Californian

Jobs and the Economy

Fresno home prices and sales up in March – The spring homebuying season got off to a good start in March with home prices and sales up in most of the central San Joaquin Valley and across the state, according to the California Association of RealtorsFresno Bee article 

Hanford council says ‘no’ to Carnegie funding – The Hanford City Council has decided not to give the Hanford Carnegie Museum $50,000 to act as an agency seeking to bring tourists and visitors to town. Instead, the council wants representatives from the museum, Main Street Hanford and the Hanford Chamber of Commerce to form a downtown revitalization committee to meet regularly, coordinate better and avoid duplicating services. Hanford Sentinel article

California gets split verdict on tax case before U.S. Supreme Court – California’s tax collectors got a split verdict Tuesday from the U.S. Supreme Court in a multimillion-dollar fight with a wealthy computer-chip inventor from Southern California that’s been brewing for a quarter century. Sacramento Bee article

Dan Walters: California’s income tax refugees get shield – If wealthy Californians want to flee the state, there is no question that Nevada is very willing to accept them – and will erect legal barricades to protect them from California’s notoriously aggressive tax collectors. That is the underlying theme of Tuesday’s U.S. Supreme Court decision upholding the legal spanking that Nevada Supreme Court administered to the California Franchise Tax Board for its quarter-century-long pursuit of taxes from one wealthy expatriate. Walters column in Sacramento Bee

California home sales, median price increase in March – California homes notched increases in sales and price in March, hitting a $415,000 median last reached during 2015’s strong summer market. AP article

Sacramento County sees home sales surge in March – Coming on the heels of positive reports from residential real estate offices throughout the area, Sacramento County’s housing market saw strong year-over-year gains in March, according to data released Tuesday by Irvine-based researcher CoreLogic. Sacramento Bee article

6 paid sick days for workers in LA? City Council says yes – Los Angeles workers would be able to earn at least six paid sick days annually — twice the state minimum — under a proposed law that the City Council backed Tuesday. LA Times article

Oil group questions bid to raise pipeline rates 60 percent – California oil producers are challenging a pipeline company’s proposal to increase its rates 60 percent, saying the hikes may be too steep at a time of low petroleum prices. Bakersfield Californian article

Why sporting goods retailers are fumbling — In sports, it’s an asset if you can play multiple positions. If you’re a sporting goods retailer, trying to do it all often ends in defeat. LA Times article

Intel to cut 12,000 jobs as it confronts decline in PCs — Intel says it will cut 12,000 jobs — about 11 percent of its workforce — as it reorganizes to confront a decline in sales of personal computers. The chipmaker said the cuts will include “voluntary and involuntary departures” from its operations around the world. Most of the affected workers will be notified in the next 60 days. AP articleLA Times articleNew York Times article

Yahoo reports falling revenue and a quarterly loss – Yahoo said on Tuesday that its business continued to deteriorate in the first quarter, putting more pressure on the company to find a buyer quickly for its Internet operations. New York Times article 

Merced to welcome no-limit bets, more poker tables – Poker players can expect soon to have no betting limits at the growing number of gaming tables in Merced, which should allow local card rooms to better compete with regional casinos, according to card room owners. Merced Sun-Star article

Give Big Kern: One day fundraising extravaganza for local charities coming May 3 — More than 100 of Kern County’s nonprofit organizations are gearing up this month for Give Big Kern, a one-day fundraiser set for May 3 that aims to drum up as much money as possible for local charities. Bakersfield Californian article

How 4/20 became the pot industry’s Black Friday – Call it Green Wednesday. The April 20 pot-imbibing counterculture holiday simply known as 4/20, which has its roots in the Bay Area, has taken on a more corporate hue as the medical marijuana industry has grown and adult recreational use has become legal in states including Colorado, Washington, Oregon and Alaska. San Francisco Chronicle article 

Joel Fox: Perception is reality for California business — The Milken Institute recently released a report based on its annual California Summit conference dealing with a myriad of state issues. One chapter took the name of a conference panel: Perception vs. Reality: Is California Business Friendly? Fox in Fox & Hounds

