March 5, 2020

05Mar

POLICY & POLITICS

 

North SJ Valley:

 

Villapudua, Patti hold onto county supervisor seats

Stockton Record

Miguel Villapudua and Tom Patti retained their San Joaquin County Supervisor seats, and Robert Rickman and Rhodesia Ransom will face off in November.

Other Stockton Area Elections News:

 

Democratic incumbent Harder, Republican Howze headed for November showdown

Modesto Bee

Democratic incumbent Josh Harder held a marginal lead against Republican challenger Ted Howze in Tuesday’s primary for the 10th Congressional District, which encompasses Stanislaus and southern San Joaquin counties.

Other Modesto Area Elections News:

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

No one claims victory in Fresno mayor or council race, with 80,000 ballots left to count

Fresno Bee

An estimated 80,000 Fresno County ballots remained uncounted Wednesday afternoon — and that’s just the ones we know about — leaving races up in the air.

Other Fresno Area Elections News:

 

Tulare County Voters focused on presidential race

Visalia Times Delta

When voters hit the polls Tuesday morning at the forefront of their minds was who would be named Commander-in-Chief in January 2021.

Other Tulare Area Elections News:

 

How did voting go in central San Joaquin Valley? County clerks report

Fresno Bee

After some early voting hiccups Tuesday, voters from all corners of the central San Joaquin Valley cast their ballots on a big and busy voting day.

 

Madera Co. named one of the fastest growing communities

abc30

A recent study by the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Economic analysis showed Madera County saw the fastest growth in the West in a medium-sized community with a 6.6% increase for its gross domestic product, which is the value of goods and services produced within the county.

 

State Sen. Borgeas Holds Town Hall Over AB5

Clovis Roundup

Workers and employers in several industries, including app based drivers, freelance writers, photographers and artists, to name a few, attended the event to learn how AB5 will impact them.

 

EDITORIAL: Fresno mayor, flipped House seat, taxpayer fatigue: Takeaways from primary election

Fresno Bee

Choosing a new mayor for Fresno, flipping a congressional seat, and taxpayer fatigue are top takeaways from Tuesday’s primary election.

 

South SJ Valley:

 

Official results for Kern County elections might not be ready until April

Bakersfield Californian

A final tally from Tuesday's local elections could be almost a month away, Kern County officials stated Wednesday.

 

South Valley Republicans celebrate strong Super Tuesday

Visalia Times Delta

It was a good night for current and former Republican congressmen in the South Valley. Incumbents Devin Nunes and Kevin McCarthy and challenger David Valadao each boast strong, early leads and will almost certainly progress to the General Election in November.

Other Bakersfield Area Elections News:

 

Goh secures victory in mayor's race

Bakersfield Californian

For Bakersfield Mayor Karen Goh, the hard work paid off. Goh pummeled her opponents in the mayor's race, capturing a resounding 83.6 percent of the vote, according to unofficial elections results Wednesday on the Kern County Elections Department's website.

 

State:

 

California declares state of emergency to contain coronavirus after 1st death

Fresno Bee

California Gov. Gavin Newsom declared a state of emergency over the coronavirus as a cruise ship that transported at least two infected passengers sailed toward the state Wednesday.

See also:

 

Voting changes, computer glitches mar California primary

Hanford Sentinel

A series of changes in California meant to boost voter turnout and smooth its new Super Tuesday primary election led to a surge in last-minute voters, computer problems and short-staffing that appeared to catch elections officials by surprise, triggering scathing criticism Wednesday.

See also:

 

Fate unclear for $15 billion California school upgrade bond

Hanford Sentinel

A $15 billion bond to renovate California's aging schools trailed in election returns Wednesday, but the gap was expected to close as several million outstanding votes were counted.

See also:

 

Republicans hope for US House turnaround in California

Porterville Recorder

A pair of California Republicans were leading Democratic incumbents Wednesday in battleground congressional districts as the GOP tries to position itself to win back a string of U.S. House seats it lost two years ago.

See also:

 

Lyft and Uber Start Spending to Unseat California Legislators

Wall Street Journal

After losing a difficult battle in Sacramento last year over a law that could classify their drivers as full-time employees, Lyft Inc. and Uber Technologies Inc. are signaling they are ready to spend big against California legislators who opposed them.

