POLICY & POLITICS
Valley:
Nunes challenger Janz pulls in Rosie O'Donnell, Barbra Streisand and more celebrity donors
Fresno Bee
Rep. Devin Nunes, R-Tulare, may have considerable financial support of agribusiness and the Republican political machine behind him, but Democratic challenger Andrew Janz clearly has Hollywood in his corner.
Ivanka Trump and Kevin McCarthy are coming to Fresno, but where?
Fresno Bee
Ivanka Trump and House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy will fundraise in Fresno on Monday, but the details surrounding the event have been mostly shrouded in secrecy. A few facts and a lot of speculation have begun to surface in the days leading up to the first daughter's visit.
Who will win Madera County's District 5 supervisor race? Votes are still being counted
Sierra Star
The Madera County race for District 5 supervisor still doesn’t have an official winner – but it’s leaning incumbent Tom Wheeler’s way. Pearl Carlotto, senior deputy clerk-recorder, said Friday, June 8 that a winner in the June 5 primary won’t be known in the race until all votes are counted and one candidate comes out with more than 50 percent of the vote.
State:
Big hurdles for bold push to split California into 3 states
AP News
Californians will face a choice this November of whether to divide the nation's most populous state into three, an effort that would radically shake up not only the West Coast, but the entire nation.
See also:
● Californians to vote on splitting state three ways Merced Sun-Star
● Three Californias? What you need to know. Sacramento Bee
● Sorry to ruin the fun, but California can't split itself up without the consent of Congress Los Angeles Times
● Gavin Newsom opposes initiative to split California in three even though it was proposed by a friend Los Angeles Times
● Gavin Newsom shrugs off three Californias measure. John Cox is silent San Francisco Chronicle
● Breaking Up is Hard to Do: What the Proposal to Split California Could Learn from the Past KQED
● Who gets Yosemite? Where top landmarks would fall in Three Californias plan Mercury News
● This is why Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper wants to break California into three USA Today
● Man behind plan to split up California likes chances in November vote Reuters
● Breaking Up California Would Throw the Muni-Market Into Turmoil Bloomberg
● EDITORIAL: The only thing certain about breaking up California is that it will cause chaos and cost a bundle Los Angeles Times
Gov. Jerry Brown rallies Democrats to elect Gavin Newsom as his successor
Los Angeles Times
Rallying Democrats for the November election, Gov. Jerry Brown said Wednesday that he looks forward to passing the baton to Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, the party’s candidate for governor, who in turn promised to continue the progressive agenda pursued by Brown.
Fox: Can John Cox Win? There Have Been GOP Surprises in Blue States
Fox & Hounds
A long shot to be sure, but looking at the overwhelming registration advantage Democrat Gavin Newsom has over Republican Cox doesn’t mean numbers are destiny. Ask the governors of Massachusetts, Maryland and Illinois.
Villaraigosa reflects after a bruising loss in California governor's race
Los Angeles Times
In his sun-splashed home in the Hollywood Hills, Antonio Villaraigosa has been busy writing thank-you notes. What he hasn’t been doing, Villaraigosa said, is second-guessing campaign tactics that led to a distant third-place finish in the June 5 primary, including a bruising defeat on his home turf to fellow Democrat Gavin Newsom.
See also:
● What Went Wrong for Villaraigosa: A California Stalwart Ponders His Loss for Governor New York Times
UC Davis California Civic Engagement Project
Initial research on the Ballot Initiative Transparency Act.
San Francisco elects first African-American woman as mayor
AP News
San Francisco Supervisor London Breed emerged victorious Wednesday to become the city’s first African-American woman mayor after narrowly defeating a rival who was seeking to become the first openly gay man in the position.
See also:
● Knight: It’s a really big deal that San Francisco elected London Breed as mayor San Francisco Chronicle
● Where London Breed stands on San Francisco’s biggest issues San Francisco Chronicle
California results suggest blue wave has crested and ebbed
AEI
Perhaps another blue wave is building. But the one almost everyone was expecting six months ago seems to have crested and ebbed.
