Political Stories
Top stories
CD21: Connie Perez drops out of race — Tulare County native Connie Perez, who less than a month ago jumped into the 21st Congressional District race with a slick campaign video and the apparent support of national Democrats who are looking for ways to oust incumbent Republican David Valadao, abruptly ended her campaign Tuesday. Fresno Bee article; Bakersfield Californian article
Competing minimum wage hike proposed for California ballot â Californiaâs largest labor union on Tuesday unveiled its own bid to increase the statewide minimum wage, setting up dueling pay measures aimed for next yearâs ballot amid persistent concerns over income inequality. Sacramento Bee article; LA Times article
Valley politics
Modesto mayorâs race appears to be headed to runoff â Modesto Mayor Garrad Marsh was leading in Tuesdayâs election results but may not garner enough votes to avoid a runoff election with an unheralded candidate who entered the race at the last minute. Modesto Bee article
Modestoâs Measure G â safe neighborhoods — goes down to defeat â Voters are rejecting Modestoâs second request in two years for a sales tax increase for public safety and other services. Modesto Bee article
Ah You, Grewel, Ridenour leading in race for Modesto council seats â If early returns hold, it looks as though three newcomers will take seats on the Modesto City Council. Three candidates are running to represent council District 3, which encompasses central Modesto. Incumbent Dave Lopez could not run for re-election because of term limits; he ran for mayor. Modesto Bee article
In Modesto, Measure I vote count is very tight â The count for the anti-sprawl initiative in Modesto remains tight. The latest tally shows 50.17 percent in favor of Measure I and 49.83 percent opposed, with the proponents ahead by only 41 votes. Modesto Bee article
âOld guardâ Oakdale Irrigation District incumbents ousted â Voters soundly rejected two long-serving incumbents in the Oakdale Irrigation District, preferring challengers calling for transparency and an end to âgood old boysâ leadership, according to unofficial results late Tuesday. Modesto Bee article
Ceres council incumbents win easily â City Council incumbents Bret Durossette and Mike Kline easily won re-election Tuesday against two challengers. Modesto Bee article
Ceres voters appear in favor of district elections, increased motel tax â In early returns Tuesday night, Ceres voters were approving two measures before them. Measure D, which would move the city from at-large to district-based council elections, was passing 66 percent to 34 percent. Measure E, which would double the transient occupancy tax paid by occupants of hotels and motels, was ahead 56 percent to 44 percent. Modesto Bee article
Incumbents, Walker lead early in results for Modesto City Schools board race â In early results, dissatisfaction with state testing and standards appeared to have helped a challenger push ahead in the Modesto City Schools board race. Modesto Bee article
Early returns suggest Patterson Unified board may have five new faces â With only half the ballots counted, James Leonard in Area 7 and Jeffrey Nosek in Area 5 held early leads. The third contested race was only two votes apart. Modesto Bee article
Merced Irrigation District board changes election cycle to odd years — The Merced Irrigation District board has decided to move voting for its membership to odd years, reasoning that separating it from the even-year general elections would boost local control and protect farm interests from environmentalist-led campaigning. Merced Sun-Star article
Statewide politics/Ballot Measures
Dan Walters: Could pot become new giant in California? — Just weeks ago, the Legislature passed a package of bills aimed at further legalizing â and regulating â the medical uses of pot. And this week, the most ambitious of several ballot measures aimed at complete legalization was unveiled. Walters column in Sacramento Bee
Pot legalization measure gets mixed response in Merced â An effort to put recreational marijuana on next yearâs ballot in California was greeted with mixed reactions in Merced County. Merced Sun-Star article
Merced Sun-Star: Cortopassiâs initiative gets in Brownâs way — The same day we learned that Dean Cortopassiâs No Blank Checks initiative has advanced to the November 2016 ballot, we got a perfect example of why many people believe it is needed. Merced Sun-Star editorial
Anonymous tip may trigger ethics inquiry on alleged gifts to Kamala Harris â A state ethics agency has told California Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris that it may launch an inquiry into an allegation that she received gifts from a company owned by a San Francisco interior designer that exceed legal limits. LA Times article
Immigration
Sacramento Bee: Paul Ryan caves on immigration as he becomes House speaker — House Speaker Paul Ryanâs weekend pronouncement that a much-needed immigration overhaul wonât happen provides a sad commentary on the start of his speakership. Sacramento Bee editorial
Other areas
Twenty California lawmakers are headed to Hawaii resort for conference â Twenty California lawmakers have registered for a six-day annual conference in Maui, where beginning Nov. 15 they will have an opportunity to spend time with representatives of special interests on the golf course and at poolside. LA Times article
