Political Stories
Top stories
Costa, Valadao pile up congressional campaign cash; opponents lag – Incumbent congressmen Jim Costa and David Valadao are totally dominating their respective races in fundraising, newly released campaign finance reports show. It’s not even close between them and their challengers. Fresno Bee article
California doctors’ lobbying group formally backs marijuana legalization — California Medical Association, the influential lobbying group representing more than 40,000 members statewide, has officially thrown its support behind a proposed November ballot initiative to legalize recreational marijuana. Sacramento Bee article; LA Times article
Dan Walters: Gas prices drop, gas taxes also – Meanwhile, as high as California’s fuel taxes may be, there’s a simmering debate in the Capitol over whether they should be raised to reduce a backlog of much-needed roadway repairs and/or whether gallonage taxes should be scrapped altogether in favor of mileage-based levies that would hit electric and hybrid car owners. Walters column in Sacramento Bee
State budget
Joel Fox: Lack of knowledge by budget decision makers … the voters — Which area of government gets the most money in the California General Fund budget? Not a trick question. I’d guess that nearly all of my readers know that the answer is K-12 education. But… most Californians cannot answer that question correctly. Fox in Fox & Hounds
Gov. Brown
Jim Mayer: Sentencing reform and redemption, California style – The president and CEO of California Forward writes, “Jerry Brown’s push for sentencing reform is the latest great example of Brown doing what most experts and practitioners know to be the right thing—and the willingness of an aging and experienced governor to learn from and correct his mistakes.” Mayer in California Forward
Valley politics
Election Notebook: Local congressmen lead in fundraising, McCarthy picks up a challenger — New congressional fundraising totals are out and Bakersfield’s incumbents, not surprisingly, are way out ahead of the competition so far. They also show that House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy, R-Bakersfield, has picked up a challenger: Wendy Reed of Quartz Hill, Calif., west of Lancaster in Los Angeles County. Bakersfield Californian article
Statewide politics/Ballot Measure
Here’s how marijuana legalization would work in California – California was the first state to allow medical marijuana. Now, two decades later, voters are expected to be asked whether to legalize recreational use of the drug. The legalization measure most likely to qualify for the statewide November ballot is the product of months of negotiations between groups with varying interests, from drug-law reformers, to growers and distributors, to famous financiers and politicians. Here’s a primer. Sacramento Bee article
Senate fundraising reports confirm Kamala Harris is the one to beat – A cursory look at fundraising data from the fourth quarter of 2015 confirms what polls and endorsements have shown from the start: California’s attorney general, Democrat Kamala Harris, is the person to beat in the race to replace retiring U.S. Senator Barbara Boxer. KQED report
Loretta Sanchez, running for U.S. Senate, unloads old campaign headquarters — Four years ago, Rep. Loretta Sanchez took the unusual step of purchasing her campaign headquarters, figuratively putting down roots in her native Anaheim. Now as she campaigns for the U.S. Senate, Sanchez has decided that the 2,100-square-foot office, for which she paid $415,000, is no longer necessary. Sacramento Bee article
Senate hopeful Sundheim brings listening tour to Stockton – Although he is running for United States senator on the Republican ticket, Duf Sundheim said his campaign is not an “us versus them” cause, or a left against right issue. Instead, it’s about bringing people together from across the political aisles to work together and find solutions to the issues facing California today. Stockton Record article
Introducing Prop 50, California’s lone June statewide ballot measure — The Secretary of State’s office has assigned a ballot number to the only statewide measure in California’s June primary election. Proposition 50 would allow either house of the state Legislature to suspend members – with or without pay – by a two-thirds vote. Capital Public Radio report
Immigration
Inside Look: Undocumented workers employed in the shadows of restaurants — Marcos Murillo was lured by the American dream. When he left Chiapas, Mexico he promised his five siblings and his mom, who were living in a single room shack without electricity, that he’d send money from the other side of the U.S. border. Capital Public Radio report
