June 19, 2018

19Jun

POLICY & POLITICS

 

Valley:

 

Billboards, ads target Rep. David Valadao on health care vote

Fresno Bee

A Democratic super political action committee is launching an ad campaign attacking Rep. David Valadao, R-Hanford, on his 2017 vote to replace the Affordable Care Act with a Republican-engineered health care plan.

 

Immigration bill coming to House floor this week, McCarthy tells Fresno donors at Ivanka Trump event

Fresno Bee

An immigration bill will head to the U.S. House of Representatives floor this week, Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy apparently told a room full of Fresno Republican campaign donors Monday.  McCarthy was appearing alongside Ivanka Trump as part of his "Protect the House" fundraising tour.

See also:

     Ivanka Trump speaking at luncheon held in Fresno ABC30

     Ivanka Trump lands in Valley, protesters greet First Daughter Visalia Times-Delta

     Watch: Ivanka Trump arrives by plane for luncheon in Fresno Sacramento Bee

For more please look under “Immigration”

 

Duking it out on Twitter: Denham, Harder trade barbs about who's really local

Modesto Bee

Candidates hoping to represent this Valley region in Congress have taken to casting each other as the Bay Area guy. The "no I'm not; you are" spat between incumbent Rep. Jeff Denham and challenger Josh Harder recently spilled into Twitter, a popular debate venue for some politicians.

 

Gubler 'grateful' after loss to Sigala, Mathis

Visalia Times-Delta

The race for the District 26 State Assembly seat is finally clear. Incumbent Devon Mathis (R-Visalia) and Jose Sigala, a Democrat councilman from Tulare, will face off this fall.

 

'I am the winner,' says Madera County supervisor candidate after latest votes counted

Sierra Star

Three weeks after the June 5 primary, Madera County District 5 Supervisor Tom Wheeler can say he will serve a fourth term, he said. "I am the winner!" he proclaimed Monday. The win means the District 5 race will not head into a run-off in November.

 

Far-reaching effects of Mayor Carlton Jones

Visalia Times-Delta

The antics and animosity that hovers over the Tulare City Council these days are becoming well known throughout the area. And not in a good way.

 

New grand jury sworn in

Hanford Sentinel

The 2018-19 San Joaquin County grand jury was selected and sworn in Monday, shortly after the 2017-18 county grand jury was dismissed in a 30-minute ceremony at the county​​ courthouse. The grand jury does not handle criminal cases but examines other activities within the county.

 

Near-final election totals show just how different Kern is from overall state

Bakersfield Californian

The votes are (almost) in. The Kern County Elections Division reported Monday that 527 of 527 precincts have reported and no last-minute ballot-dumps have changed what was apparent from the first night of voting in local races.

 

State:

 

John Cox punts on immigration, climate change

Sacramento Bee

California Republican gubernatorial candidate John Cox defended President Donald Trump's stance on immigration during a press conference at the Capitol today, Angela Hart reported. He also dodged a question about his position on climate change.

See also:

     Governor hopeful Cox says he opposes splitting up state San Francisco Chronicle

      GOP candidate for governor John Cox spars with Democrats over repeal of gas-tax increase Los Angeles Times

      John Cox defended President Donald Trump's border policy Sacramento Bee

     John Cox, endorsed for California governor by Trump, says he opposes separating immigrant parents from children Los Angeles Times

 

Rich people crowded onto California’s ballot — and many finished out of the money
San Francisco Chronicle

In a year when there’s a wave of first-time candidates running for office nationally, one truism remains in California: Being rich may get you in the game, but it is no guarantee that you’ll win.

 

Ex-Insurance Boss Poizner Seeks Non-Partisan Re-do

CalBuzz

Poizner, a 61-year old Silicon Valley zillionaire, finished first in the June 5 balloting for Insurance Commissioner — the first political independent ever to qualify for election to state office in California.

 

At the corner of a divided California

Daily Democrat

If California splits into three states, maybe it’s fitting that the corners would converge here: among a clothing-optional hot springs resort, a tin-roofed fruit stand and an old roadhouse saloon where ranchers drink beer and talk Trump.