Wacky Quesadilla Gorilla truck headed to Fresno — Gourmet quesadillas are headed to Fresno. Visalia-based restaurant Quesadilla Gorilla now has a food truck and is driving it north – and they hope to open a restaurant in Fresno within a year. Fresno Bee article

Horse racing to end at San Joaquin County Fair – Horse racing in Stockton is coming to an end. The California Authority of Racing Fairs has requested to reallocate the San Joaquin County Fair’s race dates from Sept. 21 through Oct. 4 to be run at the Alameda County Fairgrounds in Pleasanton. On Thursday, the California Horse Racing Board will discuss and act on the request. With this action, there is little to no chance horse racing ever will return to Stockton. Stockton Record article

Cheating firefighters lose Cal Fire demotion appeal — The tense relationship between Cal Fire Director Ken Pimlott and the union representing about 6,500 state firefighters he manages just got worse. This time the twist of the labor-relations screw came last week from a State Personnel Board ruling on an unusual case: Three Cal Fire captains who were demoted one rank by Director Ken Pimlott for cheating on an oral exam, then later restored to their former ranks so that they could again be demoted two ranks. Sacramento Bee article

German automakers who once laughed off Elon Musk are now starting to worry — Some in Germany are now, rather belatedly, seeing Tesla as a long-term threat to the pride and joy of the country’s economy: the car industry that employs 750,000 workers and indirectly accounts for 1 in 8 jobs. LA Times article

Agriculture/Water/Drought

Modesto Irrigation District raises farm water prices 20 percent – Modesto-area farmers will pay higher water rates this year, irrigation leaders decided Tuesday after a hearing dominated by a dispute over electricity customers being forced to subsidize farm water prices. Modesto Bee article

Strawberry crop hit hard by rain in Modesto, Merced – Heavy rain more than a week ago resulted in a strawberry shortage throughout the state. Strawberries tolerate some moisture from light spring rains but soakings such as that from the storms the weekend of April 9 rotted nearly all of the strawberries that were ripe for the picking. The Modesto area got more than 2 inches of rain. Modesto Bee article 

Modesto shoppers prefer turning bottle cap to faucet for water — As U.S. consumption of soda continues to fall, sales of water are rising and closing the gap. Yes, sales. Because if shoppers in Modesto are any indication – and apparently, they are – people are snapping up bottled water rather than turning on the faucet more frequently. Modesto Bee article 

Rotary water project to break ground, serve Tulare County residents — Local Rotary clubs, working with Tulare County, Self-Help Enterprises and California Water Service, will break ground on a project to bring water to people living just north of Visalia along Avenue 322 whose residential wells have failed. Visalia Times-Delta article 

Too many water straws in the ground? – Where’s the water? Somebody’s got to ask that question, state Sen. Lois Wolk says, before even more new wells can be drilled in California. Never one to shy away from controversial water policy, Wolk, a Davis Democrat whose district formerly included Stockton, is pushing a bill that would require local agencies to place conditions on new well construction — in some cases, at least. Stockton Record article

Some dairies closing while they still have equity – Jack Mendonsa paid a bargain price for the 88 head of dairy cows he bought Tuesday at the Martin Dairy. But the Delano dairyman wasn’t feeling good about the windfall, because he was among about 40 dairy operators here attending a “complete dispersal” auction of the dairy, in which the owners sold off all 750 head of cattle in their operation. Visalia Times-Delta article

New Calaveras Dam project reaches major milestone — In a significant step for the largest reservoir project in the Bay Area in 20 years, workers have finished building the spillway — a massive concrete channel as wide as eight lanes of freeway and a quarter mile long — at Calaveras Dam near the Alameda-Santa Clara county line. San Jose Mercury News article

Ray Gonzales: As Flint’s water goes, so goes California’s – The retired CSU professor and former assemblymember writes, “We cannot wait. Our water crisis should be treated as an emergency because that’s exactly what it is. The local community is committed to doing its part, but ultimate authority rests with our state’s leaders. They face a stark choice, similar to the decision that confronted Michigan leaders several years ago. Our governor, legislators and water boards can confront the challenge head-on, or they can ignore the evidence all around them, as Flint’s leaders did for so long.” Gonzales op-ed in Bakersfield Californian