See also:
● Watch: Which Party Has More Enthusiasm for the Midterms? Wall Street Journal
Federal:
'It's Trump's party now' and Republicans could pay in November
Reuters
While fealty to the Republican president may be a requirement to win low-turnout Republican primaries dominated by conservative activists, it could prove a tougher sell against energized anti-Trump Democratic forces in midterm elections this fall.
Fact Check: Trump falsely declares post-summit victory
PBS
Trump is wrong to suggest North Korea no longer poses a nuclear threat. The two countries didn’t nail down how and when the North might denuclearize or shed light on the unspecified “protections” Trump pledged to Kim and his government.
See also:
Scott Pruitt Should Step Down from EPA
National Review
We are now at a point where a good week for Pruitt sees only one report of behavior that is bizarre or venal. He seems to have used government employees to secure a job for his wife and to get a discount on a mattress.
Strike Down ObamaCare, Says Justice Department
Wall Street Journal
Twenty states have filed a lawsuit against the federal government arguing that the Affordable Care Act is unconstitutional—and this time the federal government agrees.
See also:
● Doctors Rip Trump DOJ's Move To Gut Obamacare's Patient Protections Forbes
● Get Health Coverage at Work? Lawsuit Against ACA Could Affect You, Too Wall Street Journal
Other:
Walters: Politicians give voters a double dose of sneakiness
CALmatters
Senate Bill 863 is a double dose of sneakiness—combining, in just 17 words, two separate efforts to block Californians from knowing what their elected officials are doing.
MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING
Sunday, June 17, at 10 a.m. on ABC 30 – Maddy Report: “Public Employee Union Dues: “Fair Share” v. “Free Speech” – Guests: Laurel Rosenhall with CALmatters, Steve Smith with California Labor Federation, Dan Walters from CALmatters, and John Myers from LA Times. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, June 17, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “Will Valley Public Employees Get a Fair Share After Fair Share?” – Guests: Lacy Barnes, President of State Center Federation of Teachers and Vice President of American Federation of Teachers in California; Tad Weber, Editorial Page Editor for the Fresno Bee and Mike Dunbar, Editorial Page Editor for the Modesto Bee and Merced Sun Star. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.
Sunday, June 17, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “State Auditor To UC: UCPath on the Wrong Path” – Guest: Margarita Fernandez, PIO State Auditor's Office. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.
Support the Maddy Daily HERE.
Thank you!
AGRICULTURE/FOOD
Valley agriculture caught up in international trade fight
ABC30
When it comes to California ag exports, Canada is the second significant buyer behind the EU. A 10% tariff or added tax would be felt in the valley.
Evaluating SNAP reform in the Senate farm bill proposal
AEI
In contrast with House Republicans, whose proposed farm bill brought a much needed focus on employment to our nation’s food stamps program, the drafters of the Senate bill have completely passed on work requirements in favor of an approach that insists that the status quo is fine.
Farmworkers In California Fearful After Immigrant Couple Dies While Fleeing ICE
NPR
In March, Hilario Garcia's brother and his wife left their apartment complex in the pre-dawn hours to look for work in the grape fields. ICE agents in two unmarked Jeeps signaled them to pull over.
CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY
Crime:
Chief Dyer touts drop in violent crime, shootings in Fresno
Fresno Bee
Violent crime, including homicides and shootings, are down markedly from 2017, Fresno Police Chief Jerry Dyer reported Wednesday during his monthly review of crime data with the media.
Former OID member refused to take part in FPPC investigation. It's going to cost him
Modesto Bee
State election law enforcers recommend a $16,000 penalty against former Oakdale Irrigation District board member Al Bairos for violating campaign finance requirements and failing to cooperate with investigators.
He worked his way up in the Merced Police Department for 21 years. Now he's chief
Modesto Bee
Merced Police Capt. Chris Goodwin, 48, will officially become the city's top cop next week, according to a news release. The 21-year veteran of the police department has already been serving as the interim chief since former Chief Norman Andrade's retirement in December.