 

Slicing and dicing a three-way split

Capitol Weekly

It has been said, over and over again, that “The Devil is in the Details.” If Californians approve splitting themselves up into three new states this November, and the remaining political obstacles can somehow be overcome, the details will indeed become devilish.

 

Walters: The Capitol weighs another big, dicey power play

CALmatters

There aren’t too many folks in and around the state Capitol who were there 22 years ago, when the building’s denizens committed one of California history’s most horrendous errors.

 

Jeffe & Jeffe: “Top Two” Takes California

Fox & Hounds

Despite the grumbling of pundits and partisans, California’s top-two primary is almost certainly here to stay. The voters like it and the system fits the realities of this state’s politics.

 

Federal:

 

The facts about Trump’s policy of separating families at the border

Washington Post

In Orwellian fashion, the Trump administration repeatedly claims its own policy doesn't exist or was written by others.

 

Trump Misleads on IG Report

FactCheck

President Donald Trump said he thinks former FBI Director James Comey committed “very criminal acts.” But the facts don’t support the president’s opinion

 

Supreme Court makes no definitive ruling in resolving partisan redistricting cases

Hanford Sentinel

The Supreme Court is resolving partisan redistricting cases from Wisconsin and Maryland without ruling on the broader issue of whether electoral maps can give an unfair advantage to a political party.

See also:

     Supreme Court refuses to rule on partisan gerrymandering in a setback for reformers Los Angeles Times

     Supreme Court Avoids an Answer on Partisan Gerrymandering New York Times

     High Court Leaves Partisan Gerrymandering Issue for Another Day Roll Call

     EDITORIAL: No gerrymander fix? Thanks for nothing, Supreme Court San Diego Union-Tribune

      EDITORIAL: The Supreme Court’s Gerrymander Tease Wall Street Journal

 

Other:

 

Want to change police abuse laws? Here’s a pro tip: Stop shouting everyone down

Sacramento Bee

Shouting down speakers is inconsistent with the most basic values of freedom of speech and often is counter-productive in that it prevents advocacy for the very change that the disrupters want.

 

Trump’s America does not care

Brookings

Trump is not merely neglecting the liberal world order, writes Bob Kagan; he is milking it for narrow gain, rapidly destroying the trust and sense of common purpose that have held it together and prevented international chaos for seven decades.

 

EDITORIAL: No more waiting. After nearly a century, now is the time to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment

Los Angeles Times

Ninety-five years after the Equal Rights Amendment was first introduced and more than a generation after Congress passed it and sent it to the states for ratification, the Illinois Legislature became the 37th state to approve it.

 

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING  

 

Sunday, June 24, at 10 a.m. on ABC 30 – Maddy Report“Immigration: Dreaming in a Sanctuary State” – Guests: Laura Hill with the Public Policy Institute of California, Taryn Luna with the Sacramento Bee, and Dan Walters with CALmatters. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, June 24, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report​​ ​​ - Valley Views Edition“Income Inequality and Immigration: Are They Related?” – Guests: Laura Hill with the Public Policy Institute of California, Taryn Luna with the Sacramento Bee, Dan Walters with CALmatters, California Budget Center Policy Analyst Luke Reidenbach, and National Federation of Independent Business (NFIB) California State Director Tom Scott. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, June 24, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Higher Education and Path in California”  Guests: PPIC Olga Rodriguez and Marisol Cuellar. Host: Maddy Institute Program Coordinator, Maria Jeans.

 

Support the Maddy Daily HERE.

 

 

Thank you!

 

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

Fight Over Food Stamps Among Big Hurdles Facing Farm Bill

Roll Call

This year’s House fight over the GOP effort to restructure SNAP, formerly known as food stamps, from a nutrition program into a labor initiative has overshadowed other potential areas of dispute that are likely to emerge, including whether or not big farm operations or extended family members on farms should get government subsidies.

CRIMINAL JUSTICE​​ /​​ FIRE​​ /​​ PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

Two BPD officers involved in Heart Hospital shooting receive clean incident review

Bakersfield Californian

The Bakersfield Police Department Critical Incident Review Board has determined that all shots fired by officers in a confrontation last December with a gunman who shot out a glass door at Bakersfield Heart Hospital and threatened people inside acted within department policy, and within legal requirements, police said in a news release Monday.