Central American women seeking refuge from abuse — A high percentage of the women seeking asylum from El Salvador, Guatemala and Honduras are basing their claims on domestic or sexual violence, according to lawyers and advocates. They say their personal suffering sets them apart from others who crossed the U.S.-Mexico border illegally over the past two years – and qualifies them to be protected under laws originally passed to shelter foreigners facing political, religious or social persecution. Washington Post article
Lacking legal help, asylum-seeking migrants often deported — New data show the vast majority of women with children seeking refuge in the U.S. who were ordered deported in the last year and a half never had a lawyer. One of those women was 21-year-old María Pérez, who escaped violence in her town in Mexico and in her home. She applied for asylum, but due to confusion missed an all-important court date. KQED report
Other areas
Oil companies doled out big donations in climate change fight – Oil companies that convinced California lawmakers last year to abandon part of a landmark bill to fight climate change donated more than $250,000 to their campaigns for re-election in the second half of 2015 — with more money going to Democrats than Republicans. San Jose Mercury News article
Angelique Ashby gets Metro Chamber endorsement in Sacramento mayor’s race, Darrell Steinberg tops 2015 mayoral fundraising– Sacramento Councilwoman Angelique Ashby has secured the mayoral endorsement of the influential Sacramento Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce, she announced Monday. Ashby also has the support of the city’s police and firefighter unions. Sacramento Bee article
Garcetti reelection fundraising slows in second half of 2015 — Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti raised about $7,300 toward his reelection campaign during the second half of 2015, bringing his campaign war chest to more than $2.23 million, according to a report his campaign is filing with city officials Monday. LA Times article
Former top California Assembly staff member announces big lobbying contracts — A former top aide to Assembly leadership announced a list of blue-chip advocacy clients on Monday, becoming the latest ex-staff member to walk the well-worn path between the California Legislature and its lobbying corps. Sacramento Bee article
Cathleen Decker: A dramatically reshaped presidential race drives into New Hampshire — The dramatic results of Monday’s Iowa caucuses thrust the presidential contest forward to a state that promises a wildly different eight-day battle for its contrarian but deeply political voters. Decker in LA Times
California Government Today:
News Stories
Top Stories
Brookings Institution: Fresno reflect unevenness of five-year recession recovery – Fresno experienced modest growth in jobs and average wages during five years of economic recovery through 2014. But a report by the Brookings Institution indicates that the effects of the recovery have tended to benefit people with higher incomes, and whites to a greater degree than people of color. Fresno Bee article
Stockton water forum delivers mixed messages — Erin Brockovich entered stage right and applause erupted in the jammed auditorium. “Thank you for hearing our voices,” a lone local resident shouted out. The crowd, estimated by Mayor Anthony Silva at more than 1,200, filled every nook and cranny Monday night in San Joaquin Delta College’s Atherton Auditorium. The focus was drinking water and the use of chloramines in north Stockton to disinfect it. Stockton Record article; ‘Fact check: How town hall claims stack up’ in Stockton Record
Jobs and the Economy
Amgen Tour cyclists could spend the night in Modesto – The City Council will consider at its Tuesday meeting allocating $75,000 from Modesto’s general fund to pay for hotel rooms, dinner and breakfast, and free parking for 350 riders and team members and enter into an agreement with AEG, the global sports and entertainment company that owns and operates the tour. Modesto Bee article
Oakland mayor Schaaf says Raiders want lease extension — With the Raiders’ chances of moving to Los Angeles having renewed hope, Oakland mayor Libby Schaff said the team’s focus seems to be geared on securing a lease extension at O.co Coliseum. Contra Costa Times article
Mark Davis says he wants his Raiders to play in Oakland this year – Raiders owner Mark Davis told The Chronicle on Monday that his “No. 1 plan” is to stay in Oakland for the 2016 season — and that the Las Vegas option is not viable this year. San Francisco Chronicle article