 

Interactive: Many Californians Live in or Near Poverty

Public Policy Institute of California

More than 7 million Californians are “near poor”: out of poverty, but within 1.5 times the poverty line, according to the California Poverty Measure. The near-poor population is slightly larger than the poor population, and many could be pushed into poverty by small expenses.

 

Walters: Newsom’s high-stakes Medi-Cal overhaul

CalMatters

The old adage about tiny acorns growing into mighty oak trees is not confined to dendrology. It applies as well to governmental programs and there’s no better example than Medi-Cal, California’s program of health care for the poor.

 

Federal:

 

House Passes Bipartisan Bill Providing Roughly $8 Billion For Coronavirus Response

Capital Public Radio

The emergency funding deal is the result of bipartisan negotiations in both the House and the Senate. The measure is expected to be sent to the president's desk soon.

See also:

 

The Census Bureau Wasn’t Counting on the Coronavirus

CityLab

As census takers for the decennial survey prepare to knock on doors and count residents, anxieties about the spread of COVID-19 could hamper their efforts.

See also:

 

Supreme Court Weighs Abortion Case; Schumer Remarks Draw Rebuke From Roberts

Capital Public Radio

Lawyers for the Center for Reproductive Rights and Louisiana faced a hot bench Wednesday in a case critical to abortion rights in the U.S. But the Chief Justice - a key vote - did not tip his hand.

See also:

 

An emboldened Trump says the quiet part out loud about why he fired Jeff Sessions

Washington Post

Trump is now publicly acknowledging something he spent years not quite saying: that he fired Sessions specifically because Sessions didn’t stop the inquiry by special counsel Robert S. Mueller III. The implication is that Sessions wasn’t loyal to Trump and what Trump wanted to happen in the Justice Department.

 

Elections 2020:

 

Warren ends 2020 presidential bid after Super Tuesday rout

Sacramento Bee

Elizabeth Warren, who electrified progressives with her “plan for everything” and strong message of economic populism, dropped out of the Democratic presidential race on Thursday, according to a person familiar with her plans. The exit came days after the onetime front-runner couldn't win a single Super Tuesday state, not even her own.

See also:

 

California delegate wave didn't quite break as expected

Hanford Sentinel

While Sen. Bernie Sanders mined the motherlode of delegates from California on Super Tuesday, it wasn’t nearly enough and isn’t getting counted fast enough to counter former Vice President Joe Biden’s huge night. It became an issue of numbers and timing.

 

Sanders Wins California, Largest Super Tuesday Prize, Fueled By Latino Vote

VPR

Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders captured the state with the most delegates: California. There are 415 delegates at stake in California, the largest haul of any state. With 79% of the state's precincts reporting, Sanders had 33.5% of the vote to Biden's 24.8%.

See also:

 

Who could Joe Biden pick for a running mate? Women make up the most obvious options

Fresno Bee

With former Vice President Joe Biden’s victories on Super Tuesday, many are wondering who could pick as a running mate, and when, if he ends up clinching the nomination over Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

See also:

 

Buttigieg, Klobuchar and now Bloomberg are out. What happens to their delegates?

Fresno Bee

Former New York City Mayor Mike Bloomberg is the third candidate this week to end their bid for the Democratic presidential nomination — right behind former mayor of South Bend, Indiana, Pete Buttigieg and U.S. Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota.

See also:

 

Biden and Sanders both would face stark challenges running against Trump

Los Angeles Times

Bernie Sanders and Joe Biden both need to recalibrate and — to some extent — rebrand to broaden their appeal and unify an increasingly fractured party. Can either assemble the kind of coalition needed to beat President Trump in November?

See also:

 

Who could Joe Biden pick for a running mate? Women make up the most obvious options

Fresno Bee

With former Vice President Joe Biden’s victories on Super Tuesday, many are wondering who could pick as a running mate, and when, if he ends up clinching the nomination over Sens. Bernie Sanders and Elizabeth Warren.

See also:

 

Other:

 

Twitter Vows That As Disinformation Tactics Change, Its Policies Will Keep Pace

Capital Public Radio

Twitter's new policy attempts to flag and provide greater context for content that the platform believes to have been "significantly and deceptively altered or fabricated."

