POLICY & POLITICS
The Maddy Institute Through the generosity of The Wonderful Company, San Joaquin Valley students will have the opportunity to become the next generation of Valley leaders through The Wonderful Public Service Graduate Fellowship. This program helps students obtain an advanced degree from a top graduate program, return home, and apply what they have learned to help make the Valley a better place. |
North SJ Valley:
Merced, Atwater mayors meet President Trump during White House visit
Merced Sun-Star
Merced Mayor Mike Murphy and Atwater Mayor Paul Creighton wrapped up their three-day stay in Washington, D.C., on Friday, as they represented their cities at the U.S. Conference of Mayors winter meeting.
Berryhill struggles with illness. Will the former senator return to Stanislaus board?
Modesto Bee
Stanislaus County Supervisor Tom Berryhill is trying to recover from serious illness and it’s not known when the former state senator will return to the Board of Supervisors.
Modesto Bee
If you’re seeking a model for effective local government, the county board is a good place to start. For many years, our supervisors (and many of their predecessors) have provided strong, collaborative and consistent leadership, with minimum hoopla and conflict, even during dark times.
Former Manteca city manager selected to administer Brentwood
East Bay Times
Manteca’s former city manager has been selected to manage Brentwood following a national search, city officials announced Thursday. Tim Ogden, Manteca’s city manager for 2 ½ years, will replace Gustavo “Gus” Vina, who retired in the fall. The council will review his employment agreement at its meeting Tuesday.
Central SJ Valley:
Devin Nunes’ Democratic opponent takes out first TV ad buy – and doesn’t mention Nunes
Fresno Bee
Rep. Devin Nunes ‘ Democratic opponent Phil Arballo will start making major TV advertisement buys Tuesday, a week before early voting begins in California. Arballo, a financial adviser in Fresno, is using the ad to highlight his and his family’s attachment to the district.
Meet Fresno EOC's new CEO, Emilia Reyes
abc30
For the first time in history, the Fresno Economic Opportunities Commission will be led by a woman. Emilia Reyes was chosen to be the chief executive officer. The position is a dream come true for Reyes.
Mathews: Latino Wave Is Changing Fresno’s Small-Town Political Culture
GVWire
As Fresno emerges as the Golden State’s next great city, it’s also experiencing an opening up of its small-town political culture. At this transformation’s heart is the so-called “Brown Wave” — the emergence of local elected officials, who, like half of Fresno’s residents, are Latino.
The Janz-Dyer Mayoral Battle Is Tight: GV Wire Poll
GVWire
Prosecutor Andrew Janz and former police chief Jerry Dyer are waging a highly competitive race for Fresno mayor, according to a GV Wire poll. In telephone interviews conducted with 500 likely voters ending Jan. 4, both candidates were below the 50%-plus-one margin required to avoid a November run-off.
City names new directors of Parks, Finance departments
Madera Tribune
At the Jan. 15 Madera City Council meeting, the Council voted unanimously to approve employment agreements for two new department directors — over the city’s Parks and Community Services and Finance departments.
South SJ Valley:
Chief of police appointment delayed; city council members consider charter changes
Bakersfield Californian
With the hiring of Bakersfield’s new city manager recently wrapped up, the appointment of a new police chief may take a few more months to solidify.
Price: Unplugged, ejected and exiled, now-candidate Solis has fellow Dems exhausted and wary
Bakersfield Californian
Periodically over the years, Kern County Democrats have enjoyed spectacles of discord among Kern County Republicans. And Kern County Republicans have enjoyed spectacles of discord among Kern County Democrats.
State:
PG&E bankruptcy exit plan doesn’t need Newsom’s approval — but actually it does
Los Angeles Times
PG&E Corp.’s plan to emerge from bankruptcy technically doesn’t need California Gov. Gavin Newsom’s approval. But pragmatically, it probably does.
See also:
EDITORIAL: Gov. Gavin Newsom rejects PG&E’s bankruptcy plan — again San Francisco Chronicle
Trump administration sues California over private prison ban
Los Angeles Times
The Trump administration sued the state of California on Friday, asserting that a new state law that bans for-profit prison contracts unconstitutionally interferes with the federal prison and immigration detention systems.
See also:
Trump administration moves against California on abortion coverage by health plans
Los Angeles Times
The Trump administration warned California on Friday that it must stop requiring health insurance plans in the state to provide abortion coverage or risk losing federal money. The move — the latest clash between the White House and the nation’s largest state — opens a new front in a long-running national debate over whether abortion services must be covered by health insurance.
See also:
Trump Administration Threatens California Over Mandate That Insurers Cover Abortion VPR
‘We’ll happily reimburse’ Trump for any abortions he paid for in California, top Democrat says Sacramento Bee
Partisanship a bigger factor than geography in views of abortion access locally Pew Research Center
Becerra v Trump: How California is using the courts to fight the administration
CalMatters
Case By Case: California’s many lawsuits against the Trump administration
Column: Kevin Faulconer is the GOP’s best and only hope to regain ground in California
Los Angeles Times
The only Republican politician with a credible chance of winning major office in California is moving into position to possibly challenge Gov. Gavin Newsom in 2022. He’s San Diego Mayor Kevin Faulconer, 53, a rare Republican moderate who has been elected twice to lead a heavily Democratic city.
Jennifer Siebel Newsom leans in to power as California’s first partner
San Francisco Chronicle
Jennifer Siebel Newsom calls herself California's first partner, and in her first year, she has carved a path separate yet complementary to that of her husband.
No, Californians aren’t being asked to repeal Prop. 13’s residential property tax limits
PolitiFact
Supporters of a California ballot measure that would remove some of Proposition 13’s tax protections say claims shared thousands of times on Facebook and other social media platforms have distorted their initiative.
Walters: The pardon power, for good or ill
CalMatters
The power of presidents and governors to overrule judges and juries by pardoning convicted felons or commuting their sentences is a vestige of ancient monarchial authority.
Federal:
Kamala Harris wants some fries, but says Democrats should ‘have faith’ in impeachment trial
Fresno Bee
California Sen. Kamala Harris is frustrated as the impeachment trial proceeds. She says the Trump camp is telling lies, and she can’t enjoy her favorite snack.