Public Safety:
The Impact of Proposition 47 on Crime and Recidivism
Public Policy Institute of California
Passed in 2014, Proposition 47 helped reduce California’s prison and jail populations. Recidivism rates for certain offenses went down substantially, but some property crimes increased.
See also:
● Thefts rise after California reduces criminal penalties Los Angeles Times
● Prop. 47 is linked to increase in auto thefts, study says San Francisco Chronicle
● Thefts rise after California reduces criminal penalties AP News
California can fix its rape kit backlog; don’t delay justice
Modesto Bee
California law enforcement agencies have a backlog of more than 13,000 forensic evidence kits that are used to identify DNA from the clothing or the body of a rape victim.
San Joaquin shows the way to end sheriff-coroner system
Sacramento Bee
The recent vote by the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors to establish an independent medical examiner’s office, which goes into effect on Thursday, is a reform that other California counties and other parts of the nation should embrace.
Can watching sports reduce crime? ‘Benefits may be substantial,’ UC Davis study says
Sacramento Bee
Sports aren't just a form of entertainment or a reason to celebrate with friends and fans. When they're broadcast on TV, people cause less trouble, according to a study. Research from the UC Davis Violence Prevention Research Program showed that crime reports were down during sporting events, most notably the Super Bowl.
EDITORIAL: Big California prison guard raise doesn’t add up
OCRegister
Gov. Jerry Brown’s recent offer of a “large” raise to the California prison guards union is yet another demonstration of misplaced priorities in Sacramento and the outsized influence of public-sector unions.
States should control marijuana enforcement
AEI
Federal restrictions shouldn’t apply where pot is legal. Kudos to senators working to turn that idea into law.
Fire:
Two structures destroyed in Tuolumne County fire
Modesto Bee
A fire east of Jupiter in Tuolumne County destroyed two outbuildings Wednesday afternoon before being contained to three acres.
ECONOMY / JOBS
Economy:
Federal Reserve bumps up interest rate, signals two more hikes likely in 2018
Washington Post
The Federal Reserve hiked America's benchmark interest rate a quarter point on Wednesday to 1.75 to 2 percent, a move that will likely cause a slight increase in mortgage, credit card, auto and small business loan rates.
See also:
● Analysis: Here's how the latest Fed interest rate hike could affect your wallet Hanford Sentinel
● Fed raises interest rates and signals faster hikes on the way CNN
● Fed Raises Interest Rates for Second Time in 2018, Signaling Economic Optimism National Review
● Fed raises interest rates and predicts faster pace of future increases Los Angeles Times
Judge clears AT&T purchase of Time Warner, creating entertainment colossus
Los Angeles Times
U.S. District Judge Richard Leon’s ruling in the biggest antitrust case of the century is expected to pave the way for more mega-mergers and was a stinging defeat for the Trump administration.
See also:
● AT&T’s Time Warner Prize—A Load of Hollywood Headaches Wall Street Journal
● How the AT&T-Time Warner Merger Affects Consumers Consumer Reports
● EDITORIAL: Big media merger will fuel huge changes with little oversight San Francisco Chronicle
The state of competition and dynamism in America
Brookings
An enduring narrative about the U.S. economy, along with rugged individualism and the opportunity to rise from rags to riches, is that it is a dynamic market where new ideas can thrive and new businesses can reshape the economic landscape.
U.S. Preparing to Proceed With Tariffs on Chinese Goods
Wall Street Journal
The Trump administration, deepening its global trade offensive, is preparing to levy tariffs on tens of billions of dollars of Chinese goods in the coming week, perhaps as early as Friday—a move that is likely to spark heavy retaliation from Beijing.
Understanding large metro areas’ economic trajectory, which we measure through employment and GDP per capita measures, offers additional insights into the sources of growth that national or regional assessments tend to obscure.
Trump Wants to Bail Out Coal and Nuclear Power. Here’s Why That Will Be Hard.