 

Opinion: American dreams, populist screams

AEI

Is the American Dream dead? How are most Americans actually doing? Will the coronavirus kill us all? And most importantly, is Star Trek: Picard actually good? Repeat guest Michael Strain, author of The American Dream Is Not Dead, has all of these answers and more.

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

 

Sunday, March 8, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: California’s Concealed Carry Permits: The Wild West of Permitting? - Guest: California State Auditor Elaine Howle. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, March 8, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: Concealed Carry Permits:  Are Valley Standards the De Facto State Standards? - Guests: Fresno Co Sheriff Margaret Mims, Tulare Co Sheriff Mike​​ Boudreaux, and Stanislaus Co Sheriff Adam Christianson. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, March 8, 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.

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

Merced County declares emergency, as cattle carcasses pile up from rendering plant issue

Merced Sun-Star

A local emergency was declared in Merced County after two separate livestock rendering plants serving the area suffered equipment problems within a week of each other, causing animal carcasses to pile up.

 

Path toward legalizing local cannabis sales dealt potential fatal blow

Bakersfield Californian

With the apparent failure of two medical marijuana initiatives on Tuesday’s ballot, a path toward legalizing sales of the medicinal product has once again been cut off.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE/FIRE/PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

Cannabis smell in vehicle by itself not reason to conduct search, Alameda court rules

San Francisco Chronicle

The odor of marijuana in a car that police in Berkeley stopped for other reasons wasn’t enough to justify a full-blown search of the vehicle now that California has legalized possession of cannabis by adults, an appellate panel has ruled.

 

Public Safety:

 

Prosecutors open up big leads in all three races for Stanislaus County judge seats

Modesto Bee

Returns on Wednesday had the three prosecutors running for Stanislaus Superior Court judge seats ahead in each of their respective races.

 

SF police moving too slowly on reform, but use-of-force down 47%, report says

San Francisco Chronicle

The San Francisco Police Department is compliant with fewer than 15% of the reforms it pledged to adopt nearly four years ago, progress that’s moving too slowly and delaying its promise to the community to transform policing in the city, officials with the state Department of Justice wrote in a report released Wednesday.

 

US Attorney Threatens Legal Action if San Francisco Opens Supervised Injection Sites

KQED

The warning comes in response to a bill recently proposed by San Francisco Mayor London Breed and Supervisor Matt Haney that would allow nonprofits in the city to open and operate the injection sites, where drug users could also receive medical assistance and rehabilitation services.

 

ECONOMY/JOBS

 

Economy:

 

Madera Co. named one of the fastest growing communities

abc30

A recent study by the U.S. Department of Commerce Bureau of Economic analysis showed Madera County saw the fastest growth in the West in a medium-sized community with a 6.6% increase for its gross domestic product, which is the value of goods and services produced within the county.

 

Coronavirus's economic policy challenge

The Hill

At a time of crisis, economic policymakers are well advised to hope for the best but to plan for the worst. This advice could not be more apt than now, when the coronavirus epidemic threatens the U.S. and global economic recoveries.

See also:

 

World stocks mixed after Wall Street sinks despite rate cut

Fresno Bee

Global stock markets were mixed Wednesday after Wall Street sank despite an emergency U.S. interest cut aimed at defusing fears the virus outbreak might stunt global economic activity.

See also:

 

Jobs:

 

CAL/OSHA Issues Interim Guidance for Protecting Workers from Exposure to Coronavirus

AALRR

Cal/OSHA’s regulations require protection for workers exposed to airborne infectious diseases such as the 2019 novel (new) coronavirus (2019-nCoV), first identified in Wuhan City, China in December 2019.

 

Coronavirus: Microsoft, Square, Twitter encourage employees to work from home

San Francisco Chronicle

Major Bay Area employers are telling employees to work from home to lessen the chance of spreading the new coronavirus, a concern that is growing among their workforces after an Amazon employee in Seattle tested positive for the virus.

See also

 

Bank employees form new union

Business Journal

In response to what a press release from the Communication Workers of America calls “systemic problems of discrimination, low-wages, extreme sales goals, and whistleblower​​ retaliation,” a majority of workers at the Oakland, California-based Beneficial State Bank voted to join the union dubbed the Committee for Better Banks.