See also:
AP FACT CHECK: Trump defense misrepresents Mueller findings Associated Press
Want to understand the 2020 census? Take our new email course
PEW Research Center
The 2020 U.S. census, which launches in Alaska this month, will be the 24th since the nation’s birth and the U.S. government’s largest peacetime undertaking. It’s also the only federal activity that invites every U.S. resident – citizen and noncitizen alike – to participate.
See also:
Opinion: Trump says he hates corruption, but he wants to make bribery easier worldwide.
Washington Post
For a guy who claims to hate corruption, President Trump sure has a funny way of showing it — including by trying to make it easier to pay bribes. Trumpworld continues to claim that L’Affaire Ukraine is a big misunderstanding. Trump was not extorting a desperate foreign ally into smearing a domestic political rival. Heavens no.
Elections 2020:
Don't Accidentally Toss Your Ballot! What Fresno, Madera County Voters Need To Know
VPR
California has moved its primary election earlier in the year. Instead of June, voters will now cast their ballots in March. For Fresno and Madera Counties, there are other changes intended to update voting technology and increase voter turnout.
See also:
President Elizabeth Warren: Here’s what it would mean for California
San Francisco Chronicle
Sen. Elizabeth Warren is proposing dozens of policy plans in her presidential campaign that revolve around a premise: The rich and powerful have rigged a corrupt system in their favor, and the antidote is “big structural change.”
See also:
Elizabeth Warren responds to tense criticism on plan to forgive student loan debt abc30
Elizabeth Warren: The Disruptor As Pragmatist Capital & Main
How To Win California: A Guide To The Nation’s Largest Presidential Primary
Capital Public Radio
Aspiring Democratic presidential candidates, welcome to California. You’re not in Iowa anymore. Our electorate is diverse. Our election procedures, complex. Our population, enormous; our costs of campaigning, even more so
Are you an independent voter? You can’t vote in the California GOP primary
Los Angeles Times
As election day approaches, social media posts warn of a nefarious plot to limit who can vote in California‘s Republican presidential primary. But the message is false: The only limit on participation is one imposed by the GOP‘s state and national leaders.
See also:
Bernie Sanders is working the Latino vote in California, block by block
San Francisco Chronicle
For the better part of a year, Sanders has focused on appealing to Latino voters who could be key to winning California and other states with similar demographics.
See also:
Bernie Sanders shaped this small city, and it gave him a moonshot to the national stage Los Angeles Times
Senators dash across Iowa to campaign for president during brief impeachment break Los Angeles Times
Commentary: Has Bernie Sanders learned anything over the past 50 years? AEI
Michael Bloomberg’s climate plan is not just campaign rhetoric
CalMatters
The climate crisis is no longer a threat to future generations. It is real and tangible. Every day brings a new reminder of the cost of failure to address the crisis. Australia, which resembles California in its rich biodiversity and spectacular coastal resources, is facing the most disastrous ecological devastation in modern history.
See also:
Bloomberg On Health Care: Translating His Mayoral Record To The National Stage California Healthline
Mike Bloomberg pitches himself to Jewish Americans, in a presidential race with two very different Jewish candidates Washington Post
Michael R. Bloomberg New York Times
U.S. Media Polarization and the 2020 Election: A Nation Divided
PEW Research Center
As the U.S. enters a heated 2020 presidential election year, a new Pew Research Center report finds that Republicans and Democrats place their trust in two nearly inverse news media environments.
Liberals make up the largest share of Democratic voters, but their growth has slowed in recent years
PEW Research Center
About half of Democratic and Democratic-leaning registered voters (47%) describe their own political views as liberal, including 15% who describe their views as very liberal, according to an average of Pew Research Center political surveys conducted in 2019.
Washington Post
President Trump begins his reelection year in a more competitive position than he was last fall against potential Democratic challengers, aided by rising approval for his handling of the economy, according to a Washington Post-ABC News poll.
Did Biden laud a Paul Ryan proposal to cut Social Security as Bernie Sanders’ campaign said?
PolitiFact
Sen. Bernie Sanders argues that former Vice President Joe Biden sided with a Republican effort to cut Social Security. "In 2018, Biden lauded Paul Ryan for proposing cuts to Social Security and Medicare," wrote the Sanders campaign in a Jan. 7 newsletter. The night before on CNN, Sanders had attacked Biden’s record on Social Security and Medicare.
Fact-checking Pete Buttigieg on the success of Democratic presidential nominees in last 50 years
PolitiFact
Pete Buttigieg entered the 2020 presidential race as one of the lesser-known faces — and without many people knowing how to even pronounce his last name. But the South Bend, Ind., mayor recently suggested that those attributes might work to his party’s advantage, saying that historically, it’s worked out for Democrats to nominate newcomers to the national scene for president.
Opinion: Warren G. Biden Might Win in ’20
Wall Street Journal
Toby Paone isn’t floored by the speech Joe Biden has just delivered to the Iowa State Education Association. A staffer at the ISEA, the state’s largest public union, Mr. Paone ranks Mr. Biden’s performance fourth out of the four candidates who’ve spoken—behind Elizabeth Warren, Pete Buttigieg and Amy Klobuchar. But that hasn’t shaken his support for the former vice president.
Other:
The sorry state of political literature today
Los Angeles Times
Books about politics are everywhere in 2020, but by and large, they march in a dreary parade, heavy on agendas, short on reporting, screeched rather than researched.
How a disinformation network exploited satire to become a popular source of false news on Facebook
PolitiFact
Published by AJUAnews.com, the article claimed a Trump rally in Chicago had drawn massive crowds — evidence that Democrats in the liberal Midwestern city were turning on their party to support the president in 2020.
See also:
When local newspapers suffer, so do local elections LSE US Centre
Opinion: Our democracy depends on news literacy San Francisco Chronicle
State Attorneys General to Meet With Justice Officials to Coordinate on Google Probe
Wall Street Journal
State attorneys general will meet with U.S. Justice Department attorneys next week to share information on their respective probes of Alphabet Inc.’s Google unit, a step that could eventually lead to both groups joining forces, according to people familiar with the matter.