New York Times
Right now, in parts of the country with deregulated electricity systems, like the Mid-Atlantic region, energy companies compete in auctions to sell their electricity to the grid. A glut of cheap natural gas has caused the prices to fall sharply in recent years — a big reason that many coal and nuclear plants have become unprofitable.
Will Amazon’s work to kill Seattle tax spook other cities?
AP News
A tax on large companies such as Amazon that was meant to fight a growing homelessness crisis got rolled back during a raucous Seattle City Council meeting that exposed divisions over how much companies that have fueled booming economies should help pay to alleviate the downsides of success.
A case against the General Data Protection Regulation
Brookings
Changing data collection, sharing, and analysis processes places significant financial burdens on business.
Jobs:
How much are we earning almost a decade after the Great Recession?
Marketplace
Students who graduate into a recession can end up earning $60,000 to $100,000 less over a lifetime compared to their peers who graduate in better times, according to several studies, and their salaries might not catch up for 10 or 20 years.
Is government intervention the best way to cut inequality?
AEI
Too much inequality can hurt innovation, as elites “pull up the ladder behind them“, reducing social mobility for people on lower incomes. So, what’s the solution?
Analysis: What Will the Fed Do With an Overshoot?
Wall Street Journal
Officials now see unemployment dropping to 3.5% by late 2019, a full percentage point below their estimate of where it should be in the long run.
Amazon’s Clever Machines Are Moving From the Warehouse to Headquarters
Bloomberg
The people who command six-figure salaries to negotiate multimillion-dollar deals with major brands are being replaced by software that predicts what shoppers want and how much to charge for it. Machines are beating people at the critical inventory decisions that separate the winners and losers in retail.
EDUCATION
K-12:
Fresno Unified will relax its dress code, leaving rules on student wear up to schools
Fresno Bee
The Fresno Unified School District board adopted a new, stripped-down dress code Wednesday that removes all explicit bans on student appearance and leaves those specifics up to individual schools.
See also:
● Fresno Unified adopts new dress code policy ABC30
Renovations will improve experience for Fresno Unified students
ABC30
For Fresno Unified Students, schools already out for summer but the district is hard at work with several construction projects thanks to Measure X. The $225 million bond measure was approved by voters back in 2016, allowing funds for five major areas across the district.
See also:
● Fresno Unified adding security cameras district-wide ABC30
VUSD pushes $109M bond, teachers want assurances for campuses
Visalia Times-Delta
Visalia Unified School District board members are inching closer to a decision to move forward or forgo a multi-million dollar bond measure. At Tuesday's board meeting, Visalia Unified administrators recommended board members move forward with a $109 million bond to be voted on by residents in November.
Construction underway at Lemoore High
Hanford Sentinel
This summer Lemoore High School has begun work on its bond projects from Measure L in 2016. The district hopes to have all work in this first set of projects completed in November.
Manteca Unified promotes interim chief to top job
Stockton Record
Manteca Unified Board of Trustees announced Tuesday evening as the meeting began that interim superintendent Clark Burke was promoted to superintendent, formally replacing outgoing superintendent Jason Messer.
Two KHSD high schools to get new principals in staff shift
Bakersfield Californian
Independence and Centennial high schools will have new principals next school year following a shift of several senior-level employees at Kern High School District.
IQ scores are falling and have been for decades
CNN
IQ scores have been steadily falling for the last few decades, and environmental factors -- not genes -- are to blame, a new study says.
Here's what a new California law says about teaching abortion in class
Sacramento Bee
A Sutter Middle School science teacher was abiding by a relatively new state law when she raised the issue of abortion in her sex education class this month. It was the format of her presentation that may have run afoul of guidelines - upsetting some parents and prompting the Sacramento City Unified School District to launch an investigation.
Devos Questioned About NRA Influence Over School Safety Panel
Politico
Murray also criticized DeVos for not attending the listening session and, instead, embarking on a 10-day trip to study apprenticeship programs in Europe. The commission is made up of DeVos, Attorney General Jeff Sessions, Health and Human Services Secretary Alex Azar and Homeland Security Secretary Kirstjen Nielsen. None of them was present for the listening session.