Paul Loeffler: Raiders’ next move should be home … to the Valley – The play-by-play announcer of Fresno State athletics and founder/vice president of the Central Valley Honor Flight writes, “San Antonio has the Alamo, the Spurs and the River Walk. Vegas dazzles with the bright lights of the Strip. But the San Joaquin Valley can deliver something no other location can: the most loyal legion of fans this franchise has ever known.” Loeffler op-ed in Fresno Bee
Amy Trask confident deal could be made to keep Raiders in Oakland – Amy Trask might be working for CBS these days, but a piece of her heart remains in Oakland. The former Raiders CEO said she’s hopeful the NFL team will work out a deal to remain in the Bay Area, and that the site of O.co Coliseum is the perfect spot to build a new home. Oakland Tribune article
California is sixth least dependent state on gun industry — The gun industry contributed nearly $43 billion to the national economy in 2014 according to the National Shooting Sports Foundation, accounting for more than 263,000 jobs paying about $13.7 billion in total wages, according to a report from the National Shooting Sports Foundation. But according to website WalletHub.com, an online clearinghouse for financial products, California is the nation’s sixth least dependent state on the gun industry. Bakersfield Californian article
LA 2024 officials try to impress IOC President Thomas Bach during tour of LA – Los Angeles represented the final stop in Bach’s tour of four cities — including Paris, Rome and Budapest — that are bidding to host the 2024 Summer Games. LA 2024 officials wanted to make an impression. LA Times article
Alphabet comes before Apple as world’s most valuable company – Alphabet now comes before Apple atop the list of the world’s most valuable companies. The shift occurred in Monday’s extended trading after Alphabet, Google’s new parent company, released a fourth-quarter earnings report that highlighted the robust growth of the digital ad market. Apple Inc.’s iPhone, meanwhile, is suffering its first downturn since it debuted eight years ago. AP article; LA Times article
Aerojet will have to restate earnings – Aerojet Rockdyne Holdings Inc. said Monday it will have to restate earnings for a series of quarters stretching back to 2013 because of accounting issues regarding its purchase of the Rocketdyne business. Sacramento Bee article
Siemens adding rail services center in McClellan Park — Siemens on Monday announced that it is expanding its Sacramento footprint with a 60,000-square-foot plant dedicated to its growing rail service, maintenance and repair operations. Sacramento Bee article
Madera pistachio company recalls nuts — Braga Organic Farms of Madera is voluntarily recalling select packages of pistachios because of the potential for salmonella. Fresno Bee article
Agriculture/Water/Drought
California weighs extending drought conservation orders – Following a welcomed parade of El Nino storms drenching drought-stricken California, state officials on Tuesday will decide whether to extend emergency conservation orders, and reveal how much water Californians saved in December. AP article
Reservoirs filling slowly, Sierra snowpack above normal — The second Sierra snowpack measurement of the winter is Tuesday. January has brought much needed snow, but February may start a bit more slowly. It was the best month for snowpack in January since 2011. And the statewide snowpack is above normal. Capital Public Radio report
Winter storm brings rainfall closer to average – Porterville topped the list of Valley cities with more than 1.5 inches over the weekend. Fresno had just over an inch and Visalia came close with .91 inches. Tulare rainfall totals came in around .77 inches. Visalia Times-Delta article
El Nino: It’s one for the books – but not behaving as expected – The prospect of an El Niño event in the Pacific Ocean always generates a stew of excitement, dread, and speculation in California. This largely stems from the fact that two of California’s wettest winters on record — 1982-1983 and 1997-1998 — occurred during the strongest El Niño years in living memory. The popular perception that El Niño always brings a lot of water to the Golden State, though, is not particularly accurate. KQED report
Buoyed by recent rains, Folsom Lake levels triple – Following a month of persistent rain and snow in Northern California, lake levels are triple what they were in early December, and the reservoir contains more water than average for early February. Sacramento Bee article
San Francisco had more rain this January than the past 5 combined — San Francisco recorded an impressive 6.94 inches of rain during the month, far above the 4.5 inches it averages in January and the most the city has seen in any January since 2008, according to Golden Gate Weather Services. San Francisco Chronicle article