America’s Racial Progress Is Real. So Is The White Supremacy That Threatens It
Zocalo
While race relations in the United States have improved dramatically since World War II, the recent resurgence of white supremacy and more openly racist politics represent serious threats to that progress, and in turn require a multifaceted response, said Harvard sociologist Lawrence D. Bobo at a Zócalo event last night.
Commentary: What does it mean to be a conservative today?
AEI
For most Americans, conservatism basically means the stuff Republicans are for, and liberalism means whatever Democrats are for. I don’t mean this as a criticism, just a statement of fact.
Commentary: How investments in innovation districts can combat the country’s regional divides
Brookings
Last month, Robert D. Atkinson of the Information Technology & Innovation Foundation, together with our colleagues Mark Muro and Jacob Whiton, published a report calling for a renewed federal role in helping to balance the country’s growing geographic inequities.
Opinion: A Surprising Solution To Save American Democracy
Newsweek
Running throughout the Democratic presidential debates has been a consistent theme: We are living in an era of deep economic and political inequality, and these dual crises now threaten to undermine our democracy.
Newsweek
Pew article from July 2019 says that 75 percent of U.S. adults feel that our trust in the Federal Government is shrinking. 64 percent of Americans feel that we are losing the ability to trust each other. As an academic who studies communication, I can tell you that this is a huge problem. Without trust, we don't have the ability to forge successful empowering relationships.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, February 2, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: State Auditor: Medi-Cal in Rural Areas - Guests: Elaine Howle, California State Auditor. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, February 2, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: Problems Surrounding California’s Medi-Cal Program - Guests: Elaine Howle, California State Auditor; Monica Davalos, Aureo Mesquita and Adriana Ramos-Vamamoto from the California Budget and Policy Center, Matt Levin with CALmatters and Dan Dunmoyer with California Building Industry Association. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, February 2, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: Medi-Cal: miles de millones para pagos cuestionables - Guest: Margarita Fernandez, PIO State Auditor's Office. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
California legalized marijuana 2 years ago. So why is the state seizing so much of it?
Fresno Bee
California legalized marijuana for adult use through Prop 64, but that hasn’t stopped the state from seizing tons of black market cannabis from unlicensed growers and retailers.
Cannabis shop near Eagle Feather coming soon
Porterville Recorder
The Tule River Economic Development Corporation will be entering the recreational and medical marijuana business soon.
At first banning them, 4 legal pot shops coming to Turlock. Find out where they’ll be
Modesto Bee
Three years after pot became legal in California, Turlock will see its first recreational marijuana dispensaries open this year.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Fresno Agencies Team Up For Human Trafficking Awareness Month
VPR
California is one of the nation’s top states for human trafficking, a complex crime that is difficult to combat. But in the Central Valley, nonprofits are working with law enforcement to tackle the issue from multiple perspectives.
See also:
Trump administration sues California over private prison ban
Los Angeles Times
The Trump administration sued the state of California on Friday, asserting that a new state law that bans for-profit prison contracts unconstitutionally interferes with the federal prison and immigration detention systems.
Four-in-ten U.S. drug arrests in 2018 were for marijuana offenses – mostly possession
PEW Research Center
A growing number of states have legalized or decriminalized the possession of small amounts of marijuana. But the drug remains illegal in other states and under federal law – and police officers in the United States still make more arrests for marijuana offenses than for any other drug, according to FBI data.
Public Safety:
Police receive grant to fight alcohol-related crime
Madera Tribune
The Madera Police Department has been awarded an $18,000 grant from the California Office of Traffic Safety (OTS) through the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) and will be administered by the California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control (ABC) to battle alcohol-related harm.
SJ County Sheriff Pat Withrow reflects on his ‘fun’ first year
Stockton Record
Just more than one year ago, Patrick Withrow took the office of San Joaquin County Sheriff after a successful second attempt to defeat incumbent Steve Moore in the general election.
Capt. Patrick Crowe retires from Hanford Police Department
Hanford Sentinel
Hanford Police Department is saying goodbye to longtime officer Capt. Patrick Crowe, who is retiring after 25 years with the department.
Kings County implements anti-theft technology
Hanford Sentinel
The Kings County Farm Bureau and Kings County Sheriff’s Office have partnered to bring revolutionary anti-theft technology to the county.
Public Safety Dispatchers recognized as First Responders in New Legislation
Hanford Sentinel
Assemblymember Rudy Salas (D-Bakersfield) joined a group of public safety dispatchers from across the state, on Jan. 22, for a press conference to celebrate Assembly Bill 1945 (AB 1945), which would recognize the brave work of public safety dispatchers by classifying them as first responders.
Fresno Agencies Team Up For Human Trafficking Awareness Month
VPR
California is one of the nation’s top states for human trafficking, a complex crime that is difficult to combat. But in the Central Valley, nonprofits are working with law enforcement to tackle the issue from multiple perspectives.
See also:
California highway safety laws are tough — unless you’re a teenager, watchdog group says
Sacramento Bee
California highway safety laws are among the nation’s best at protecting people — but its laws governing teenage drivers need some toughening.
Bakersfield Californian
As first responders in law enforcement and firefighting, we know firsthand the importance of working with public officials and taking a good, hard look at what happens in our community and finding ways to ensure public safety and stability.
Fire:
Judge may link PG&E executive bonuses to fire safety targets
San Francisco Chronicle
U.S. District Judge William Alsup’s latest order came after PG&E admitted it fell short on some parts of its fire plan last year.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Kern Schools Federal ready to expand northward under new branding
Bakersfield Californian
Kern County's largest locally based financial institution is poised to launch a major geographical expansion and rebranding effort it sees as securing its long-term survival while also benefiting its existing membership.
Rising U.S. Inequality: How We Got Here, Where We’re Going
Stanford Business
The U.S. economy hit a historic high in 2018, and today unemployment is at its lowest rate in five decades. Yet wage growth for the vast majority of Americans has stalled, and more people are struggling to afford housing, health care, education, and other basics.
