June 26, 2018

26Jun

POLICY & POLITICS

 

Valley:

 

DOJ rebuffs Nunes request for more info on Russia case informants

Fox News

The Justice Department on Monday declined to answer requests by House Intelligence Committee Chairman Devin Nunes, R-Calif., for more information about the reported use of FBI informants while investigating President Trump's 2016 campaign.

 

Fresno Mayor announces tax initiative for November ballot for Public Safety & Parks and immediately hears council skeptics
Fresno Bee

Fresno Mayor Lee Brand will need to rally support from the City Council if he wants to see a public safety and parks sales tax measure on the November ballot.

 

Infrastructure Was Key During Mayor Brand’s State of the City Address

Observer

Mayor Brand is moving forward keeping campaign promises and moving Fresno forward for years to come.

 

Bringing internet to rural Tulare County is 'huge' for children

Visalia Times-Delta

California Senator Jean Fuller (R-Bakersfield), along with internet provider Frontier Communications, welcomed Boys & Girls Club members Friday to the club's new computer lab, now equipped with 12 computers.

 

In wake of election loss, candidate Marc Sobel writes letter to Supervisor Tom Wheeler

Sierra Star

Congratulations Tom on your win, but you know it was not easy and in the end, very nearly half the community did not support you. I hope you will do better to serve the community.

 

State:

 

California Politics Podcast: Digging through the latest polls in November's marquee matchups

Los Angeles Times

On this week’s California Politics Podcast, we take a closer look at the latest USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll’s numbers in the races for governor and U.S. Senate.

See also:

     Democrats Are Turning Out to Vote in the Most Competitive Primary Races New York Times

     Elections 2018: Halfway there AEI

 

California ballot will include gas tax repeal in November

Los Angeles Times

Californians will vote in November on a ballot proposition that would repeal a new gas tax and vehicle fees, saddling Gov. Jerry Brown with a final challenge to preserve a key part of his legacy before leaving office.

See also:

     California’s gas tax repeal is now officially headed to a ballot near you Mercury News

     California Gas Tax Repeal Measure Set For November Ballot Capital Public Radio

     What you need to know about California's gas tax repeal initiative Sacramento Bee

     Gas tax repeal will go before California voters in November Sacramento Bee

     Is the Gas Tax Repeal Measure the New Proposition 13? KQED

     Fox: Gas Tax Repeal Vote Will be Close  Fox & Hounds

 

California Voters to See 2 Housing Bonds on November Ballot

AP News

State lawmakers voted unanimously to ask residents to approve a $2 billion bond measure to house people who are homeless or at risk of becoming homeless. Lawmakers approved the money in 2016. But it has been tied up in court because of a lawsuit that argues the money comes from a source voters approved to fund mental health services, not housing.

 

More lawmakers push Jerry Brown to remove California National Guard from border
Sacramento Bee

More than two dozen California lawmakers have joined the campaign to get Gov. Jerry Brown to remove 400 National Guard troops from the Mexican border.
See also:

      Democrats call on Gov. Brown to pull CA National Guard troops from border San Francisco Chronicle

 

Major changes to how Legislature handles harassment complaints advances

Los Angeles Times

Employees of the California Legislature will have a new way to register workplace harassment complaints against lawmakers, legislative staff, lobbyists and the public under a revamped policy approved by a key panel on Monday.

See also:

      California Lawmakers Approve Revamp of Sex Misconduct Policy AP News

      New Sexual Harassment Complaint Investigations Policy Approved By California Lawmakers Capital Public Radio

 

California's Supreme Court can kill “Cal-3” quickly and save us all a lot of trouble

Los Angeles Times

The Cal-3 ballot measure set to be voted on in November needs a mercy killing from the California Supreme Court, and if it comes fast enough, it could save a lot of expense and wasted effort.

 

Internet Privacy Deal Nears As Initiative Qualifies For California's November Ballot 

Capital Public Radio

An initiative that would significantly expand the online privacy rights of consumers has qualified for California’s November ballot, but a deal to avert an expensive campaign over the measure appears to be gaining momentum in the state Legislature.

See also:

     California lawmakers water down net neutrality bill Los Angeles Times

 

Walters: California can’t sidestep federal tax impact

CALmatters

When President Donald Trump signed an overhaul of the federal tax system six months ago, there was much complaining from politicians in California, New York and other high-taxing – and politically blue – states.