Capitol lobbying tab nearly a quarter-billion dollars â More than 3,200 businesses, unions, and trade groups spent almost a quarter-billion dollars on lobbying and other payments to influence during the 2015 legislative session, according to new state filings. Sacramento Bee article
San Francisco Mayor Lee easily re-elected to 2nd 4-year term â Mayor Ed Lee, a little-known civil servant when he was appointed to office in 2010, easily won his second four-year term Tuesday night, putting him in line to become one of the longest-serving mayors in San Franciscoâs 165-year history. San Francisco Chronicle article
Tighter rules for lobbying win San Francisco voter approval â A proposition to tighten rules on lobbying in San Francisco won handily in Tuesdayâs election, while a proposal to require live Internet coverage of every San Francisco government meeting met resounding rejection. San Francisco Chronicle article
Hennessey defeats scandal-plagued Mirkarimi in San Francisco sheriff race â Former Chief Deputy Sheriff Vicki Hennessy won her bid Tuesday to unseat Sheriff Ross Mirkarimi, who cast himself as an innovator in the hidebound law-enforcement community but was dragged down by a series of personal and professional controversies. San Francisco Chronicle article
Death penalty opponents split over taking issue to Supreme Court â In a passionate dissent in June, Justice Stephen G. Breyer invited a major challenge to the constitutionality of capital punishment. This fall, Justice Antonin Scalia all but predicted that the courtâs more liberal justices would strike down the death penalty. But lawyers and activists opposed to the death penalty, acutely conscious of what is at stake, are bitterly divided about how to proceed. Some say it is imperative to bring a major case to the court as soon as practicable. Others worry that haste may result in a losing decision that could entrench capital punishment for years. New York Times article
News Stories
Top Stories
At lawmakerâs urging, agency reveals report on growing bullet train costs — The California high-speed rail authority bowed to pressure from California legislators and members of Congress late Tuesday and released a copy of a 2013 report showing a large estimated increase in the cost of building the initial segment of the bullet train project. LA Times article
Kern County inks tax split deal â The battle over property tax revenue between the County of Kern and the City of Bakersfield is over, at least from the point of view of the Kern County Board of Supervisors. Supervisors voted unanimously Tuesday to approve a memorandum of understanding that will lay out how the taxes from future annexations will be shared. Bakersfield Californian article
Jobs and the Economy
Michael Fitzgerald: Stolen parking meters? A good start â Two homeless guys who allegedly stole nearly 100 parking meters were arraigned Monday. It was either that or give them a medal. Keeping parking meters in downtown Stockton seems like charging double for flights to Duluth, Minnesota. Nobody wants to go there in the first place; penalizing them seems absurd. Fitzgerald column in Stockton Record
Stockton building fees debate goes late into night â A discussion of two proposals to spark home construction by temporarily reducing the fees paid by builders in Stockton stretched late into Tuesday night at City Hall. Stockton Record article
Entrepreneur education, finance blossoming in Valley â While lingering concerns over a lack of resources have led many to believe local entrepreneurship is stunted, industry leaders say thereâs more support than ever before in the Central Valley. The Business Journal article
Prop F: San Francisco voters reject measure to restrict Airbnb rentals â San Francisco voters handed a victory Tuesday to Airbnb and city residents who want to turn their homes into vacation rentals. Proposition F, a measure that would have drastically curbed short-term rentals, lost by 55 percent to 45 percent, with all precincts reporting and most mail ballots counted. San Francisco Chronicle article; LA Times article; AP article
Ag dominates Kings economic development awards â At last weekâs Kings County Economic Development Corp. awards for the 2014-15 fiscal year, big retail outlets werenât the headliners. Rather, the big drivers of expanding business activity in Kings were agri-chemical companies and other farm-related businesses that have figured out ways to keep prospering despite a withering lack of precipitation. Hanford Sentinel article
Pot tax could help Sacramento close budget gap â Sacramento city leaders may turn to a cash crop next year to help address a looming financial cliff at City Hall: weed. Taxing the sale of recreational marijuana is one of five revenue options included in a report by city finance director Leyne Milstein that paints a bleak picture of the cityâs budget. Sacramento Bee article
The State Worker: Judges lose pension-padding lawsuit â So. Now we know. The first day of work that counts toward a CalPERS pension is ⊠your first day of work. And for this insight we needed a lawsuit? Six judges thought so. They sued CalPERS and the state Judicial Council last year, claiming their pension benefits were shortchanged because they were assigned the wrong starting date. Kings County Judge Jennifer Guiliani mentioned. Sacramento Bee article