National Debt Increased By $3 Trillion During Donald Trump's Three Years As President
Newsweek
Nearly four years after then-presidential candidate Donald Trump said he would eliminate the federal debt in eight years, the deficit has since risen by more than 16 percent under his presidency.
California Regulators a Potential Obstacle to T-Mobile, Sprint Merger
Wall Street Journal
T-Mobile TMUS -1.05% US Inc. and Sprint Corp. S -1.98% are waitingfor a federal judge to rule on whether they can merge, but the companies face another hurdle even if they overcome that legal challenge: the California Public Utilities Commission.
New Risk to World Economy: Synchronized Housing Slowdown
Wall Street Journal
Housing markets across the world, from the U.K. to China to Australia, are losing steam, holding back prospects for the global economy that last year grew at its slowest rate since the financial crisis.
Our current economic boom is a mirage, and our politics are going to break it
Washington Post
Even as a bitter and partisan impeachment trial plays out in Washington, the signals emanating from the economy continue to be amazingly positive. The unemployment rate is at record lows, the stock market is near record highs, corporate profits remain strong, and growth, at around 2 percent, is the highest among advanced economies.
Fox News Poll: Record economy ratings, as half say Senate should remove Trump
Fox News Network
Voters give the economy its best ratings in nearly two decades in the latest Fox News Poll -- and credit President Trump. And yet as his impeachment trial begins, Trump’s job approval holds steady, while half say the Senate should remove him from office.
Commentary: Explaining the inflation puzzle
Brookings
Inflation in the U.S., as Janet Yellen explains, is behaving differently than it did in the past, challenging standard economic theories and contributing to the Federal Reserve’s decision to keep interest rates unusually low even as unemployment has fallen to a 50-year low.
Opinion: The Tax Increases to Come
Wall Street Journal
The brawl in President Obama’s second term over raising the top income-tax rate to 39.6% from 35% was centuries ago in political time. One way to tell is that even moderate Democratic 2020 presidential candidates have quietly proposed to raise the tax rate on labor by double digits and it’s received almost no attention.
Jobs:
Big layoffs, closures claimed 2,200 Fresno, Valley jobs in 2019. How was employment affected?
Fresno Bee
Large-scale layoffs in the Valley, 2019. Nearly 2,200 workers in the central San Joaquin Valley were put out of work by permanent closures and layoffs reported to the state employment department and local workforce development agencies last year.
Wages rose for many Fresno County jobs last decade. But did they outrun inflation?
Fresno Bee
Wages in Fresno County rose during the 2010s for most – but not all – occupations. But overall, compensation for most workers failed to keep pace with the rising cost of living over the course of the decade.
2020 Kern County Career Expo to take place in March
Bakersfield Californian
The third annual Kern County Career Expo will take place on March 5 at Mechanics Banks Arena and Convention Center, according to a news release. The free expo will be hosted by Kern High School District and its partners. It will take place from 4:30 to 7 p.m. It will focus on building career awareness for tomorrow's workforce, according to the release.
How AB 5 threatens the job security of California workers
Sacramento Bee
Should the government decide how many stories a freelance journalist can write? Of course not. But a California law known as Assembly Bill 5 that went into effect earlier this month does exactly that – and more. It is a sweeping effort by the government to control the future of work by denying freelancers and gig economy workers the flexibility that allows them to earn a living in the modern economy.
In California, job growth is strong, but nationally, it’s a different story
Los Angeles Times
Job growth slowed nationwide last year, but it accelerated in California as the state notched a record 118-month employment expansion. California’s unemployment rate held steady at its record low of 3.9% in December, the same as in November and down from 4.1% a year earlier. The nation’s unemployment rate also remained unchanged in December, holding at 3.5%.
See also:
California Employment Report for December 2019 California Center for Jobs & the Economy
Overhaul US labor laws to boost workers' power, new report urges
The Guardian
More than 70 scholars, union leaders, economists and activists called on Thursday for a far-reaching overhaul of American labor laws to vastly increase workers’ power on the job and in politics, recommending new laws to make unionizing easier and to elect worker representatives to corporate boards.
Most Americans Are Lonely, And Our Workplace Culture May Not Be Helping
NPR
More than three in five Americans are lonely, with more and more people reporting feeling like they are left out, poorly understood and lacking companionship, according to a new survey released Thursday. Workplace culture and conditions may contribute to Americans' loneliness.
Zimbabwe doctors end strike after billionaire's offer
BBC
Zimbabwe's doctors have agreed to return to work after accepting a funding offer from a billionaire, ending a prolonged strike. The strike over pay and poor conditions lasted more than four months, paralysing the country's healthcare sector.
Commentary: 3 charts showing good news about American wage growth
AEI
Democrats, at least the ones running for president, remain dismissive of the American economy and its record-long expansion. Joe Biden says the American middle-class is “getting crushed.” Elizabeth Warren’s preferred descriptor is “hollowed out.” And Pete Buttigieg says that the folks back in South Bend, Indiana, “aren’t measuring the economy by how the Dow Jones is doing, they’re measuring the economy by how they’re doing.”
EDUCATION
K-12:
Former Fresno Unified trustee remembered as collaborative leader with strong convictions
Fresno Bee
Janet Martino Ryan served on the Fresno Unified School Board for 12 years during a time of educational and internal turmoil for the district.
See also:
Vending machine dispenses no-cal brain food that has Ceres teachers, students excited
Modesto Bee
The new vending machine at Adkison Elementary School in the Ceres Unified School District doesn’t serve snacks or sugary drinks. Its products are made from cellulose pulp and intended only as food for thought.
Raymond Lerma leaves a legacy of education, service
Hanford Sentinel
To truly understand the impact Raymond Lerma had on the city of Corcoran and its people, just talk to those who knew him best.
Schools eye major projects, modernizations with upcoming Proposition 13 vote
Bakersfield Californian
Local school districts have plenty of ideas to improve their campuses and students' education, but oftentimes that comes with a hefty price tag.