 

EDITORIAL: Lawmakers play ball with sports teams

San Francisco Chronicle

Based on the latest action in Sacramento, an untrained observer might guess that the crisis devastating California is a shortage of sports venues.

 

Federal:

 

Supreme Court Upholds Trump’s Travel Ban

New York Times

President Trump acted lawfully in imposing limits on travel from several predominantly Muslim nations, the Supreme Court ruled on Tuesday.

See also:

      Supreme Court upholds Trump travel ban Washington Post

      Supreme Court upholds Trump's controversial travel ban ABC News

      Supreme Court upholds Trump travel ban CBS News

     Supreme Court Upholds Latest Version of Travel Ban Roll Call

 

Supreme Court puts off further rulings on partisan gerrymandering and religion vs. same-sex weddings

Los Angeles Times

After failing to fully resolve two difficult cases this term, the Supreme Court signaled Monday it was still not ready to decide whether a Christian shop owner can refuse service to a same-sex wedding or when some states have gone too far in gerrymandering their election maps for partisan advantage.

 

Opinion: The Supreme Court Continues to Chip Away at Protections for Minority Voters

New York Magazine

It’s now late June, and with only a few cases remaining to be decided before the justices leave town for the summer, a 5-to-4 conservative majority on the Supreme Court has chosen to hand down a decision in a contentious racial gerrymandering case from Texas.

 

EDITORIAL: Due process is in the Constitution, Mr. President

San Francisco Chronicle

President Trump is sinking to new demagogic depths with his latest utterance on border policy. Unauthorized immigrants who “invade our Country” don’t deserve due process hearings before a judge and should be quickly sent “back from where they came,” he tweeted.

 

Pruitt facing new probe into claims he retaliated against EPA staffers who questioned some decisions

Washington Post

The U.S. Office of Special Counsel is investigating whether Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt retaliated against staffers who questioned his spending and management decisions, according to three individuals familiar with the probe.

 

The latest sign of political divide: Shaming and shunning public officials

Washington Post

Anger and division in American politics are creating a rising phenomenon: the public shaming and shunning of political figures while they are going about their private lives.

 

EDITORIAL: Making Trump officials miserable doesn't accomplish anything. Vote them out if you want change

Los Angeles Times
Five months into President Trump's first term, The Times' editorial board warned that a "drumbeat of hatred, incivility and intolerance threatens our political system in ways big and small." What a difference a year doesn’t make.

 

Other:

 

Rapidly expanding fact-checking movement faces growing pains

Washington Post

Political fact-checkers from more than 50 countries gathered here to take stock of a fast-growing journalistic movement that has gained clout and influence while attracting criticism and heightened skepticism in an increasingly partisan age.

 

What is wrong with Republicans?

Washington Post

President Trump’s racist outbursts and disdain for our Constitution are, alas, nothing new. Republicans in Congress have been meek, if not mute, in responding to such venom.

See also:

     In today’s Republican Party, you worship Trump or you get out Washington Post

     David Gerson: Loyalty to Trump demands a lack of character Washington Post

     David Brooks: Republican or Conservative, You Have to Choose New York Times

     George Will : ote against the GOP this November Washington Post

     Don’t Throw the Republicans Out: A Response to George Will National Review

     Days of Rage National Review

 

The Democrats’ Racial Fault Line

Wall Street Journal

That sound you hear is the shattering of a cherished Democratic orthodoxy: race-based preferences in education.

 

The Price of Feminism

National Review

In 1972, women reported being a bit happier than men. Each year since, despite the achievements of feminism, women’s reported happiness has declined, both in absolute terms and when compared with men’s.

 

American Family Diaries: An Ethnographic Approach to Understanding Barriers to Opportunity

AEI

Ethnographic research, which involves extensive observation and interviews, provides detailed information on individuals and households not available through other methods.

 

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING  

 

Sunday, July 1, at 10 a.m. on ABC 30 – Maddy Report“Veterans Programs and Services”​ – Guests: Carole D'Elia, Executive Director of Little Hoover Commission and Jacqueline Barocio from LAO. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, July 1, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report ​ - Valley Views Edition​: “Valley Vets: Challenges and Opportunities”​ – Guests: Carole D'Elia, Executive Director of Little Hoover Commission; Jacqueline Barocio from LAO; Julie Cusator with Fresno Veterans Home; and Lorenzo Rios with Clovis Veterans Memorial District. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, July 1, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Senior Citizen Boom”  Guest: Marisol Cuellar, PPIC Analyst. Host: Ana Melendez.