Watch: Testing and the American economy
AEI
AEI’s Eric Hanushek gives insight into how America’s less-than-promising position in global academics could mean fewer skilled workers for the nation in the near future, and thus less stability as an economic trailblazer.
Higher Ed:
Ex-Fresno State Athletic Director Jim Bartko alleges he was forced out of position
Fresno Bee
Former Fresno State Athletic Director Jim Bartko said he was forced out of his position and called his sudden departure as "unlawful." Bartko made those comments Wednesday, seven months after his abrupt departure and nearly three years on the job.
Food Security Project honored in national innovation award contest
Fresno State News
The Food Security Project at Fresno State received an honorable mention in the 2018 competition for the Excellence in Innovation Award by Phi Kappa Phi, the nation’s oldest collegiate honor society.
Opinion: Investing in Cal State pays off
Sacramento Bee
Commencement season is a time of celebration across California. Sacramento State sent off a record 6,600 graduates into the wider world. At my campus, Cal State LA, we awarded 6,000 degrees. In all, the California State University system will graduate more than 110,000 students this year.
Judges Wouldn’t Consider Forgiving Crippling Student Loans—Until Now
Wall Street Journal
For decades, bankruptcy judges refused to consider reducing student loans. That is now changing, and some judges are throwing lifelines to people struggling to repay their debt.
Wall Street Journal
A new study examined 11,000 award letters sent in 2016 by more than 900 colleges. It found most of them use obscure terminology, omit vital information, or present financial calculations that appear deliberately deceptive.
The Attack on Educational Excellence
Wall Street Journal
Schools considered ‘too Asian’ were once branded ‘too white’ or ‘too Jewish.’
ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY
Environment:
'Faster than we expected': Study suggests Antarctic melting is accelerating at an alarming rate
Hanford Sentinel
The melting of Antarctica is accelerating at an alarming rate, with about 3 trillion tons of ice disappearing since 1992, an international team of ice experts said in a new study.
See also:
Antarctica's ice melt is increasing rapidly, study finds, raising sea levels and threatening coastal communities worldwide Washington Post
6 California bills aimed to curb plastic pollution and litter – where are they now?
Mercury News
A package of six state bills aimed at reducing plastic and cigarette-butt litter — with an emphasis on trash that ends up in the ocean — has met with a mixed fate, with half advancing and half dying in their legislative chamber of origin.
Record-Low Clarity in Lake Tahoe Blamed on Unusual Weather Events
San Francisco Chronicle
Water clarity in Lake Tahoe reached a record low annual average in 2017 due to a historic drought, record-breaking precipitation and warmer-than-usual lake temperatures, according to a new study.
HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES
Health:
Valley Children’s brings Magnolia Pediatrics to Clovis
Clovis Roundup
The Central Valley has a shortage of primary care providers and Valley Children’s Healthcare is working to fill that gap. One of the ways it’s doing so is by branching out and opening pediatric outpatient centers across the Valley to provide better access to patients.
California’s expanding care options for Boomers with dementia—but still falling short of the need
CALmatters
By the end of the next decade, 11.1 million Californians will be 60 or older. One in six Americans is expected to develop dementia, and care can be expensive enough to force even middle-class families into poverty and onto the public payroll.
PBS
At its annual policymaking meeting, the nation’s largest physicians group bowed to unprecedented demands from doctor-members to take a stronger stand on gun violence — a problem the organizations says is as menacing as a lethal infectious disease.
This nation faces a DNA dilemma: Whether to notify people carrying cancer genes
Fresno Bee
Sometime in the future, U.S. researchers will be able to press a button and reliably identify the thousands of people who carry cancer-causing genes, including those that trigger breast cancer.
Human Services:
Here’s what the suicide epidemic looks like in California
Sacramento Bee
California residents are committing suicide at unprecedented rates. Suicide rates are particularly high in rural parts of California where mental health care is scarce.