To Reduce Chronic Absence, This Expert Says Treat It Like A Public Health Problem
VPR
Chronic absence plagues most school districts in the San Joaquin Valley. We know that students who can’t make it to school miss out on learning, and research shows that missing even three days a month over time can put students a year or more behind their peers.
EdSource
The California reading instruction test is a major hurdle for many aspiring teachers across the state. So much so that about one-third who take the test fail the first time, according to state data of the five-year period between 2012 and 2017.
Legislative Analyst’s Office
From 2013‑14 through 2019‑20, per‑student funding grew significantly. Under the Governor’s recently released budget plan, per‑student funding remains strong—projected to grow 4.1 percent in 2020‑21. With such strong growth in funding, the vast majority of districts are on a positive fiscal footing and have found ways to address the myriad cost pressures they face.
Teachers Union Lawsuit Claims DeVos 'Capriciously' Repealed Borrower Protections
NPR
One of the nation's largest teachers unions sued U.S. Education Secretary Betsy DeVos on Wednesday. The complaint: She repealed a rule meant to protect student loan borrowers from for-profit and career-focused schools that graduate them with too much debt and limited job prospects.
Supreme Court Could Be Headed To A Major Unraveling Of Public School Funding
NPR
In a case with potentially profound implications, the U.S. Supreme Court's conservative majority seemed ready to invalidate a provision of the Montana state constitution that bars aid to religious schools. A decision like that would work a sea change in constitutional law, significantly removing the longstanding high wall of separation between church and state.
Los Angeles Times
The Supreme Court may be poised to require states to subsidize religious schools if they provide financial support for other private schools, poking another hole in the “wall of separation between church and state” described by Thomas Jefferson as central to the 1stAmendment.
Walters: California’s big educational dilemma
CalMatters
California’s largest, most important — and perhaps most troubled — governmental program is the education of nearly 6 million elementary, middle and high school students. Federal, state and local taxpayers are spending more than $100 billion each year on the assumption, or hope, that the state’s 944 school districts, ranging in size from 400,000 students (Los Angeles Unified) to four (Lincoln Elementary) will adequately educate our kids.
Commentary: Key Supreme Court Case Could Increase School-choice Possibilities In California
Fox & Hounds
The week of January 27th is National School Choice Week, which is appropriate since a potentially landmark case currently before the U.S. Supreme Court could have wide-ranging implications for California parents who want more education options for their children.
Commentary: Why We Desperately Need To Bring Back Vocational Training In Schools
Forbes
Throughout most of U.S. history, American high school students were routinely taught vocational and job-ready skills along with the three Rs: reading, writing and arithmetic. Indeed readers of a certain age are likely to have fond memories of huddling over wooden workbenches learning a craft such as woodwork or maybe metal work, or any one of the hands-on projects that characterized the once-ubiquitous shop class.
Higher Ed:
Faculty, staff and students create pesticide safety videos in Hmong
Fresno State Campus News
Fresno State faculty, staff and students helped produce an innovative series of Hmong language agricultural safety training videos for the California Department of Pesticide Regulation.
Fresno State will no longer have main graduation ceremony, university president announces
Fresno Bee
Fresno State will end its main campus commencement ceremony for all graduates, opting instead to only have individual college, school and program celebrations, university President Joseph Castro announced.
See also:
Construction underway in Firebaugh to expand West Hills College campus
abc30
A major transformation is taking place in the city of Firebaugh. Construction is underway at the West Hills College North District Center to double the size of the campus.
Fresno City College students unhappy with new rule regarding FAX
abc30
On the campus of Fresno City College, news is spreading quickly about a flier that tells students, "Bus pass services will no longer be added to their cards after the spring semester." "It's horrible that they are cutting it off because a lot of people use it," says FCC student Aaron Lopez.
Mixed results for California’s experiment with community colleges offering bachelor’s degrees
EdSource
California’s experiment of allowing community colleges to grant bachelor’s degrees shows promise of benefiting students but partnering with universities may be a better alternative.
CSU trustees delay formal vote on requiring extra year of high school math
EdSource
The California State University is delaying a vote to formally approve a plan to require a fourth year of high school math for freshman admissions, allowing for more time to study the impact of the change.
How Diversity Screening At The University Of California Could Degrade Faculty Quality
Forbes
Could Albert Einstein get a job today at the University of California–Berkeley? Or Enrico Fermi, or Robert Oppenheimer, or John von Neumann? With the University of California’s (UC) experiments in diversity screening underway, the answer is that their job applications could stall before a faculty hiring committee reviewed their academic qualifications.
Price: Boston university's study of Kern kids was an abomination
Bakersfield Californian
We’re bad, but this (Brandeis University) study (of opportunities for the future health and prosperity of children living in the 100 largest metro areas of the U.S., ranked) was an abomination. (Bakersfield was ranked last among the 100 cities studied.) And, it’s unfortunate that money and policy will follow this study, rather than a more accurate one.
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
Bonds On The Ballot: Will Billions Of Dollars Help California Cope With Climate Change?
Capital Public Radio
Competing plans to seek voters' approval for “climate resiliency” bonds emerge from three sides of state government: the Assembly, the Senate and the governor.
As gray whale migration reaches its peak, scientists fear another unexplained die-off
Los Angeles Times
As California gray whales wind their way south along North America’s Pacific coast — from their feeding grounds in the Arctic to their spring destination in the secluded lagoons of Mexico’s Baja Peninsula — researchers from Alaska to Mexico are watching, worried about another year of unexplained die-offs.
See also:
Bonds on the ballot: Will billions of dollars help California cope with climate change?
CalMatters
Given California’s international leadership in addressing climate change, it isn’t surprising that voters will be asked this November to approve billions of dollars in bonds to help the state become more resilient. But why settle for one ballot proposal when you can have three?
E.P.A. Is Letting Cities Dump More Raw Sewage Into Rivers for Years to Come
New York Times
The Environmental Protection Agency has made it easier for cities to keep dumping raw sewage into rivers by letting them delay or otherwise change federally imposed fixes to their sewer systems, according to interviews with local officials, water utilities and their lobbyists.