Rob Roscoe: State should give Sacramento region a break on water conservation – The general manager of the Sacramento Suburban Water District writes, “Water providers from throughout the Sacramento region will urge the State Water Resources Control Board on Wednesday to release their customers from emergency conservation targets as local water supplies recover from drought. In their place, we will continue local programs to encourage ongoing improvements in water efficiency.” Roscoe op-ed in Sacramento Bee

Criminal Justice/Prisons

Fresno officials to announce rebirth of Central Police District — Fresno city officials on Wednesday will announce the reestablishment of the Central Fresno Policing District. The creation of a substation in Manchester shopping center at Blackstone and Shields avenues will return the number of policing districts in the city to five. Fresno Bee article

Family disputes Stockton police account of relative’s death — The family of a man who died during a disputed struggle with Stockton police officers last month has made a formal request of the department for all records and video footage of the incident subsequent to a possible claim against the city of Stockton. Stockton Record article

New 510-bed jail approved in Tulare County – A San Fernando-based company will build Tulare County’s South County Detention Facility. Bernards Bros. Inc. was awarded the $52.4 million project, scheduled to break ground in June and be completed in two years. Visalia Times-Delta article

Man in Capitol standoff said he wanted to draw attention — The man who barricaded himself in a car Monday in front of the state Capitol said in a jailhouse interview Tuesday that the event was carefully planned to garner attention from the public and media. Sacramento Bee article

LA City Controller says too many LAPD cops are cubicle police; civilians can do that work  – Los Angeles police could better combat crime in the city by freeing more than 400 able-bodied officers from desk jobs and hiring more civilians to perform clerical duties, according to an audit released Tuesday. LA Times article

LAPD shooting of unarmed man in Los Feliz was justified, Police Commission finds — The Los Angeles Police Commission on Tuesday found that officers were justified in shooting an unarmed man in Los Feliz last year who had a towel wrapped around one of his hands. LA Times article

LAPD saw rise in out-of-policy shootings in 2015 — The L.A. Police Commission has been more inclined to find officers out-of-policy for shooting at civilians in recent months.  KPCC report 

Jail guards’ union sues Sheriff Laurie Smith over text messages — The union that represents guards in Santa Clara County’s troubled jails has followed through on a threat to sue Sheriff Laurie Smith, claiming she violated rules meant to protect the peace officers’ personnel records by releasing guards’ text messages — which contained racial slurs — to the media and chair of the jails-improvement commission. San Jose Mercury News article 

When should police release body camera videos? — California lawmakers are renewing a debate about who should have access to the videos from body cameras worn by police officers. Police and civil rights advocates disagree about the use of the footage. Capital Public Radio report

Education 

Modesto City Schools board discusses arming school safety staff – On Monday night, the Modesto City Schools board took up the topic of arming campus staff members. In this case, the district looked at the possibility of arming its safety officers, not teachers, and the staff report did not include a proposal to move forward. But the board got an earful for and against the idea anyway. Modesto Bee article 

Fresno Unified wants leaseback lawsuit dismissed – The Fresno Unified School District wants a judge to dismiss a lawsuit that alleges administrators signed an illegal $37 million no-bid contract. Fresno Bee article

Greater competition for college places mean higher anxiety, too – As the frenzied college application season draws to a close, and students across the country mull their choices, many colleges are trumpeting that it was the most selective year ever. But high school guidance counselors and admissions experts say the heightened competition has turned the process into a anxiety-ridden numbers game. New York Times article

State Sen. Steve Glazer: A new deal to help CSU students graduate on time – The Orinda Democrat writes, “I have introduced Senate Bill 1450, which goes before the Senate Education Committee on Wednesday, to create a groundbreaking opportunity for CSU students to graduate in four years. It sets a goal of meeting the national four-year graduation rate; CSU’s rates are 25 percent below similar universities. It offers financial incentives and program efficiencies, and will allow CSU students to break through the logjam that has left too many students with high debt.” Glazer op-ed in Sacramento Bee 

Republican joins seven legislators calling for Katehi’s resignation – Sen. Joel Anderson, R-Alpine, has added his name to the roster of California lawmakers calling for the resignation of UC Davis Chancellor Linda P.B. Katehi, saying the University of California exists to educate students, not enrich administrators. Sacramento Bee article