 

Support the Maddy Daily HERE.

 

Thank you!

 

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

Farm groups worry about 'touch-back' proposal before Congress

Bakersfield Californian

California farmers argue that the 45-day "touch-back" proposal will cost the state too many workers, and that the measure would also be unfair to longtime undocumented laborers who have no home to return to in any other country.

See also:

       These U.S. industries can't work without illegal immigrants CBS News

 

Democrats Propose Overtime Pay For Farmworkers To Rectify Racial Injustice

Huffington Post

Led by Sen. Kamala Harris of California, lawmakers plan to introduce a bill Monday that would extend overtime rights to all agricultural workers, and grant many of those same workers new minimum wage rights as well.

See also:

     Lawmakers wants to give farm workers a voice, will others follow? Visalia Times-Delta

     California Dems introduce bill to strengthen labor protections for farm workers Fox News

 

How California’s giant dairy industry is facing changes to cow manure management

OC Register

Agriculturally, California is famous for its wine, but the state has led the nation in milk and dairy production for 25 years. Massive production and mounds of manure are making dairy farmers change their ways.

 

They fetch up to $900 a pound. Could SLO County become a black truffle hot spot?
The Tribune

The story of growing black truffles — scientific name Tuber melanosporum, also known as Périgord truffles, winter truffles or French black truffles — is not one of great success in the United States.

Trump’s GOP is looking to deeply cut food stamps — hitting his voters hard

Washington Post

If Republicans succeed in their multi-front campaign to cut back on food stamps, the burden will fall heaviest on the working-class, rural white voters on whom President Trump has staked the future of their party.

 

The US spends $4 billion a year subsidizing ‘Stalinist-style’ domestic sugar production

AEI

In the United States, fewer than 4,500 farm businesses produce sugar. Yet they cost taxpayers up to $4 billion a year in subsidies.

 

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

 

Crime:

 

Fresno County lawyers want PG&E explosion trial closed. Press freedom versus privacy at stake

Fresno Bee

Lawyers for Fresno County and Sheriff Margaret Mims argued to exclude the news media and public from a workers compensation trial probing a 2015 PG&E pipeline explosion that left one jail inmate dead and 12 others injured.

 

Police see dramatic drop in car burglaries in Southwest and Downtown Fresno

ABC 30

A dramatic drop in car burglaries across Southwest and Downtown Fresno the last couple weeks has police feeling optimistic. Fresno Police say community events are increasing law enforcement presence, which is reducing the number of vehicle break-ins.

 

Police shut down last known pot dispensary in Modesto

Modesto Bee

Modesto police shut down the last known marijuana dispensary in the city Monday afternoon.

 

Police ignite a campaign against illegal fireworks
Madera Tribune

The Madera Police Department has recently announced a new “You Lite it, We Write It” zero tolerance campaign for those who buy, sell or shoot illegal fireworks.

 

Feds taking more drug cases to state court in wake of zero tolerance mandate

San Diego Union-Tribune

The Trump administration’s zero tolerance policy on prosecuting anyone arrested for illegally entering the U.S. in federal court appears to have had an impact in an unexpected place — the state court system.

 

You Get What You Measure: New Performance Indicators Needed to Gauge Progress of Criminal Justice Reform

Harvard

Jurisdictions across the U.S. are engaging in efforts to reform sentencing and corrections policies, with an aim of shrinking the footprint of the criminal justice system. As these reforms unfold, the makeup of correctional populations is shifting.

 

Public Safety:

 

Video: The Impact of Proposition 47 on Crime and Recidivism

Public Policy Institute of California

By reducing penalties for some lower-level drug and property offenses, Prop 47 marked another significant step toward reducing California’s reliance on incarceration.

 

Public Safety Bill headed to California State Senate

KUSI

Public safety legislation to demilitarize law enforcement, build better police and community relations, and promote government transparency passed the State Assembly Saturday and will head to the State Senate.