Snow tops peaks on west side of central San Joaquin Valley, affects national park access – The prodigious storm that brought nearly an inch of rain to Fresno on Sunday left another gift overnight – snow along ridges on the west side of the central San Joaquin Valley. The snow level dropped to below 2,000 feet overnight as the cold storm moved through the area, said Modesto Vasquez, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service office in Hanford. Fresno Bee article
Drought’s harm to forests more severe than feared, study finds – Worsening drought conditions may be doing more damage to forests in California and throughout the West than their ecosystems can handle, causing a spiral of death that could have a devastating impact, a U.S. Forest Service study concluded Monday. San Francisco Chronicle article
Robbie Hunter: Obstructionism will destroy our precious Delta – The president of the State Building and Construction Trades Council of California writes, “Californians can’t afford to sit back and allow groups such as Restore the Delta to continue to be obstructionist while our water supplies continue to dwindle, communities suffer and the Delta’s environment continues to degrade. It’s time to move forward with the California WaterFix.” Hunter op-ed in Sacramento Bee
Only 3 percent of juvenile salmon survived California drought in 2015 — Only 3 percent of the juveniles of an endangered salmon species survived the drought along the Sacramento River in 2015 despite extraordinary efforts by federal and state officials to save them, federal officials said Monday. Sacramento Bee article; San Francisco Chronicle article
Criminal Justice/Prisons
Orange County jail fugitives abducted cab driver, argued over killing him, officials say — The three men who escaped from an Orange County jail Jan. 22 held a cabdriver hostage for several days, and an argument over whether or not to kill the man may have prompted one of the fugitives to surrender, sheriff’s officials said Monday. LA Times article; New York Times article
Kings County settles deputy-involved fatal shooting for $875,000 – Kings County has paid $875,000 to the family of a Hanford-area man who was fatally shot by a sheriff’s deputy after the man allegedly charged at a deputy with a golf club inside the family’s home more than three years ago. Fresno Bee article
Little court movement in drug-trafficking case against former Fresno deputy police chief, others defendants – Nearly a year after former Fresno police Deputy Chief Keith Foster and six others were indicted on drug-trafficking charges, a date for their federal trial is far from certain. Fresno Bee article
Erika D. Smith: Freeing prisoners is only half the battle – Second chances are great, but true rehabilitation is a lot more complicated than a ballot initiative. Smith column in Sacramento Bee
Two new Stockton police officers sworn in – Two recent academy graduates were welcomed Monday into the ranks of the Stockton Police Department, bringing the agency’s number of sworn officers to 395. The department was last at that number in September but lost a number of officers to retirement and attrition in subsequent months. It hopes to meet its target of 445 sworn officers by July with several recruits now in the pipeline. Stockton Record article
Ripon considered 10th safest city in state – While San Joaquin County cities such as Stockton and Lodi have experienced various spates of violent crime in recent weeks, a neighboring community to the south is enjoying praise for its safe atmosphere. The website backgroundchecks.org on Monday declared Ripon the 10th safest city in California. Stockton Record article
Justice Department promises ‘exhaustive’ review of San Francisco police – The U.S. Justice Department promised an “exhaustive and transparent” review Monday of the San Francisco Police Department in the wake of the Mario Woods killing, focusing on possible use-of-force issues and racial disparities in how officers treat suspects. San Francisco Chronicle article; LA Times article
Deep racial disparity in homicide arrests, San Francisco Police Department data show — When it comes to the police arresting suspects in homicide cases, the race of the victim plays an outsize role in San Francisco. San Francisco police make arrests in homicide cases where the victim is white or Asian at nearly twice the rate in homicide cases with African American or Latino victims — 67.1 percent compared with 37.1 percent — according to a Chronicle analysis of police arrest data from homicides that occurred from Jan. 1, 2010, through July 31, 2015. San Francisco Chronicle article