Cities plant more trees to curb wild weather, boost healthy living
Thomson Reuters Foundation News
From Athens to Melbourne and Seoul to New York, big cities are increasingly turning to trees to help protect them from heatwaves and floods, and to boost people's physical and mental health, urban officials and environmental experts say. South Korea's capital Seoul recently planted more than 2,000 groves and gardens, and Melbourne in Australia plans to nearly double its canopy cover to 40 percent by 2040.
Trump's dismantling of environmental regulations unwinds 50 years of protections
CNN
President Donald Trump has repeatedly vowed to "ensure" that the United States has the "cleanest air" and the "cleanest water," but his administration's efforts to slash environmental regulations have been extensive.
Energy:
Owners of electric cars get a break on the gas tax. It’s costing California $32 million
Los Angeles Times
As most Californians reach deeper into their pockets to pay higher gas taxes for road repairs, electric vehicle owners have been getting a free pass. Many will continue to benefit under a little-known provision of the law, costing the state tens of millions of dollars annually and drawing objections from taxpayer advocates who say all who use the roads should pay their fair share.
California Council on Science & Technology
Orphan wells are wells that have no known responsible operator or no financially viable operator capable of plugging the well and decommissioning the well’s production facilities. An active or idle well can potentially become an orphan well when deserted by a financially insolvent operator.
See also:
Washington Post
President Trump has said his plan to weaken federal mileage standards would make cars cheaper and “substantially safer.” But the administration’s own analysis suggests that it would cost consumers more than it would save them in the long run, and would do little to make the nation’s roads safer.
Opinion: To protect California’s health and future, Gov. Newsom must act to phase out oil
Fresno Bee
As Gov. Gavin Newsom prepares for his 2020 State of the State speech – in which he will set the tone for the next decade of California climate action – oil wells drill for climate-changing fossil fuels in neighborhoods, schoolyards and farm fields across our state. Despite its reputation as a global leader in responding to climate change, California is one of the largest oil producers in the nation.
See also:
Cleanup of orphaned oil wells could cost California $500 million, new report says Los Angeles Times
EDITORIAL: California can aid the ocean, taxpayers by helping oil rigs become ‘reefs’ Stockton Record
Commentary: U.S. Government continues to dump funds into an electrical sinkhole
Fox & Hounds
When I read the WSJ article “The Best-Laid Energy Plans” about the Government planning and subsidies that were supposedly intended to make America the world’s green-electricity superpower, create millions of jobs, and supercharge the economy, it brings to mind the most terrifying nine words in the English language: ” I’m from the government, and I’m here to help.”
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Fresno County officials ready with plan to fight coronavirus
abc30
The deadly coronavirus is soaring in numbers and with another case confirmed in the US, Fresno County public health officials are acting fast to be prepared.
See also:
Two cases of deadly coronavirus confirmed in California, bringing US total to five Fresno Bee
San Francisco airport starts coronavirus screenings as new U.S. case confirmed Sacramento Bee
2 New U.S. Cases Of Wuhan Coronavirus Confirmed In California Capital Public Radio
California’s first two cases of coronavirus are confirmed in L.A. and Orange counties Los Angeles Times
Worries grow that quarantine in China not enough to stem increasingly virulent coronavirus Washington Post
Flu fatalities double in California since 2020’s start, with 149 now dead. How app is tracking it
Sacramento Bee
The number of flu-related deaths more than doubled in California over the first two weeks of the new year, rising to 149 on Jan. 18 from 70 on Jan. 4, according to the latest report from the California Department of Public Health.
See also:
Human Services:
Project Homeless Connect offers hundreds medical service
Hanford Sentinel
The homeless population of Hanford and the surrounding area received much-needed medical assistance Thursday.
Clubhouse Visalia gains members, partnerships
Visalia Times Delta
Since Clubhouse Visalia's opening a few months ago, Schrank said that more than 110 members have come through its doors. The clubhouse is partnered with Clubhouse International, an organization that has more than 300 locations worldwide and seeks to destigmatize mental illness and advocate for those affected by it.
Covered California adds new subsidies, penalties
Bakersfield Californian
Two important changes — one a proverbial carrot, the other a stick — have been introduced to Covered California ahead of Friday’s deadline for getting health insurance through the Golden State’s version of Obamacare.
Here’s the $55 million play 18 insurers are making to fight price gouging on generic drugs
Sacramento Bee
Blue Shield of California and 17 other insurers announced Thursday that they would be putting $55 million behind a nonprofit that they believe can end the shortages and price gouging in the generic drug market.
Could California really make its own insulin? Gavin Newsom wants to try
Sacramento Bee
Lowering health costs emerged as a major part of Gov. Gavin Newsom’s 2020 agenda earlier this month when he unveiled plans to get state government in the business of selling prescription drugs. California would be the first state to create its own drug label, which would contract with existing manufacturers to produce lower-cost drugs. Newsom said he’s already in negotiations related to the plan.
Trump Administration Threatens California Over Mandate That Insurers Cover Abortion
Capital Public Radio
Health officials said the state has 30 days to repeal the requirement or some of its federal funds might be in jeopardy. The threat comes as Trump is set to address an anti-abortion rights march.
See also:
‘We’ll happily reimburse’ Trump for any abortions he paid for in California, top Democrat says Sacramento Bee
Trump administration targets California for requiring abortion health coverage San Francisco Chronicle
EDITORIAL: Abortion just became the latest front in Trump’s war on California Los Angeles Times
The Pharmacist Is Out: Supermarkets Close Pharmacy Counters
Wall Street Journal
In some towns, it is getting harder to pick up your blood-pressure pills with that gallon of milk and rotisserie chicken. Hundreds of regional grocery stores in cities from Minneapolis to Seattle are closing or selling pharmacy counters, which have been struggling as consumers make fewer trips to fill prescriptions and big drugstore chains tighten their grip on the U.S. market.
Burden of Health Care Payments Is Greatest Among Americans with the Lowest Incomes
Rand Corporation
Higher-income American households pay the most to finance the nation's health care system, but the burden of payments as a share of income is greatest among households with the lowest incomes, according to a new RAND Corporation study.