 

Fire:

 

Gov. Brown declares state of emergency in fire-ravaged Lake County

Sacramento Bee

Gov. Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency in Lake County on Monday as the Pawnee Fire continued to rage uncontrolled. State resources, including employees, provisions and facilities, will be devoted to battling the wildfire, according to the governor's announcement.
See also:

     Governor Declares State of Emergency Due to Northern California Fire NBC Los Angeles

     California Governor Declares State of Emergency as Wildfires Force Thousands to Flee Time

 

Where Northern California fire victims can find resources – and how you can help
Sacramento Bee

California fire season is in full swing and sweeping across Northern California. If you have been affected by these recent fires or want to help those that have, here are some resources to get you started.

Wildfire season makes fast start. Is it a sign of more trouble?
Modesto Bee

Could the wildfires that broke out over the weekend — burning more than 13,000 acres and forcing thousands to leave their homes — be a sign of more to come for Northern California this summer?

Fire Carves Path of Destruction Through Northern California

New York Times
The blaze, known as the Pawnee Fire, has burned thousands of acres in Lake County, destroying more than 20 structures and forcing hundreds of evacuations.

 

ECONOMY / JOBS

 

Economy:

 

Report: Strong economic growth in California—for now

Business Journal

Projections from the Center for Business and Policy Research at the University of the Pacific expect that the state economy should maintain strong growth through 2019 despite an uncertain policy environment and financial market volatility.

 

Trump says he’s ‘surprised’ Harley-Davidson is moving work overseas after tariffs take effect

Washington Post

Harley-Davidson, a motorcycle maker that President Trump praised last year for “building things in America,” said Monday that it was shifting some production out of the United States to escape European tariffs that had been imposed in retaliation for the president’s tariffs on steel and aluminum.

See also:

     Harley-Davidson will move some production out of US after retaliatory tariffs CNN

     Trump says trade wars are easy to win. But a trade war with China is different Los Angeles Times

     We’re going to lose this trade war Washington Post

 

Trade Rift Within Trump Administration Sends Stocks on Wild Ride

Wall Street Journal

Bitter fights over trade within the Trump administration again broke into the open, driving wild swings in the stock market as the White House’s top trade adviser clashed with the Treasury secretary over restrictions on foreign investment.

See also:

     U.S. Stocks Fall as Trade-War Fears Rattle Markets Wall Street Journal

     Global Stocks Steady After Trade Concerns Rattle Markets Wall Street Journal

 

Economic success for black men in America

AEI

A new report from AEI and the Institute for Family Studies spotlights good news about the economic well-being of black men. Notably, the share of black men in the middle class or higher has increased significantly.

 

How income equality helped Trump

AEI

When the ballots were counted, not only did income inequality fail to move voters, but a massive shift in voting preference among lower-middle and middle-income Americans led to the election of the wealthiest president since George Washington.

 

OECD Economic Outlook

OECD Library

Prepared by the OECD Economics Department, the Outlook puts forward a consistent set of projections for output, employment, government spending, prices and current balances based on a review of each member country and of the induced effect on each of them on international developments.

 

EDITORIAL: Another Antitrust Bust

Wall Street Journal

For the second time this month, the trust busters have received a sharp rebuke from the judiciary. On Monday the Supreme Court delivered the embarrassing lesson by rejecting a dubious antitrust case against American Express.

See also:

     Supreme Court Rules for American Express in Swipe-Fee Antitrust Case Wall Street Journal

 

Jobs:

 

Hiring mistake could cost California state workers their jobs months after they started
Sacramento Bee

Almost two dozen new Cal OSHA safety investigators received notices last week indicating they might be dismissed because of an error in a civil service exam they took to qualify for a job in state government.

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

Network of California districts to explore the enigma of engaging parents

EdSource

California plans to spend $13.3 million over six years to identify and replicate successful ingredients of community engagement, a requirement under the state's school financing law.

 

House Proposes Cuts to School Safety, Behavioral Health

Roll Call

The House is proposing to cut funding for school safety programs, even as Congress continually increases spending on its own security. Some lawmakers and education advocates question the logic of this amid a nationwide conversation on school security, gun violence and self-harm.

 

Would combining the Education & Labor Departments help or hurt students?

Brookings

Fellow Elizabeth Mann Levesque discusses the proposed merger between the Department of Education and the Department of Labor, including how likely it is that this restructure will occur, what changes the plan proposes, and what the consequences would be.

 

Higher Ed:

 

Changes on horizon for Cal Grant program

Porterville Recorder

The commission voted last week to move forward with the concept of developing a single and more streamlined Cal Grant program. It would be the first proposed major redesign of the Cal Grant program since 2001.