San Francisco police killing of mentally ill man exposes reform challenges — More than five years have passed since the December 2010 shooting in the Portola neighborhood, but Bui’s relatives say they still don’t understand why he died. And San Francisco police — like their counterparts around the country — are still struggling to deal with calls involving mentally ill people in crisis without resorting to firing their guns. San Francisco Chronicle article
Lawyers brace for ‘tsunami’ of body camera video — The District Attorney’s Office, which handles all felonies and most misdemeanor cases throughout San Diego County, expects to receive more than 100,000 videos from police body-worn cameras this year. San Diego Union-Tribune article
Under new law, cops carrying overdose drug are saving lives — Last year, California lawmakers authorized police officers to carry naloxone, also commonly known by a brand name, Narcan. Now, a handful of law enforcement agencies are issuing the emergency medication to officers. KQED report
Jeff Jardine: Troubled vets get new chances in treatment court – Monday, Stanislaus County authorities took a more enlightened approach toward dealing with veterans accused of crimes. The first session of Veterans Treatment Court commenced in Stanislaus County Superior Court. The court is based on similar models elsewhere throughout the nation, and they share a common goal, said Jim Greer of Stanislaus County Veterans Services. Jardine column in Modesto Bee
Super Bowl week puts increased spotlight on human trafficking – Up to 1 million revelers are expected to flood the Bay Area this week leading up to Sunday’s Super Bowl in Santa Clara. Officials have repeatedly alerted the public to looming traffic nightmares — but law enforcement officials have been issuing another alert. They say apart from the crowds and frenzied fun, something darker will be going on: Sex traffickers will be trying to cash in on the annual bash. KQED report
Former NFL player Lawrence Phillips hanged himself, sources say — Former NFL player and accused murderer Lawrence Phillips hanged himself inside his cell at Kern Valley State Prison last month, sources with knowledge of the case have told The Californian. Bakersfield Californian article
Education
California wins flexibility from No Child Left Behind rules – Signaling a further easing of its control over public education, the U.S. government will no longer require California and other states to provide outside tutoring for struggling students. San Jose Mercury News article; EdSource article
New federal law puts spotlight on English learners – In passing the Every Student Succeeds Act, Congress rolled back the federal government’s overall reach into testing requirements for K-12 education. But there is a significant exception: English learners. EdSource article
Boys wearing dresses part of students’ response to Clovis Unified dress code decision – Buchanan High School senior Patrick Smart wore a dress for the first time last week. His classmate, Emma Sledd, wore a collared men’s shirt to school. Fresno Bee article
Results due from new rating system for Fresno schools – Data from Fresno Unified School District’s new student accountability system will be released to the public for the first time on Tuesday. Fresno Bee article
Merced College picks an acting president – The Merced College Board of Trustees appointed an acting president for the school on Monday, while the man she replaces remains on paid administrative leave. The board voted 5-2 in closed session to appoint Susan Walsh, the director of the Learning Resource Center, as the acting president. She replaces former President Ron Taylor, who was placed on paid leave about a week after he announced his retirement. Merced Sun-Star article
Hopes still high for UC Merced Hyperloop team – Though they weren’t given any awards during a ceremony on Saturday, members of a UC Merced design team are holding out hope they will be invited to join another team working on a proposed high-speed public transit system. Merced Sun-Star article
Clovis Unified job fair attracts hundreds of applicants — About 300 candidates interviewed for teaching positions for the 2016-17 school year, said chief human resources officer Roxanne Braswell. She said the district anticipates filling about 200 openings, a result of retirements, reduction in class sizes and the need to staff the district’s newest school, Virginia R. Boris Elementary. Fresno Bee article
San Francisco considers giving condoms away to middle schoolers – Public school nurses and social workers in San Francisco would be allowed to hand out condoms to individual middle school students under a proposal before the district’s school board, expanding school-based access to the contraceptive to younger teens and preteens. San Francisco Chronicle article