Fresno Unified’s University High named among best schools in U.S. – U.S. News & World Report named Fresno’s University High in the top 100 high schools in the country on Tuesday. The report also ranked Clovis North, Edison, Buchanan, Clovis West and Clovis East as the best high schools in the area, in that order. Fresno Bee article

Outdoor programs play supporting role for state’s new science standards — No iPads are allowed in the outdoor education program at Jones Gulch, which sits deep in the woods of San Mateo County, a few miles from the Pacific Ocean and not far from Silicon Valley’s tech giants. Each week of the school year, 200 middle-school students spend four days together at the camp, where they learn to think like scientists in a stunning environment that includes old-growth redwoods and countless slimy banana slugs. EdSource article

Energy/Environment

Alan Nakanishi: Cap-and-trade revenue should go to fix our Valley air – The member of the Lodi City Council and former assemblymember writes, “This week, the Legislature is assessing how to spend $3.1 billion that came into state coffers from farmers, truckers, factories, and other businesses that employ workers throughout the Central Valley. But the proposals so far just look like more pork-barrel spending at the expense of hardworking Californians.” Nakanishi op-ed in Fresno Bee

Lois Henry: Another simplistic look at Kern’s air by Lung Association – The American Lung Association is at it again, giving Kern County a big fat “F” for air quality. But wait, that’s not all. The Lung Association adds to its flim flam bad air grade by breathlessly (ha ha) exclaiming that the air in Bakersfield is “worsening” for both particulate matter and ozone. Oh brother. Henry column in Bakersfield Californian 

Valley’s only hydrogen fuel station opens at Harris Ranch — California business, air quality and energy officials will be in Coalinga on Wednesday afternoon to cut the ribbon on a new location in the state’s nascent system of fueling stations for hydrogen fuel-cell vehicles. Fresno Bee article 

Judge in PG&E criminal trial limits evidence jury can hear – Jurors in the criminal trial of Pacific Gas and Electric Co. can hear evidence about the San Bruno gas pipeline explosion — clearly relevant to the charges that PG&E violated pipeline-safety standards and obstructed justice — but won’t hear some of the most graphic details, like the death and devastation it caused to a neighborhood, or view the wrecked pipe itself, a federal judge has ruled. San Francisco Chronicle article

Turlock Irrigation District votes to seek contracts for low-priced natural gas — The board of the Turlock Irrigation District agreed Tuesday to take advantage of low prices for the natural gas that fuels some of its power plants. TID will seek 10-year contracts that would lock in prices close to today’s, involving enough gas to meet up to 10 percent of current power demand. Modesto Bee article

2016 already showing record global temperatures – This year is off to a record-breaking start for global temperatures. It has been the hottest year to date, with January, February and March each passing marks set in 2015, according to new data from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. March was also the 11th consecutive month to set a record high for temperatures, which agencies started tracking in the 1800s. New York Times article 

Lack of snow made Lake Tahoe murkier last year — The pristine blue waters of Lake Tahoe were murkier last year, and researchers say a lack of mountain snow was likely to blame. Sacramento Bee article

Major earthquake overdue in California’s Eastern Sierra, study finds — Scientists say the Sierra’s eastern front is long overdue for a large earthquake along the California-Nevada line, where a magnitude 7 event expected on average every 30 years hasn’t occurred in six decades. LA Times article 

Energy program spreads through San Joaquin — A program that allows homeowners to pay for energy efficiency upgrades over time, without putting money down upfront, became available on Tuesday to residents living in unincorporated San Joaquin County. Stockton Record article

Health/Human Services 

Nation’s largest health insurer to quit some Obamacare markets – UnitedHealth Group, the nation’s largest health insurer, announced Tuesday that it would stop selling health plans through the Affordable Care Act next year in most of the 34 of states where it operates. LA Times articleMichael Hiltzik column in LA TimesNew York Times article

Covered California weighs new way to insure undocumented immigrants — Covered California officials are looking into a way that the state might be able to offer health insurance coverage to immigrants who are in the U.S. illegally and are now barred from obtaining coverage under the federal Affordable Care Act. KPCC report

Stanislaus County supervisors approve north Modesto site for veterans center – Stanislaus County supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a veterans center in north Modesto, drawing applause from about 30 military veterans in the audience. Modesto Bee article