 

Public Safety:

 

Deputy chief among four Stockton PD promotions

Hanford Sentinel

James Chraska, who began his career with the Stockton Police Department 21 years ago, is the newest member of the agency’s highest ranks following his promotion Monday to deputy chief.

 

'911, what’s your emergency?' It’s locating callers

Los Angeles Times

In an effort to thrust 911 call centers into the 21st century, Apple announced Monday that the next major update to iPhone software will allow users in the U.S. to automatically share location data with emergency responders.

 

Writing About Earthquakes, and Feeling One

New York Times

The probabilities of collapse are calculated by using complex computer models that engineers agree are far from perfect. Engineers often say we won’t know how accurate those models are until the buildings actually go through an earthquake.

 

Fire:

 

Evacuations ordered near Coulterville as fires break out throughout the region

Fresno Bee

Firefighters battled blazes across the region, including one near Coulterville that has prompted mandatory evacuations in the area. The Wheeler fire broke out Monday afternoon near Coulterville, according to the California Department of Fire and Forestry Protection.

 

Cal Fire suspends all permits for outdoor residential burning in Mountain Area

Sierra Star

Cal Fire announced Monday, June 18 that it was immediately suspending all burn permits for outdoor residential burning within the State Responsibility Area of Madera, Mariposa and Merced counties.

 

ECONOMY / JOBS

 

Economy:

 

California Unemployment Report – May 2018

The Center for Jobs and the Economy

Analysis of the May employment data.

 

Trump threatens to slap tariffs on an additional $200 billion in Chinese goods, raising trade tensions

Sacramento Bee

President Donald Trump, moving to amp up pressure on China to make trade concessions, threatened late Monday to impose tariffs on an additional $200 billion in Chinese imports and to double that amount if Beijing retaliates with countermeasures.

See also:

     Trump threatens to slap tariffs on an additional $200 billion in Chinese goods, raising trade tensions Los Angeles Times

     Donald Trump Threatens New Tariffs on $200 Billion in China Imports Wall Street Journal

     Tariffs Start to Ripple Their Way Through the U.S. Economy Wall Street Journal

     Trump trade policy ungrounded in economics, oblivious to history AEI

 

Senate Rebukes Trump With Vote to Reinstate ZTE Sales Ban
Wall Street Journal

The Senate voted to reinstate a ban on selling U.S. parts to Chinese telecommunications company ZTE Corp., rejecting a deal President Donald Trump made with Beijing to save the firm.

 

Economic policy should be more boring

Brookings

Budget policy, health policy, and trade policy are at least as important to our future wellbeing as monetary policy, but in those domains chaos reigns. The tribal warfare between Republicans and Democrats, reinforced by the erratic style of President Trump, have killed deliberate policy-making.

 

What successful antipoverty efforts look like

AEI
A program in Colorado that focuses on helping non-custodial fathers gain employment and pay child support provides a refreshing example of effective state-led antipoverty efforts.

 

Glimpsing into the future after the AT&T–Time Warner trial

AEI

AT&T argued that internet-based companies such as Facebook and Netflix have disrupted traditional entertainment and advertising markets and that a merger of content provider Time Warner and distributor AT&T was necessary for these old-media giants to continue to compete.

 

Critics say CFPB nominee Kathy Kraninger lacks the experience to be the nation's top consumer financial watchdog

Los Angeles Times

Nominees for top federal financial regulators usually have worked in high-level government or private-sector jobs, and President Trump had been following that traditional playbook. Until his latest pick.

 

Jobs:

 

This Father’s Day, EDD highlights California’s Paid Family Leave

Employment Development Department

California became the first state in the nation to create a Paid Family Leave program, which
provides benefits to workers who take time off to care for an ill family member or to bond with a child entering their family either by birth, adoption or foster care. In 2017, more than 77,000 new fathers used the program.

 

Tesla’s sacked workers must keep mum or lose severance?