Collegiate athletes may be at risk of experiencing depression — Research has proven exercise helps manage anxiety, depression and fatigue levels, but research has also proven that nearly a quarter of Division I athletes report symptoms of depression, reportsPsychology Today. Bakersfield Californian article
FBI Teen Academy opens Modesto student’s eyes – For all he knew, “I thought they were going to show us how to put in oil and brake fluid,” Enochs High School senior Joe Blair joked about his visit to the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s auto shop in Sacramento last spring. As it turned out, the experience was way cooler than that. Modesto Bee article
Career academies give students a leg up — Local eighth graders filled Tulare’s Galaxy Theater last week as part of the Tulare Joint Union High School District’s Linked Learning Academies program. Visalia Times-Delta article
At Berkeley, a new digital privacy protest — After hackers breached the computer network of the U.C.L.A. medical center last summer, Janet Napolitano, president of the University of California, and her office moved to shore up security across the university system’s 10 campuses. New York Times article
Modesto City Schools picks Chad Brown to fill vacant seat — The Modesto City Schools board picked Chad Brown to fill its vacant seat after two hours of interviews and discussion. Brown, 61, brings deep experience to the board, having served on the Sylvan Union School District board in north Modesto, one of the feeder districts to Modesto City high schools. Modesto Bee article
Energy/Environment
Fresno County responsible for pipeline explosion, state PUC says – The state Public Utilities Commission has determined Fresno County was responsible for an April pipeline explosion at the Fresno County Sheriff’s Foundation shooting range in northwest Fresno. Fresno Bee article
Court rejects logging complaint by ex-Sierra National Forest resort operators — Felled trees frustrated Dennis and Kimberly Beard’s plans for the Dinkey Creek Inn in the Sierra National Forest. Now, from a federal court close to the White House, the Beards face another frustration. In a new ruling, a judge has dismissed the couple’s complaint that Forest Service missteps hindered their plans for developing the modest mountain resort. McClatchy Newspapers article
Trucks will move oil stored after California pipeline break — Exxon Mobil Corp. won approval Monday for its plan to use trucks to move more than 17 million gallons of oil stranded in storage tanks after a California pipeline break in May. AP article
Port of LA terminal fails to comply with pollution-reduction mandates, officials say — The Port of Los Angeles has failed to meet pollution-reduction requirements at another shipping terminal, city officials said Monday, their second such admission in recent months. LA Times article
35 former members of California Coastal Commission oppose effort to oust executive director — Thirty-five former members of the California Coastal Commission declared Monday that they oppose the effort to fire Charles Lester, the embattled executive director of the powerful land-use agency. LA Times article
Health/Human Services
Six cases of Zika virus were diagnosed in California in the last three years – Six people in California have been diagnosed with the Zika virus in the past three years, state public health officials said Monday. All of the cases were contracted abroad. LA Times article
WHO: Zika is a global health emergency — Health experts convened by the World Health Organization declared Monday that the Zika virus is an international emergency, clearing the way to mobilize funds for research and escalate efforts to fight the virus, which is exploding in Latin America. New York Times article
Sugar opponents rally for Davis soda tax – The Davis City Council on Tuesday will consider asking voters to approve a soda tax, a controversial proposal that has generated support from health advocates but drawn opposition from restaurants and businesses in the college town. Sacramento Bee article
Daniel Weintraub: Young poets get the message out on preventing diabetes – Dean Schillinger has spent much of his life fighting a losing battle against a preventable epidemic that has taken millions of American lives. Now, for the first time, he has hope. Weintraub in Sacramento Bee
At dedication, friends and family recall Ryan Newby’s ‘zest’ for life — Visitors to the San Joaquin Community Hospital outpatient surgery waiting room may now take a little inspiration from the late Ryan Keith Newby. Funded by a donation Newby’s mother described only as “substantial,” hospital officials on Monday named the bright sitting area at the AIS Cancer Center as the Ryan Keith Newby Waiting Room. Bakersfield Californian article