 

Fitz’s Stockton: A terrific logo for a future university

Stockton Record

Recently a Stockton artist designed several proposed logos for a California State University, Stockton. Yes, it’s premature, maybe by decades. But he did it, so I published them. And I asked for more. Stockton readers responded.

 

Medication Abortions At CSU And UC Schools Being Debated At Capitol

CBS Sacramento

A requirement that all California State University and University of California campuses offer medication abortions is getting closer to passing the Legislature.

 

How the census overlooks the LGBTQ community

University of California

In 2020, for the first time ever, the U.S. census will count same-sex couples. Sixteen years after gay marriage first became legal in Massachusetts, and five years after it became legal across the country, it’s a landmark achievement.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

Cap-And-Trade Money Goes To Rebates For Zero-Emission Vehicles, Fighting Forest Fires

Capital Public Radio

California lawmakers have voted on how to spend almost $1.5 billion collected through the state’s cap-and-trade program. California businesses buy credits under the state’s program, which allows them to release carbon emissions.

 

Wild pigs cause millions in damages in California. But hunting them could become easier
Sacramento Bee

California's farmers say recreational hunting alone isn't solving their wild pig problem. They're pushing this summer for legislation that would allow them to exterminate more feral pigs on their properties with fewer regulations enforced by the state's game wardens.

 

Emails indicate Pruitt tried to recruit oil execs for EPA jobs

The Hill

Environmental Protection Agency Administrator Scott Pruitt tried to recruit top executives from oil and gas trading groups to jobs within the agency, according to emails obtained through an Freedom of Information Act request.

 

Energy:

 

Stockton port will get state’s first mobile power station

Stockton Record

The San Joaquin Valley Air Pollution Control District is partnering with a maker of zero-emission off-road technologies to deploy the state’s first mobile power stations at the Port of Stockton, officials announced last week, a move that will boost air quality around the port and improve public health.

 

Judge Dismisses Suit Against Oil Companies Over Climate Change Costs

New York Times

A federal judge on Monday threw out a closely watched lawsuit brought by two California cities against fossil fuel companies over the costs of dealing with climate change.

See also:

     Judge throws out SF and Oakland climate suits against big oil San Francisco Chronicle

     US Judge Throws Out Climate Change Lawsuits Against Big Oil US News

      Judge Dismisses Climate Suits Targeting Big Oil Companies Wall Street Journal

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

West Nile hits Exeter. Use these tips to prevent the bite

Visalia Times-Delta

Already this year, St. Louis Encephalitis Virus (SLEV) has been found in two mosquito samples in Visalia and West Nile Virus (WNV) was recently found in an Exeter sample, according to Crystal Grippin, a biologist with Delta Vector Control District.

 

Board of Supervisors expected to take up debate on future use of medical marijuana

Bakersfield Californian

If nothing changes, the licenses for 32 medical marijuana dispensaries operating in the county will expire by Nov. 24, and the entire county will be under a ban on all forms of cannabis distribution.

 

California budget boosts payments for doctors, dentists

Sacramento Bee

Doctors and dentists who see low-income patients on Medi-Cal are getting a raise for the second year in a row under a budget deal approved by California lawmakers Monday.

Court rejects California law that mandated pro-life centers give info on abortion
Modesto Bee

Anti-abortion centers that help pregnant women likely do not have to give those women information about low-cost access to abortions, the Supreme Court ruled Thursday.

How to provide better incentives to organ donors

AEI

The shortage of organ donors is an urgent health crisis. More than 114,000 people in the U.S. are currently listed as waiting for an organ transplant.

 

The unintended consequences of trying to prevent opioid overdosing

AEI

In 2016, there were over 42,000 deaths from opioid overdoses in the US. But is limiting pain patient access to opioids the way to lower that number, and if so at what cost?

 

Human Services:

 

U.S. Supreme Court 5-4 decision on Calif Anti-Abortion Law

Supreme Court

SCOTUS, on 5-4 vote, rules against California law requiring anti-abortion organizations to tell clients about abortion services, says it violates freedom of speech.

See also:

     Pro-life pregnancy centers don't have to give abortion info The Sacramento Bee

      Supreme Court Strikes Blow Against California Disclosure Law on Abortion Availability Wall Street Journal

 

With D.C. and California laws in jeopardy, a fresh debate over medical aid in dying

USA Today

In California, an appeals court put the End of Life Option Act temporarily back in place after a trial judge ruled it constitutional in May. But opponents of the act have until July 2 to file objections.