 

Mortgage brokers are hiring like mad as home-loan rates plunge below 3%

Los Angeles Times

A drop in interest rates in response to the coronavirus outbreak is adding urgency to a hiring spree across the mortgage industry.

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

Fresno Unified grateful for bond momentum while Clovis, Central not giving up hope yet

Fresno Bee

The day after polls closed, Fresno Unified’s school bond was passing and picking up momentum, while bonds for Clovis and Central Unified lagged below the needed 55% threshold required to pass.

See also:

 

Fate unclear for $15 billion California school upgrade bond

Hanford Sentinel

A $15 billion bond to renovate California's aging schools trailed in election returns Wednesday, but the gap was expected to close as several million outstanding votes were counted.

See also:

 

Our Lady of Victory set to close after operating for 67 years

abc30

Sixty-seven years of education will come to an end at Our Lady of Victory. The Catholic school plans to close following the current academic year.

 

Opinion: California’s law letting teenagers sleep an extra hour was a good first step. Now, Legislature should adopt an ‘agenda for adolescents’

CalMatters

Today, in middle schools across California and the country, many students struggle to balance the weight of rigorous academic coursework, extracurricular commitments, and social obligations with peers, all of which occur after the final bell rings.

 

Higher Ed:

 

Fresno State Parent University is changing the lives of Valley families

California Emerging Technology Fund

San Joaquin Valley families are our most precious resource.  To help our families and communities thrive, California State University, Fresno's Office of Community and Economic​​ Development is offering Parent University, a free program for parents to learn new digital skills so they can find good jobs, communicate with their children's teachers, get access to healthcare and government services and be engaged members of the community.

 

Will Fresno-area college kids save bus pass program if elected officials don’t?

Fresno Bee

For many Fresno-area college students, the bus is their only way to get to school. Thousands of low-income students have relied on the free bus program provided by the State Center Community College District since 2017.

 

California colleges cancel study abroad programs, hundreds return

San Francisco Chronicle

Hundreds of California students are returning home early from study abroad programs because of coronavirus outbreaks in China, South Korea, and Italy.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

 

Giant batteries, key to solar and wind power plans, start to get bank backing

Los Angeles Times

Big batteries have long been touted as the future of the electrical grid and a key to unlocking solar and wind power. But when entrepreneur David Cieminis sought financing for a storage project in California, a state desperate to wean itself off of fossil fuels, he couldn’t reel in a bank.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

Valley health officials working to ease public tension with Coronavirus

abc30

As fears surrounding the Coronavirus spread, Valley public health officials are working to ease public tension.

See also:

 

Valley Children’s limiting visitors because of potential spread of coronavirus

Fresno Bee

Valley Children’s Hospital announced a change to its visitors policy Wednesday because of concerns of the coronavirus. Effective immediately, only parents/guardians and direct caregivers of patients will be allowed to visit Valley Children’s for the time being.

See also:

 

Drug’s possible mental health effects now require it to carry FDA’s most serious warning

Fresno Bee

A Boxed Warning, the most prominent and serious of FDA warnings about prescription drugs, will adorn packages of asthma and allergy medicine montelukast (brand name: Singulair), the agency announced Wednesday.

 

Human Services:

 

San Joaquin General nurses set to walk off job after impasse in negotiations

Stockton Record

Registered nurses at San Joaquin General Hospital who are members of the California Nurses Association are scheduled to walk off the job for 48 hours starting at 7 a.m. Thursday through 6:59 a.m. Saturday, according to their union notice.

 

Trump administration issues new guidance for nursing homes to combat coronavirus

The Hill

The Trump administration on Wednesday issued new guidance to prioritize inspection efforts at nursing homes around the country in an attempt to mitigate the spread of the coronavirus.

 

IMMIGRATION

 

Court blocks 'Remain in Mexico' policy on part of US border

Porterville Recorder

In the latest twist on a key Trump administration immigration policy, a federal appeals court said it will prevent the government from making asylum-seekers wait in Mexico for U.S. court hearings starting next week unless the Supreme Court steps in sooner.

See also:

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

The Tyranny of Terrazzo: Will the millennial aesthetic ever end?

The Cut

Ever since modernism brought industry into design, tastes have cycled between embracing and rejecting what it wrought.