The money and politics of prescription drugs: What you need to know
PolitiFact
If there’s one area of health care where Republicans and Democrats might strike a deal, it’s prescription drugs. President Donald Trump has floated a plan to cut drug prices. Democratic and Republican ideas abound in Congress, where lawmakers have put more than 40 bills on the table.
IMMIGRATION
Modesto home provides ‘family-style’ care for pregnant child refugees who flee to U.S.
Modesto Bee
On a tree-lined street in a quiet neighborhood in the middle of Modesto is a beautifully manicured, pale yellow house. It’s home to Bethany Christian Services, which provides a safe haven for pregnant and parenting teen refugees.
Immigration judges are quitting or retiring early because of Trump
Los Angeles Times
Immigration Judge Charles Honeyman was nearing retirement, but he vowed not to leave while Donald Trump was president and risk being replaced by an ideologue with an anti-immigration agenda.
The Complicated Truth About What U.S. Citizenship Means Today
Time
The first time I saw the Statue of Liberty was 25 years ago, from a noisy ferry that brought me and hundreds of other eager tourists across New York Harbor. Back then I was a foreign student, in Manhattan for three days to attend an academic conference on linguistics.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Downtown Fresno expecting to see many new businesses in 2020
abc30
It's a new dawn for downtown Fresno, celebrating the opening of 20 new businesses for 2019. The downtown Fresno partnership predicts that number will be higher in 2020.
Housing:
Homeowners billed $20,000 to clean up former homeless camp in California
Fresno Bee
Homeowners in the San Francisco Bay Area are furious at being charged $20,000 to clean up a former homeless camp in a Castro Valley ravine, KPIX reports.
City of Clovis Housing Survey Taking Place Through March
Clovis RoundUp
The City of Clovis will conduct housing surveys to access housing rehabilitation needs through March. Be on the lookout for city staff member Vanessa Garza, who is tasked with surveying about 6,357 homes. She drives a white Prius with a Clovis City Housing Survey design and will be taking photos and notes on her iPad.
Officials complete local homeless count as 'crisis' reaches fever pitch statewide
Visalia Times Delta
With attention surrounding California's housing and homelessness crisis at a fever pitch, volunteers with the Kings/Tulare Homeless Alliance completed their annual count of the region's homeless and unsheltered early Thursday morning.
Affordable housing project will bring new life to downtown Stockton
Stockton Record
Visionary Home Builders has been selected by the state of California to build the first modular multifamily, affordable housing project in Stockton.
Is 24th Street construction shaking these homes apart?
Bakersfield Californian
The city of Bakersfield says it has tried to address the neighborhood’s concerns. The city has authorized the project’s contractor to resurface a 150-foot stretch of road along 24th Street east of Cedar Street.
Volunteers 'see the real face' of homelessness through point-in-time count
Bakersfield Californian
The sounds of a blaring train horn and screeching wheels are a regular nuisance on the railroad tracks located near Old Town Kern in east Bakersfield, but they don't bother Curtis anymore. The 21-year-old had to get used to the ruckus after he found a place to sleep along the train tracks.
Stanislaus homeless survey seeks insights on causes, barriers to being sheltered
Modesto Bee
Packing questionnaires and comfort kits, nearly 300 people canvassed Stanislaus County on Thursday to conduct the annual point-in-time count of the homeless. The trained survey takers were a mix of resident volunteers and employees of the county, its cities and various nonprofits.
You’ve Just Been Named California’s Homelessness Czar — What’s Your First Move?
Capital Public Radio
Here’s a menu of talked-about “solutions” to address homelessness rated with expert input according to speed, cost, and political feasibility. What would be your plan?
No, Californians Aren’t Being Asked To Repeal Prop. 13’s Residential Property Tax Limits
Capital Public Radio
Supporters of a California ballot measure that would remove some of Proposition 13’s tax protections say claims shared thousands of times on Facebook and other social media platforms have distorted their initiative.
See also:
EDITORIAL: Yes on California Prop. 13 San Francisco Chronicle
California mayors urge White House to help with homeless crisis
KRON4
Some California mayors who are in Washington, D.C. this week for the U.S. Conference of Mayors took advantage of their time in the nation’s capital to urge the White House to help with the state’s homeless crisis.
New opposition leaves future of controversial housing bill SB 50 up in the air
Los Angeles Times
With less than 10 days until a key deadline, major legislation that aims to increase housing growth in California is facing new opposition. State Sen. Holly Mitchell (D-Los Angeles) and a coalition of groups representing low-income communities are now opposed to Senate Bill 50, a bill that would allow mid-rise apartment complexes near transit stops and job centers and fourplexes in most single-family neighborhoods across the state.
As California’s homeless people camp out on railroad tracks, train-related deaths are rising
Los Angeles Times
Just after 8 on a warm evening in September, Janae Bell was shooting the breeze with two friends at the Hearst Avenue railroad crossing, sharing some pastries and talking bikes. Over the clanging bells of a Union Pacific freight train rumbling past on the opposite track, they didn’t hear the Amtrak barreling toward them.
Ready to move, Californians tour their top destination: Texas
Los Angeles Times
When half a dozen California families arrived in a limo-style bus for a daylong tour of suburban homes for sale north of Dallas, the sun was shining but the temperature had dipped below 50 degrees. Some came unprepared for the cooler weather, shivering in hoodies, flip-flops and one in a Dodgers cap.
See also:
If it seems like more Californians are moving into your Texas neighborhood, here’s why Fort Worth Star-Telegram
So Long, California? Goodbye, Texas? Taxpayers Decide Some States Aren’t Worth It Wall Street Journal
Last year’s hottest housing fight just got resurrected — here’s what to know
CalMatters
Sen. Scott Wiener's housing density bill is back in the pipeline, with amendments to appeal to the suburban homeowners, local governments, and anti-gentrification groups that twice sank it. Will the third time be the charm?
You’ve just been named California’s homelessness czar — what’s your first move?