‘Talk. Read. Sing.’ Astronaut helps First 5 remind parents to engage children — Stockton’s native son and former NASA astronaut Jose Hernández, who spent 13 days in orbit in 2009, credits his parents’ understanding and value of an education for eventually sending him on the path to touch the stars. Stockton Record article
Transportation
Engineers zero in on design for bike path on Bay Bridge western span — Transportation officials are narrowing the final designs for a bike and pedestrian path on the western span of the Bay Bridge, something bike advocates have been dreaming about for decades. KQED report
Other areas
Tablets for children with autism stolen — About 45 tablets, meant for the use of children with autism, were stolen Sunday night from Learning A.R.T.S, a regional program that focuses on learning opportunities for children with developmental disabilities. Merced Sun-Star article
Sacramento Bee: No one said the cost of justice is cheap — If the new courthouse proceeds, and clearly there is a need, the state and city must find an appropriate use for the existing courthouse. Sacramento doesn’t need another hole in the ground or boarded-up building. Sacramento Bee editorial
Valley Editorial Roundup
Fresno Bee – Hillary Clinton should own her mistakes in email scandal.
Sacramento Bee – What Barbie has in common with candidates for the White House; If the new courthouse proceeds, and clearly there is a need, the state and city must find an appropriate use for the existing courthouse. Sacramento doesn’t need another hole in the ground or boarded-up building.
Stockton Record – Cheers and jeers on Stockton Symphony’s outreach to schools, Stockton Unified board’s internal strife and other issues.
Maddy Events
Sunday, Feb. 7, at 10 a.m. on ABC 30 – Maddy Report: “California’s End of Life Law: New Law, Old Question” – Guests: UC Davis Professor Ben Rich, The Arc of California Executive Director Tony Anderson, Disability Rights California Legislative Advocate Deborah Doctor. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director Mark Keppler.
Sunday, Feb. 7, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580 (KMJ) – Maddy Report-Valley Views Edition: “Hinds Hospice: A Model End of Life Care” – Guests: Hinds Hospice Executive Director Jill McCarthy. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director Mark Keppler.
Sunday, Feb. 7, at 7 a.m. on Fresno Univision 21 (KFTV)– El Informe Maddy Report: “Improper Activities” – Guest: Margarita Fernandez, public information officer with the State Auditor’s Office. 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.
Community Events
- The International Green Industry Hall of Fame will hold its sixth annual conference and induction ceremony at Buchanan High School in Clovis on March 9. Registration information is available here.
Interactive
Next 10: UPDATED California budget challenge – For the first time in a decade, California’s budget is largely in balance. However, the state has outstanding debts of $28 million, not counting long-term pension and retiree health care costs. Budget choices affect us all. Take the Challenge and decide how much should be spent on programs and where the money should come from. Next 10 California Budget Challenge
Next 10: Federal budget challenge — The Federal Budget Challenge is based on The Concord Coalition’s Principles and Priorities budget exercise, which has been used in numerous town hall meetings across the country by members of Congress from both parties, as well as in hundreds of high school and college classrooms. Next 10 Federal Budget challenge at www.federalbudgetchallenge.org.
Next 10: California Water Challenge – As our state faces some of the most severe drought conditions in its history, Next 10 wants to issue a new challenge to Californians: can you create a plan to make sure there’s enough water for everyone? Next 10 California Water Challenge
LEGISLATORS’ VOTING RECORDS: How often has a California legislator broken party ranks, abstained or switched sides? The Sacramento Bee has a database of the voting records of every member of the state Senate and Assembly. Enter a lawmaker’s last and first names to see how he or she voted, or enter a bill number to see how every legislator voted on it. Check it out at this link. http://www.sacbee.com/votingrecord/
More Information
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Maddy Institute Updates List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials – The Maddy Institute has updated its list of San Joaquin Valley elected officials. The list is available here.
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