Mercury News

Tesla, after sacking 9 percent of its workforce, wants to make sure those former employees aren’t saying anything bad about the company’s safety practices, and has tied their severance payments to silence about any ongoing safety issues, a new report suggests.

See also:

     Tesla Flags Over 500 Job Cuts at California Headquarters, Plant Bloomberg

     Elon Musk emails employees about 'extensive and damaging sabotage' by employee CNBC

 

Free-market Republicans risk irrelevance by ignoring the concerns of blue-collar voters

AEI

Support for free enterprise has always been fragile. Free-market Republicans must recognize they can’t build a winning coalition without the president’s supporters.

 

Opinion: Ignore the Hyperbole, Encouraging Work Is a Worthy Goal

Roll Call

The economy is soaring and unemployment is at its lowest point in more than a decade. Despite this good news, far too many Americans find themselves out of the workforce or lacking the skills needed to land a good-paying job.

 

EDITORIAL: California talks a good #MeToo game. Now how about action for women in the workplace?

Sacramento Bee

What will it take to stop sexual harassment in the workplace? Last week, Assemblywoman Laura Friedman, D-Glendale, suggested an answer: cultural change.

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

California Schools Seek Rollback to Disclosure Law on Bond Votes

Bloomberg

On their ballots, California voters already see the fiscal impact of proposed tax increases. So they should see the same for bond measures. But a proposed bill that extends the disclosure requirements to bond requests has spurred schools to rise in opposition.

 

Parents & Kids Pay Big Price for Broken Preschool Promise

GVWire

Left on their own, California families, especially in the middle class, struggle to find anything affordable (many preschool tuitions are greater than the University of California’s) and full-day (to accommodate their working lives).

 

Higher Ed:

 

What caused explosion, chemical spill at Modesto Junior College pool area?

Modesto Bee

Modesto Junior College officials expect it will take several days to fully assess the damage from an explosion early Sunday at the east campus swimming pool that resulted in a chemical spill.

 

Americans Are Drowning in Student-Loan Debt. The US Should Forgive All of It

The Nation

No young person should be condemned to debt for pursuing the higher education or technical training that virtually everyone agrees is vital to this nation’s future.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

It's getting hotter out there: A look at temperatures as summer starts Thursday

Bakersfield Californian

After a cool weekend for mid-June in Kern County, the first day of summer is coming Thursday and bringing with it triple-digit temperatures and memories of last year’s record-breaking season.

 

Who will save LA’s trees?

Curbed Los Angeles

The city’s urban canopy is disappearing—and new developer rules might make it worse.

 

Warned 30 years ago, global warming ‘is in our living room’

AP News

“The biggest change over the last 30 years, which is most of my life, is that we’re no longer thinking just about the future,” said Kathie Dello, a climate scientist at Oregon State University in Corvallis. “Climate change is here, it’s now and it’s hitting us hard from all sides.”

 

Energy:

 

State unveils oil regulations inspired by Arvin gas leak

Bakersfield Californian

State oil regulators on Monday rolled out new health and safety rules inspired by a 2014 Arvin gas leak that forced about three dozen people from their homes for more than eight months.

 

California lawmakers debate creating regional electric grid

AP News

A contentious proposal to link oversight of California’s electric grid with other western states faces a crucial test Tuesday in a state Senate committee.

See also:

     Expanding California’s electric grid benefits all San Francisco Chronicle

     Walters: The Capitol weighs another big, dicey power play CALmatters

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Trump administration to propose 'association health plans'

Sacramento Bee

The Trump administration is close to finalizing a health insurance option for small firms and self-employed people that would cost less but could cover fewer benefits than current plans, congressional officials and business groups said.

 

Conservatives Make New Push to Repeal Affordable Care Act

Wall Street Journal

The Affordable Care Act should be repealed in August and replaced with a new system that lifts national consumer protections and gives control of health care to the states, according to a proposal by a conservative group set to be released Tuesday.

 

Candidates must talk about mental health. A new coalition will make them.

Sacramento Bee

The recent tragic suicides of celebrity chef Anthony Bourdain and designer Kate Spade have once again put a spotlight on an issue that too many of us are afraid to confront –​​ behavioral health. And it’s important to focus on our own friends, family, co-workers and neighbors who struggle day in and day out with mental illness.