CalMatters
Gov. Gavin Newsom has taken grief for failing to fulfill what seems like a pretty achievable campaign promise: appointing a homelessness “czar” to help the 150,000 Californians living in shelters and on the streets.
PUBLIC FINANCES
These tax credits could put thousands of dollars in Californians’ pockets
Sacramento Bee
This tax season, millions of Californians have the opportunity to put more money in their pocket through the California Earned Income Tax Credit. Like its federal counterpart, the California Earned Income Tax Credit is aimed at helping low- and middle-income people out by providing them with extra money on their tax return.
Opinion: Here’s some good news for parents struggling to save enough for retirement
MarketWatch
Every parent knows that kids cost a lot of money, for everything from food, clothing and shelter to child care, education and health care. They’re right: studies show that a two-parent family with two kids devotes between 31% and 47% of total household spending to its children.
TRANSPORTATION
Caltrans partners with Fresno, Fresno County to clean up highways
abc30
The city of Fresno will have crews come out once a month to pick up trash next to the highway. Caltrans handles the highway cleanup because it is owned by the state.
Caltrans OKs Changes to Help Traffic Flow in Hwy 41 Cone Zone
Sierra News
After getting dozens of complaints last week about traffic problems on Highway 41 following the start of a months-long project to replace more than a mile of the town’s main sewer line, District 5 Supervisor Tom Wheeler and members of the County’s public works department met with officials from Caltrans and the project contractor to make some late adjustments to construction plans.
California drivers aren’t paying traffic fines. Here’s what Gov. Newsom plans to do
Sacramento Bee
Turning right on a red light without fully stopping will cost you $500 in California. Parking blocking a wheelchair access curb could get you a $1,100 ticket. Is your license plate paint peeling? Some car owners have been hit with a $1,000 ticket for that.
Audit of California high-speed rail finds inadequate federal oversight
Los Angeles Times
Federal regulators were not aggressive enough in reacting to the California bullet train’s problems since 2009 while overseeing a $2.5-billion grant to the troubled project, a federal audit released Friday found.
Automakers and Trump face new pressure not to ease mileage rules
Los Angeles Times
Environmentalists and consumer advocacy groups are castigating automakers for supporting the Trump administration’s effort to relax fuel-economy standards amid fresh warnings from a Democratic leader that the plan won’t deliver promised safety benefits and will raise costs for consumers.
WATER
Misuse — or misunderstanding? Valley water execs deny stealing more than $100K
Fresno Bee
Attorneys representing three former Panoche Water District officials accused of misusing more than $100,000 in public funds say the case against their clients doesn’t add up to wrongdoing.
MID ‘disappointed’ with judge’s ruling that it overcharged, readies for next phase
Modesto Bee
Modesto Irrigation District officials have decided to move on to the next phase in a lawsuit in which a judge has ruled that the publicly owned utility overcharged its electric customers to provide a subsidy to its farm water customers.
New film highlights Tooleville’s bad water
Visalia Times Delta
The short documentary focuses on Tooleville, a hamlet in eastern Tulare County where children can't wash their hands, dishes or vegetables without supervision because the water is tainted with multiple contaminants.
Bulldozers in the riverbed at Park at River Walk raise hackles, concerns
Bakersfield Californian
The different viewpoints seem to come down to that age-old question: Is the Kern River, as it moves through Bakersfield, a natural riparian ecosystem, a recreational magnet that could improve the city's image, or a "channel" used to carry water efficiently and safely?
Predator fish that anglers love faces uncertain future in California water wars
Sacramento Bee
In California’s never-ending water and fish wars, the striped bass doesn’t get nearly the publicity as its celebrity counterparts, the endangered Chinook salmon and Delta smelt. Yet the striped bass is at the heart of a protracted fight over California’s water supply, 140 years after the hard-fighting fish, beloved by anglers, was introduced here from the East Coast.
Newsom pledged to fix California water politics. Now he’s bogged down in the delta
Los Angeles Times
Soon after taking office last year, Gov. Gavin Newsom pledged to break through the “status quo” of California water politics, plagued by decades of litigation and impasse.
See also:
EDITORIAL: Newsom’s delta tunnel plan could work — but only as part of a more comprehensive water effort Los Angeles Times
Trump rolls back Obama-era water protections. How will that affect California?
KCRW
The Environmental Protection Agency is stripping protections for streams, wetlands, and groundwater nationwide. Major water bodies will still be protected, but smaller ones that don’t flow year-round, especially in California and western states, will be open to pollution dumps.
New Clean Water Act Rule to Provide Clarity and Redefine WOTUS
California Water News Daily
Earlier this week, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) and the Department of the Army (Army) finalized the Navigable Waters Protection Rule to define “Waters of the United States” and thereby establish federal regulatory authority under the Clean Water Act.
State Water Project Allocation Increases to 15 Percent
California Water News Daily
The California Department of Water Resources (DWR) has announced an increase in 2020 State Water Project (SWP) allocations to 15 percent of requested supplies, up from the year’s initial 10 percent allocation announced on December 2.
“Xtra”
Warszawski: Losing Grizzly Fest and Fresno FC hurts the city. Leaders, residents share the blame
Fresno Bee
One signature event or sports team leaving town is a bummer. Two is a disaster. Three in three months? That’s a pattern of futility that cannot, should not be ignored. The latest drop in the fail bucket: Last week’s announcement that Grizzly Fest was going on hiatusin 2020.
Clovis Ranks Most Caring City in California
Clovis RoundUp
Clovis has some pretty amazing shops, restaurants, and parks. But what makes this city even more amazing, are the people in it. According to research done by Insurify, an online car insurance comparison platform, Clovis was ranked the most caring city in California.
Test yourself with our new free game: PolitiTruth
Think you can tell the difference between True and False?
Do you really know what is fake news?
Support the Maddy Daily
Thank you!
Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.
The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno was established to honor the legacy of one of California’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.
This document is to be used for informational purposes only. Unless specifically noted, The Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno does not officially endorse or support views that may be expressed in the document. If you want to print a story, please do so now before the link expires.
To Subscribe or Unsubscribe: mjeans@csufresno.edu