 

Housing:

 

California Housing Crisis Podcast: Former Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger wants to fix homelessness

Los Angeles Times

Now the head of a public affairs institute at USC, Schwarzenegger last month gathered public officials and experts from across the country to debate what to do about California’s homeless population, which now stands at about 151,000 on any given night.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

Report: California Budget Perspective 2020-21

California Budget & Policy Center

It’s been several weeks since Governor Gavin Newsom released his proposed 2020-21 budget, and now Senate and Assembly budget subcommittees start their work on the state’s upcoming fiscal plan, including holding public hearings and reviewing proposals to determine how money will be spent on programs and Californians.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

Ed Lab: Will Fresno-area college kids save bus pass program if elected officials don’t?

Fresno Bee

Thousands of low-income students have relied on the free bus program provided by the State Center Community College District since 2017. But district administrators decided to cut the program and use the money to pave campus parking lots.

See also:

 

Open house to discuss Bakersfield’s High Speed Rail route

KGET

Representatives with the California High-Speed Rail Authority will be in Bakersfield Thursday to answer questions and listen to comments on the project.

 

States Take The Wheel Promoting Electric Vehicles

Capital Public Radio

There are nearly 1.5 million electric vehicles in the U.S. today. E.V. boosters want more government incentives to increase that. With little federal movement states like California are taking action.

 

GM plunges deeper into the EV market with a $20-billion spending plan

Los Angeles Times

General Motors laid out an aggressive electric vehicle strategy Wednesday, an approach it hopes will dramatically boost sales in California.

 

WATER

 

Tom McCarthy named new head of Kern County Water Agency

Bakersfield Californian

Tom McCarthy, head of the Mojave Water Agency, was named as the new general manager for the Kern County Water Agency at its board of directors meeting Thursday.

 

Water is life. It’s also a battle. So what does the future hold for California?

CalMatters

Water plays a lead role in the state’s political theater, with Democrats and Republicans polarized, farmers often fighting environmentalists and cities pitted against rural communities.

 

“Xtra”

 

Fresno State welcomes Face the Nation moderator Margaret Brennan

Fresno State

Ms. Brennan will draw on her extensive experience as a journalist and moderator to provide an overview of the most important stories that drive the 24-hour news cycle. During her talk, she will also draw parallels between domestic and foreign stories to bridge the gap between the local and the global. The event with Ms. Brennan is scheduled for 6 p.m. on March 17 at the Save Mart Center and will be followed by a question-and-answer session from 6:30 to 7:15 p.m. The event is free and open to the public.

 

How Can We Make Farm Work Healthier?

Zócalo Public Square

On Tuesday, April 14th, Organic farmer and artist Nikiko Masumoto, Huron Mayor Rey León, health researcher Chia Thao, and Tania Pacheco-Werner, co-assistant director of the Central Valley Health Policy Institute, visit Zócalo to consider how to make farm work healthier.

 

Manteca’s new water park resort is opening earlier than expected. Take a look inside

Fresno Bee

While it took more than a decade of planning, negotiating and building for Manteca to get Great Wolf Lodge, the water park resort will now open a full month ahead of schedule.

See also:

 

Winter hikes: Want a snowy day trip? Here are some great options in the Sierra Nevada

Merced Sun-Star

Hiking in the Sierra Nevada mountains can be super busy in the summer but winter provides an interesting escape for a view of California that many hikers never get to see.

 

Huge dinosaurs stomp on Gallo Center stage, more top Modesto region entertainment

Modesto Bee

This interactive family show follows as an explorer discovers the pre-historic world of dinosaurs. Among the creatures on stage will be a Tyrannosaurus Rex, Triceratops, Giraffatitan, Microraptor and Segnosaurus.

 

Test yourself with our new free game: PolitiTruth

Think you can tell the difference between True and False?

Do you really know what is fake news?

 

Support the Maddy Daily

 

HERE

 

Thank you!

 

 

Maddy Institute Updated List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials HERE.

 

The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno was established to honor the legacy of one of California’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation,​​ elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.

                                                     

This document is to be used for informational purposes only. Unless specifically noted, The Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno does not officially endorse or support views that may be expressed in the document. If you want to print a story, please do so now before the link expires.

 

 

To Subscribe or Unsubscribe: mjeans@csufresno.edu