 

Google Is Training Machines to Predict When a Patient Will Die

Bloomberg

AI advances by the 'Medical Brain' team could help the internet giant finally break into the health-care business.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

Hundreds of children wait in Border Patrol facility in Texas

AP News

Inside an old warehouse in South Texas, hundreds of children wait in a series of cages created by metal fencing. One cage had 20 children inside. Scattered about are bottles of water, bags of chips and large foil sheets intended to serve as blankets.

See also:

      Costa describes border facilities Fresno Bee

      Separating immigrant children from parents a 'congressional problem,' John Cox says Fresno Bee

      John Cox, endorsed for California governor by Trump, says he opposes separating immigrant parents from children Los Angeles Times

      What Stanislaus County faith leaders say about policy of separating children, parents Modesto Bee

      California Democrats call out tragedy on border, and seek to gain from it San Francisco Chronicle

      Figures show about 2,000 minors separated from families Sacramento Bee

      Several California lawmakers call border separations cruel Sacramento Bee

      California Democrats call out tragedy on border, and seek to gain from it San Francisco Chronicle

      Lopez: They flee terrifying violence in Central America, and arrive in a country that barbarically rips children from parents Los Angeles Times

      DHS secretary says migrant children are being treated humanely ABC30

      ‘Kids have been ripped away from their parents;’ SoCal Congressional members describe visit to San Diego immigration detention centers OC Register

      When children are separated from their parents at the border, here is where they go next San Diego Union-Tribune

      Several California lawmakers call border separations cruel AP News

      Kamala Harris says DHS chief should resign over immigrant family separations San Francisco Chronicle

      Trump Resisting a Growing Wrath for Separating Migrant Families New York Times

      Did Democrats Pass a Law Separating Children and Adults at the Southern Border? Weekly Standard

      No, Donald Trump’s separation of immigrant families was not Barack Obama’s policy PunditFact

      $4,000 a minute pours in to help reunite separated immigrant families CNN

      Zuckerberg, Sandberg donate to charity seeking to unite separated migrant families Politico

      Trump Administration Releases Video of Immigrant Detention Facility National Review

      Trump Heads to Hill After Sowing Confusion on Immigration Roll Call

      Smolens: Trump creates kids crisis to leverage border wall, immigration limits San Diego Union-Tribune

      EDITORIAL: Trump is using children as political bargaining chips. It doesn't get more crassly cynical Los Angeles Times

 

As Trump’s zero-tolerance immigration policy backfires, Republicans are in jeopardy

Brookings

If President Trump’s new “zero-tolerance” policy of separating immigrant children from their parents at the border was intended to pressure Democrats, it is backfiring badly—among Democrats, as expected, but among Republicans as well.

See also:

     Defiant Trump refuses to back off migrant family separations Politico

     White House falsely insists Democrats to blame for family separations, even as some in GOP urge Trump to reverse course Washington Post

     5 Things to Watch in House Immigration Debate This Week Roll Call

     Forget Tax Cuts. Trump Wants to Rally the G.O.P. Base Over Immigration. New York Times

     As Trump Veers From Traditional GOP, He Bends It Toward Him Wall Street Journal

     Trump aides plan fresh immigration crackdowns before midterms Politico

     EDITORIAL: The GOP’s Immigration Meltdown Wall Street Journal

 

How the California state budget helps undocumented immigrants fight deportation

Sacramento Bee

The California state budget on Gov. Jerry Brown's desk puts tens of millions of dollars into programs that could help undocumented immigrants fight federal efforts to deport them, including opening up $10 million to hire lawyers for unaccompanied minors trying to stay in the U.S.

 

Immigration reform that replaces DACA and provides Dreamers with path to permanent residency

Bakersfield Californian

Immigration policy is one of the most significant issues facing our nation. Our current system is broken, to the detriment of all parties involved: U.S. citizens, permanent residents, other legal immigrants and the undocumented.

 

California defends sanctuary laws in battle with Trump administration

San Francisco Chronicle

The Trump administration’s challenge to California’s sanctuary laws as obstacles to immigration enforcement is actually an attempt to interfere with the state’s authority over local law enforcement and private workplaces, state lawyers contend in their final arguments before this week’s federal court hearing.