Medicaid Expansion Gains Popularity in Red States
Wall Street Journal
The push to expand Medicaid is gaining traction in some Republican states that previously rejected the idea, thanks to grass-roots efforts to let voters weigh in directly on the issue and recent changes in the program that make it more friendly to conservatives.
Helping close divisions in the US: Insights from the American Well-Being Project
Brookings
Through on-the-ground community research in Missouri—a microcosm of America’s problems—as well as the application of ongoing policy research, we hope to develop approaches that can tackle factors like lack of access to health care, scarcity of low-skilled jobs, weak education systems, and hollowed-out communities.
IMMIGRATION
House turmoil on DACA, immigration could affect California races
San Francisco Chronicle
Hopes for a bipartisan immigration bill have fallen apart under an unceasing assault by GOP leaders, leaving moderate Republicans like Central Valley Rep. Jeff Denham scrambling to save something for their heavily Latino districts.
See also:
Republicans hatch immigration deal – but only one option gives Dreamers citizenship Sacramento Bee
● Trump Allies Want Immigration Tweet Before They Vote for Bill Bloomberg
● Vulnerable Republicans See Immigration as Political Salvation New York Times
● House GOP Leadership Gets White House Support on Immigration Vote Plan New York Times
Farmworkers In California Fearful After Immigrant Couple Dies While Fleeing ICE
NPR
In March, Hilario Garcia's brother and his wife left their apartment complex in the pre-dawn hours to look for work in the grape fields. ICE agents in two unmarked Jeeps signaled them to pull over.
U.S. decision on asylum casts a pall over immigrants fleeing gang violence
Los Angeles Times
Atty. Gen. Jeff Sessions ordered immigration judges to stop granting asylum to virtually all those claiming to be victims of domestic or gang violence, a move that could block tens of thousands of people from gaining permanent entry into the U.S.
Members of Congress protest separation of families at the border
Los Angeles Times
Members of Congress and immigration activists blocked the entrance to the U.S. Customs and Border Protection headquarters Wednesday, protesting the Trump administration’s policy of separating families at the border. Ten House members wore white armbands to signify their intention to be arrested in an act of civil disobedience.
LAND USE/HOUSING
Land Use:
Yosemite’s Mariposa Grove of Giant Sequoias reopens
Fresno Bee
The removal of nearly an acre and a half of asphalt to protect roots and help water better flow to ancient sequoias in Yosemite National Park is now complete.
See also:
● Watch: How conservancy planners and engineers worked together to save a giant sequoia root Fresno Bee
● Watch: The giant sequoias were the catalyst to starting the National Park system Fresno Bee
● Largest restoration project in Yosemite history opens at Mariposa Grove Mercury News
● Mariposa Grove, Yosemite’s haven for giant sequoias, restored and ready for visitors San Francisco Chronicle
Clovis Residents Strike Compromise With Developers, City
Valley Public Radio
As Clovis grows, pressure is growing for developers to add new houses, often converting farmland to subdivisions. How do rural residents there coexist with new development while keeping their country way of life?
Housing:
CALmatters
When the California Housing Finance Agency was created in 1975 in Governor Jerry Brown’s first term, the mission was simple: help low- and moderate-income families buy their first home. Amid skyrocketing housing prices and near-record low homeownership rates, that goal is getting harder and harder to attain.
Legislative Analyst’s Office
Presented to Senate Governance and Finance Committee, Assembly Committee on Revenue and Taxation, and Assembly Committee on Budget.
California employment grows while home prices push some away
OCRegister
California employment hit a record high of 18.5 million in April, but rising home prices and a limited supply of housing are continuing to drive some people away, according to the latest UCLA Anderson Forecast, which was released Wednesday.
PUBLIC FINANCES
California’s Budget Deal Is Set For A Vote On Thursday. Here Are The Details.
capradio.org
The California Legislature is planning to vote Thursday on the budget deal Democratic leaders reached last week with Gov. Jerry Brown. The agreement would increase state funding for the UC and CSU systems, child care, and welfare grants.