See also:

     Listen: How California's doctor assisted suicide law works 89.3 KPCC

 

IMMIGRATION

 

Trump's immigration policy puts California Republicans in difficult position

Los Angeles Times

Democrats responded skeptically Sunday to the Trump administration’s assertion that it has a process in place to reunite more than 2,000 "separated minors" with their parents, while Republican lawmakers sought to defend the president’s immigration policies and again promised that all the children taken from their parents in recent weeks were accounted for.

See also:

     Immigration overhaul on life support in the House The Hill

     Republicans press ahead with narrow fix to migrant crisis created by Trump Washington Post

     House Heads Toward Wednesday Immigration Vote Without Agreement on Changes Roll Call

     GOP Leaders Bracing for Second Defeat on Immigration Wall Street Journal

     Immigration Debate Seeps Onto Campaign Trail Wall Street Journal

 

White House reasserts zero tolerance policy as Border Patrol suspends it

Politico

The White House scrambled Monday to reassert its "zero tolerance" policy after a key Dept of Homeland Security official said Border Patrol agents had stopped enforcing it.

See also:

     Trump says he doesn't regret signing immigration order CNN

     GOP increasingly opposes even legal immigration CNN

     The Immigration Debate Is Partially about Political Power National Review

     The Asylum Crisis Is a Security Challenge, Not a Legal Problem National Review

     How the Number of ‘Credible Fear’ Refugees Skyrocketed in the Obama Years National Review

     America needs and wants immigrants, legally AEI

 

The First 'Zero Tolerance' Case to Go to Trial Didn't Go Well for the Government

Voice of San Diego

Since the surge of illegal entry misdemeanor cases began flooding San Diego’s federal courts, hardly any have gone to trial. The first one that did was ultimately dismissed.

 

E-Verify, Guest-Worker Terms Return to Center of Immigration Fight

Wall Street Journal

House Republicans are seeking to reach a deal on two additional immigration policies, E-Verify and a new agricultural guest worker program, this weekend in an effort to save a broader bill that continues to divide their members.

 

Border Patrol Temporarily Suspends Prosecution Of Undocumented Parents

Huffington Post

Parents who cross illegally from Mexico to the United States with their children will not face prosecution for the time being because the government is running short of space to house them, officials said on Monday.

See also:

     Border Patrol stops handing over most immigrant parents for prosecution, but won't say when families will be reunified Los Angeles Times

     Skelton: Trump's order to end his family separation policy was purely political — not a change of heart Los Angeles Times

     Families at Border Aren’t Being Prosecuted, Official Says Wall Street Journal

     Pentagon to build tent camps for migrants at two military bases in Texas Los Angeles Times

 

Separated immigrant children are all over the U.S. now, far from parents who don’t know where they are

Washington Post

More than 2,000 children remain spread around the United States, far from their parents — many of whom have no idea where their sons and daughters have been taken.

 

What constitutional rights do undocumented immigrants have?

PBS

The Trump administration’s “zero-tolerance” immigration policy and the recent spike in family separations at the border — a practice President Donald Trump ended through executive order — has called attention to the legal rights of immigrants under U.S. law.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

Clovis City Council denies senior living facility ... for now

Fresno Bee

The Clovis City Council voted unanimously Monday to deny the development of a senior living facility in a neighborhood after residents complained it was ill-suited for their community.

New California redwood park larger than Muir Woods created on Sonoma Coast

Mercury News

For more than a century, Muir Woods National Monument in Marin County has been one of Northern California’s main tourist attractions, with towering old-growth redwood trees that draw more than 1 million visitors a year.

 

Housing:

 

Old Town Clovis becoming a hotspot for tiny homes. Others come to see how it's done

Fresno Bee

The tiny home trend is taking off in downtown Clovis. Last year, the city launched an incentive program aimed at encouraging builders, homeowners and do-it-yourselfers to build compact cottages in the city's downtown core. And so far, it's worked.

 

Same homeless people keep getting arrested. What city, county want to do to fix it.

Modesto Bee

A proposed initiative would combine the resources of Stanislaus County and Modesto in providing assistance to severely distressed homeless people.