 

How Changes in Immigration Affect California’s Workforce

Public Policy Institute of California

Today, recent immigrants to California are much more likely to hold a bachelor’s or more advanced degree than in the past—and in fact are now more likely than US-born Californians to do so.

 

Donald Trump's false claim about 'thousands' of immigration judges

PolitiFact

President Donald Trump has denounced the way the United States processes immigration cases, calling for thousands more judges to address a backlog on top of the current ranks.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

Attorney General intervenes in southwest Fresno residents' lawsuit on industrial park

Fresno Bee

California's Attorney General's Office is intervening in a lawsuit filed by southwest Fresno residents against the city of Fresno for an industrial park that residents say could pose a hazard from increased traffic and pollution.

 

Clovis City Council discusses proposed assisted living complex

Fresno Bee

After a five hour public hearing, the Clovis City Council delayed a vote Monday evening on a proposal to build an assisted living home development in northwest Clovis.

 

After stormy May, attendance at city facilities bouncing back

Bakersfield Californian

Attendance at city facilities took a hit in May, when rain and cold decreased the amount of people visiting city pools, softball diamonds and event centers.

 

To Combat Potholes, Cities Turn to Technology

Pew Charitable Trusts

Some cities are tackling potholes by using technology to find, track and fix them or figure out where they’re going to appear. In a growing number of cities, residents can download an app for reporting potholes.

 

Housing:

 

Is California’s expensive housing scaring away job seekers?

KPCC

Job recruiters see California's housing crisis from both sides. They work with employers feeling pressure to raise wages, and they talk with job seekers scared off by median home prices that top $1 million in parts of the Bay Area, and over $500,000 in Los Angeles and San Diego counties.

 

How to solve California's housing crisis: Influencers have ideas

Sacramento Bee

Homeowners are commuting an hour or more to find a house they can afford. It should come as no surprise, then, that The Sacramento Bee’s California Influencers last week ranked the rapidly rising cost of housing as a top-level priority for state lawmakers.

 

Climate-Related Disasters Make It Harder to Buy Home Insurance in California

KQED

Insurers can calculate how likely your home is to burn down in a wildfire, or flood in a high tide, and for some time now they've been using climate science to shape those estimates.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

California Legislature sends more budget-related bills to Gov. Jerry Brown, final items could come next week

Los Angeles Times

Lawmakers sparred over school funding plans and healthcare for the poor on Monday during floor debates in the California Legislature, sending nine budget-related bills to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk, but leaving a handful of other proposals in limbo for perhaps another week.

 

Fox: The Good Old Days of the Big 5 Budgets?

Fox & Hounds

By reducing the decision making from the Big 5 (governor, majority and minority leaders of both houses) to the one-party Big 3 (Governor, Assembly Speaker and Senate Pro-tem) something important has been lost in missing hearings and debates over budget priorities.

 

California lawmakers push diversity through film tax credit

AP News

California lawmakers passed legislation Monday that puts more conditions on state film tax credits to encourage better sexual harassment reporting and diverse hiring amid revelations of misconduct and discrimination in the movie industry.

 

GOP tax law will reduce charitable giving by $17.2 billion

The Hill

The tax law President Trump signed in December will lower charitable giving in 2018 by $17.2 billion, or 4 percent, before accounting for economic growth, according to a new report from the right-leaning American Enterprise Institute (AEI).

See also:

     Charitable Giving and the Tax Cuts and Jobs Act AEI

 

House Budget Would Direct $302 Billion in 10-Year Spending Cuts

Roll Call

House Budget Chairman Steve Womack’s fiscal 2019 budget resolution charts a path to balancing the budget in nine years through a combination of steep cuts in mandatory spending programs, freezing nondefense discretionary spending and banking on robust economic growth, according to a summary.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

Freight train derails in Madera County

ABC30

Train traffic along the BNSF Railway tracks in Madera County has been halted after a derailment. The incident has also impacted Amtrak San Joaquins passenger trains that run between Bakersfield and Sacramento or the Bay Area.