See also:
Skelton: California's state budgets represent a seemingly unstoppable rise in government spending Los Angeles Times
California lawmakers call in a $1.2 billion wrecking ball for their offices
San Francisco Chronicle
It was headline news when Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders reached a deal to spend an extra $600 million next fiscal year on shelters and other local measures to try to reduce the number of homeless people in California.
Why the Fed needs a new monetary policy framework
Brookings
A new monetary policy framework that moves away from the current 2 percent inflation target would permit the economy to achieve higher levels of output and employment over time.
The bad news on entitlements piles up
AEI
The gap between spending and revenue for Social Security and Medicare is likely even larger than the official projections show because of assumed but unrealistic cuts in medical care payment rates and the persistently low birth rates of recent years.
TRANSPORTATION
California's Transportation System
Legislative Analyst’s Office
The state’s transportation system helps to move people and goods around and through the state. The aim of this primer is to provide policymakers and the public with key information about this system.
Clovis DMV to offer Saturday hours
Clovis Roundup
In an attempt to help ease wait times around the state, 40 California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) field offices will begin offering limited Saturday service in June. Among those select locations are the Clovis office and the 655 W. Olive Ave. office in Fresno.
Electrify America to spend $44 million on Sacramento-area electric vehicles
Sacramento Bee
The city of Sacramento on Wednesday announced a $44 million investment by Electrify America to bring hundreds of electric vehicles to the city over the next year, an initiative officials hope will encourage sustainability, simplify transportation and ease traffic
downtown.
How Is California Spending Money From Gas Tax?
CBS Sacramento
The controversial gas tax bill has critics trying to repeal legislation in November, but proponents argue the money is already being put to good use.
California eyes July for reopening iconic Highway 1 stretch
AP News
California transportation officials have targeted July for reopening an iconic stretch of Highway 1 in the scenic Big Sur coastal region that was blocked last year by a massive landslide.
See Also:
● Pacific Coast Highway south of Big Sur to reopen by end of July, officials say Los Angeles Times
WATER
Cancer-causing chemical found in Tulare tap water. Now what?
Fresno Bee
Water from six wells in Tulare flunked a new test when a cancer-causing chemical came in above state standards, the city said in a letter to customers. But the water is still safe to drink, the city said, because the presence of the chemical is not an emergency.
See also:
Tulare has $14 million to fix cancer-causing water, here's how they'll use it Visalia Times-Delta
EDITORIAL: California, the world's fifth-largest economy, has a Third World drinking water problem
Los Angeles Times
Even in times of drought, California’s natural and human-made arteries run with the nation’s cleanest, most accessible water. So fundamental is the stuff to the state’s identity and to its residents’ daily lives that California law recognizes a human right to “safe, clean, affordable, and accessible water adequate for human consumption, cooking, and sanitary purposes.”
Legislative Analyst’s Office
Presented to: Assembly Committee on Water, Parks, and Wildlife and Assembly Budget Subcommittee No. 3 On Resources and Transportation.
Fact Check: Is It Now Against the Law in California to Shower and Do Laundry on the Same Day?
Snopes
New water conservation legislation does not penalize individual California residents for specific water use.
See also:
Tammy Bruce: California's new water rationing law is a tax in disguise, complete with fines Fox News
“Xtra”
Budget-friendly ideas for kids for the summer
ABC30
Summer break is here for several Valley kids. While many are excited about sleeping in, many parents have the challenge of finding them something to do.
What do apricots, beer and lumber have in common? Summer fun, of course
Modesto Bee
Get your motors running, festival lovers – June is nearly here, revving up with a fresh batch of celebrations.
Children’s Museum of the Sierra holds annual Family Carnival on Saturday
Sierra Star
The Children’s Museum of the Sierra annual Family Carnival is Saturday, June 16 from 10:30 a.m. to 2 p.m. There will be games, crafts, special visitors, events, food and more, according to the museum.
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Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.
The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno was established to honor the legacy of one of California’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.
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