See also:

       EDITORIAL: The last thing L.A. should be spending resources on is rousting homeless people from the sidewalks Los Angeles Times

 

The Homeless Collaborative is on a mission to end homelessness in Kern County in 10 years

Bakersfield Californian

During a May point-in-time count, completed by the Kern County Homeless Collaborative, 885 homeless persons were identified in Kern County, with 515 residing in shelters or transitional housing, 309 located in metro Bakersfield and 61 found in surrounding communities.

 

Housing For Homeless Plan Goes To California Ballot

Capital Public Radio

California lawmakers hope voters will free up $2 billion in housing bonds for a homelessness program that has been stalled in court.

 

California taxpayers could have to take on cost of removing lead paint

CBS

Two paint manufacturers that want to wipe out potentially hundreds of millions of dollars in legal obligations could send the issue to voters.

 

Who Gets to Decide Where to Build Housing?

New York Times

When state legislation designed to override local zoning laws and permit construction of apartment buildings across California died earlier this year, opponents said the decision of where to build desperately needed housing should be left to local communities.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

Third year of deficit mitigation on docket for county

Bakersfield Californian

The preliminary budget for the County of Kern will be considered by the board of supervisors during the morning portion of their meeting Tuesday

 

Business-Labor Deal Would Ban California Cities, Counties From Enacting New Soda Taxes

Capital Public Radio

An eleventh-hour deal between business and labor groups could ban new local taxes on sodas — while avoiding a ballot showdown that could make it harder for cities, counties and school districts to raise other taxes.

See also:

     EDITORIAL: Big Soda’s sweet deal to ban soda taxes is a California shakedown Sacramento Bee

 

CBO: US Debt Burden Set to Break Record in Early 2030s

Roll Call

Debt as a share of the United States economy is on track to blow through the previous World War II-era record within two decades and keep rising from there, the Congressional Budget Office said in its annual long-term budget report.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

Cap-And-Trade Money Goes To Rebates For Zero-Emission Vehicle, Fighting Forest Fires

Capital Public Radio

California lawmakers have voted on how to spend almost $1.5 billion collected through the state’s cap-and-trade program.

 

California Is Threatening To Go Its Own Way On Fuel Economy. It Might Have Zero Impact On Emissions.

Forbes

When the Trump administration decided in April to roll back Obama-era fuel economy standards, California and a coalition of other states decided they weren’t going to take the decision lying down.

 

To Combat Potholes, Cities Turn to Technology

Pew Charitable Trusts

Some local governments are turning to data and technology to find and fix potholes. Some are even trying to predict where they’ll open up.

 

WATER

 

This one issue could make splitting California into three states virtually impossible

Sacramento Bee

Splitting California into three new states would scramble nearly every segment of government that touches residents' lives, from taxes to Medi-Cal to driver's licenses.

 

Dry wells, sinking land and fears of a global food crisis

E&E News

The bottom is falling out of America's most productive farmland. Literally. Swaths of the San Joaquin Valley have sunk 28 feet — nearly three stories — since the 1920s, and some areas have dropped almost 3 feet in the past two years.

 

“Xtra”

 

Toys R Us' final days offer sweet deals for toy lovers

Visalia Times-Delta

After decades of being the place to go to get must-have toys, baby goods and children's clothing, Toys R Us will close its doors this week. But, before it does, everything must go — including shoplifting detectors and glass merchandise cases.

 

Twilight at CALM returns for summer

Bakersfield Californian

Kern County animal lovers will be able to enjoy Twilight at CALM Saturday evenings this summer starting July 14 and going until Aug. 25.

 

Tachi Palace building huge outdoor concert tent; Ann Wilson to play first show
Fresno Bee

When Ann Wilson takes the stage at Tachi Palace on July 12, the voice of the band Heart will christen the casino's latest expansion — a 45,000-square foot outdoor entertainment tent.

Historic Cedarbrook Inn above Oakhurst subject of July 6 lecture at Fresno Flats

Sierra Star

Local author and historian Brenda Negley will give a presentation based on Zelda Garey Dubel’s book, “To Yosemite by Stage: Raymond to Wawona and Remembering Cedarbrook Inn.” Negley’s presentation will feature 200 historical images and the stories behind them.

 

Mariposa Symphony Orchestra’s annual Independence Day celebration has Rockies connection

Sierra Star

The Mariposa Symphony Orchestra’s new sister orchestra conductor is coming to town Saturday, June 30, for MSO’s annual Independence Day Spectacular! concert is linking the Sierra and the Rockies.

 

 

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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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