 

High-speed rail construction in Kings County

Hanford Sentinel

The California High-Speed Rail Authority announced some recently started work taking place in Kings County that is likely to cause road closures and detours.

 

Visalia streets are changing: Here's how your commute will get worse

Visalia Times-Delta

Construction crews, closed roads, near head-on collisions and orange cones have taken over northwest Visalia, confusing commuters on some of Visalia's most-used residential roadways. And, it's going to get a lot more congested.

 

Caltrans starts work on three San Joaquin County bridges

Hanford Sentinel

Caltrans has begun a project to improve the service of three bridges on Interstate 5 in San Joaquin County. Funding for the four-month project comes from Senate Bill 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017.

 

How the Koch Brothers Are Killing Public Transit Projects Around the Country

The New York Times

The local chapter for Americans for Prosperity, which is financed by the oil billionaires Charles G. and David H. Koch to advance conservative causes, fanned out and began strategically knocking on doors. Their targets: voters most likely to oppose a local plan to build light-rail trains, a traffic-easing tunnel and new bus routes.

 

Cross Valley Corridor Plan Approved With Connection to Kings/Tulare High-Speed Rail Station

California High-Speed Rail Authority

The Tulare County Association of Governments (TCAG) Board voted to approve the Cross Valley Corridor Plan that will serve as a vision plan to improve transportation connections and guide future development of the Central San Joaquin Valley.

 

GOP candidate for Governor John Cox spars with Democrats over repeal of gas-tax increase

Los Angeles Times

Foes and supporters of the state’s increased gas tax clashed at the Capitol on Monday, with Republican gubernatorial candidate John Cox saying he wants to repeal the new charge because it has become a burden on working Californians straining to fuel their cars.

 

American Airlines agrees to pay $45 million to settle antitrust lawsuit filed by passengers

Los Angeles Times

American Airlines, the world’s largest carrier, has agreed to pay $45 million to settle a lawsuit filed by passengers who accused the nation’s biggest airlines of colluding to limit capacity and keep airfares high.

 

DMV visit times can top five hours. Here are ways to avoid the worst hassles

Sacramento Bee

Visit times at the Department of Motor Vehicles are topping five hours, and unwary motorists find themselves spending entire mornings or afternoons trapped in crowded field

offices. For those who must deal with the DMV soon, here are some tips to minimize hassles.

 

WATER

 

Know these water safety tips as weather warms

Modesto Bee

With summer approaching and weather warming, it’s time to keep these water safety tips in mind, as provided by the Placer County Sheriff's Office.

 

‘Water Tax’ Debate Continues After California Budget Passage

Capital Public Radio

The California budget doesn’t include it, but Gov. Jerry Brown is not done pushing for a new charge on water users, which would fund clean drinking water in rural areas of the state that currently have unsafe tap water.

 

“Xtra”

 

Ever try gelatina? How about rugelach? Two new Mexican bakeries making these and more

Fresno Bee

While La BoulangerieEddie's Bakery and the multiple Le Parisien Cafes certainly have plenty of treats, I'd like to tell you about two new Mexican-American bakeries. Callejas Cakes and Mi Panaderia La Michoacana are serving all kinds of deliciousness and the people behind them have some pretty interesting stories to tell.

 

Law enforcement officers boxing to help colleagues

ABC30

It’s been almost two years since a gunman opened fire on two correctional officers at the Fresno County Jail. Now their law enforcement family is starting a new type of fundraiser called the Scanlan/Davila Boxing Invitational.

 

Critters Without Litters hits 50,000 surgeries

Bakersfield Californian

As of last Thursday, Critters Without Litters has performed 50,000 surgeries and counting since the clinic opened in late 2012. The organization's mission is to reduce the number of healthy, adoptable animals being euthanized in local shelters due to overpopulation.

 

Country star Gary Allan returning to Bakersfield in August

Bakersfield Californian

Country artist Gary Allan isn't afraid of a little Bakersfield summer heat, which is good news since the California native will be performing at the Spectrum Amphitheatre on Aug. 11.

 

 

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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.

                                                     

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.​​ ​​​​​​​

 

 

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