Sandra Larson: It’s not lung cancer or spider bites: It’s Cocci, and it’s killing – The co-chair of the annual Walk for Valley Fever and member of the Valley Fever Americas board writes, “Can you imagine fighting every day through extreme weakness and pain to care for your children, to go to work, or just to keep breathing? Valley Fever can do that to you. Now imagine the frustration of knowing there is a potential cure sitting on a shelf somewhere just waiting for the dollars needed to produce enough product to test on humans.” Larson op-ed in Bakersfield Californian 

Land Use/Housing

Kern Health Systems no longer interested in city land – After trying to come to terms for six months, Kern Health Systems has let Bakersfield officials know it is no longer interested in buying 5 1Ž2 acres of city land downtown and building new offices for 350 employees there. Bakersfield Californian article

Challenge to assisted living development on Bakersfield council docket — Residents unhappy with last month’s Bakersfield Planning Commission review of a 112-unit assisted living and memory care facility in the northeast will take their case to the Bakersfield City Council on Wednesday night. Bakersfield Californian article

Transportation

Benecia delays decision on oil trains — The city of Benicia on Tuesday postponed until September any decision on a local oil company’s controversial plan to run half-mile-long oil trains through Northern California to its bay side refinery. Sacramento Bee article 

How airlines decide when to kick a passenger off a plane — Airlines have the authority to boot passengers from planes under the contract of carriage, a lengthy agreement between passengers and airlines that includes a section about banned behavior. LA Times article

Other areas 

Kern supervisors return to Havilah – One hundred and fifty years ago Kern County was carved out of three other counties by tough, resourceful pioneers who wanted to govern themselves. On Tuesday county officials celebrated the sesquicentennial of that event in Havilah, the one-time gold rush boom town that served as the first county seat. Bakersfield Californian article 

Kathleen Rowe-Glendon: Experience the joy of Stanislaus’ Special Olympics on Saturday — During the summer of 1968, Eunice Kennedy Shriver and a group of young advocates came up with what was then a novel concept of viewing intellectually disabled people through a positive lens. Instead of focusing on their limitations, they would focus on their potential for growth. Rowe-Glendon column in Modesto Bee

Marcos Breton: Mangan gun debate debacle reflects city’s muddled line of authority — If I was allowed to curse in this column, today would be the day. I would curse bureaucrats in the city of Sacramento for sitting on information that a city-owned gun range is contaminated with dangerous levels of lead. City officials knew this for years and said nothing to the working-class residents near Mangan Park, which is between Sacramento Executive Airport and Fruitridge Road. Breton column in Sacramento Bee

Valley Editorial Roundup

Fresno Bee – It’s time for truth-telling in the U.S.-Saudi relationship.

Sacramento Bee – It’s time for truth-telling in the U.S.-Saudi relationship; Once again, the U.S. Supreme Court seems likely to deadlock on a case of national importance, this one involving illegal immigration, presidential power and states’ authority. No matter how you come down on those questions, we deserve an answer.

Stockton Record – Sikh parade brings a sense of community.

Maddy Events

Sunday, April 24, at 10 a.m. on ABC 30 – Maddy Report: Unintended Consequences: Do Open Meeting Laws Undermine Good Decision Making?”  Guest: California’s Little Hoover Commission Executive Director Carole D’Elia. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director Mark Keppler.

Sunday, April 24, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580 (KMJ) – Maddy Report-Valley Views Edition: “Sunshine (Laws) in the Valley: A Good Thing?” – Guests: UC Merced professor Nate Monroe, former Visalia Times-Delta editor Paul Hurley and Fresno-area attorney and former City Attorney for the City of Fresno. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director Mark Keppler.

Sunday, April 24, at 7:30 a.m. on Fresno Univision 21 (KFTV) and UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy Report: “Higher Education Issues in California” – Guest: Erica Romero, executive director of Hispanic Association of Colleges and Universities. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Deputy Director Ana Melendez.

The Maddy Report airs throughout California on The Cal Channel.  Check http://www.calchannel.com to find the Cal Channel and schedule in your area.  You also can view previous Maddy Report programs in their entirety at http://www.maddyinstitute.org/policy-analysis/the-maddy-report-tv.