LA County supervisors approve three-year, 10 percent pay increase for deputies, firefighters â Los Angeles County supervisors approved a new contract for sheriff’s deputies, firefighters and several other employee groups Tuesday, giving them a 10% pay bump over three years. LA Times article
Businesses must be accessible â As Kings County businesses continue to get hit with Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) lawsuits, there are a few things businesses can do to protect themselves. About 17 area businesses have had ADA lawsuits filed against them this year, mostly in Hanford. The most recent case was filed last month against Best Buy Market in Lemoore. Hanford Sentinel article
Merced will look at more poker tables; city speeds up solar panel process â Merced city staffers will research the possible effects of adding more gambling tables in town after a recent request from a local card-room owner. Merced Sun-Star article
Head of money-losing LA County Fair Association made nearly $900,000 in total compensation — Despite the public subsidies, it lost a total of $6.25 million from 2010 through 2013 â though it rewarded its top executives with large bonuses and incentive pay in each of those years, the Internal Revenue Service records show. The fair’s chief executive, James Henwood Jr., 69, collected nearly $900,000 in total compensation in 2013, dwarfing that of other fair managers in California, according to the tax filings and state records. That same year, the association lost $3.4 million. LA Times article
Supervisors seek audit and possible lease renegotiation with LA County Fair Association — The Board of Supervisors on Tuesday ordered an audit of the Los Angeles County Fair Assn. and called for a possible renegotiation of the organizationâs long-term lease in response to a Times investigation that found the fairâs managers were richly compensated even as the association lost money. LA Times article
Judge holds off again on preliminary OK for deal on bloated DWP bills â For the second time this year, a Los Angeles Superior Court judge held off on giving preliminary approval to a legal settlement that could credit or refund tens of millions of dollars to Los Angeles Department of Water and Power customers who were overcharged after the bungled rollout of a new billing system. LA Times article
NFL invites St. Louis, San Diego and Oakland to make stadium presentations â After staging town-hall meetings in St. Louis, San Diego and Oakland, the NFL is ready to hear from those cities about their specific plans to keep their teams. LA Times article
Oakland leaders to blitz NFL brass with plan to keep Raiders â Pressure is mounting for Oakland city officials to come up with a plan that will keep the Raiders at home, days after team owner Mark Davis appeared at an NFL town hall to vent his frustrations. San Francisco Chronicle article
Faulconer gets big shot with NFL owners â Mayor Kevin Faulconer will get his next and best (and possibly last) chance to convince the NFL to give San Diego another year to keep the Chargers in San Diego. San Diego Union-Tribune article
Google confirms it will launch a drone delivery service in 2017 â Even as companies like Wal-Mart and Amazon move ahead with drone delivery, Google has given a concrete date for when it plans to delivery packages by drone. Washington Post article
Giantsâ high-rise development plan wins easy victory â The San Francisco Giantsâ bid to build a high-rise district on a parking lot across McCovey Cove from AT&T Park received emphatic voter support on Tuesday. San Francisco Chronicle article
Key environmental report OKd for Warriors Mission Bay arena — The proposed Golden State Warriors arena in Mission Bay took a step toward approval Tuesday as a key aspect of the $1 billion project was approved. San Francisco Chronicle article
Oakland council votes to drop daily parking passes to $5 — Months after approving an 800 percent increase in visitor parking rates, a move that prompted heavy criticism, the Oakland City Council voted to decrease the parking fees. San Francisco Chronicle article
Prop J: Measure to help save longtime âlegacyâ businesses passes — An initiative to help preserve longtime San Francisco businesses through financial incentives was approved by voters Tuesday. San Francisco Chronicle article
Prop A, affordable-housing measure, wins in San Francisco — Housing advocates can rejoice: A measure that aims to create a $310 million fund for much-needed affordable housing won at the polls Tuesday. San Francisco Chronicle article
Agriculture/Water/Drought
Heavy snows in Sierra Nevada raise hopes of relief from drought â A day of heavy snow may have turned swaths of the Sierra Nevada into a winter landscape, but it’s too early to tell if it will have a lasting effect on the winter snowpack, forecasters say. LA Times article
Household Tank Program could cost Tulare County $309,000 — Programs to provide water to residents of unincorporated Tulare County whose wells have run dry could cost more than $4.1 million by yearâs end, with the county footing more than $309,000 of that bill. Visalia Times-Delta article
Video: How Fresno-area Hmong farmers are surviving California drought — How are the Fresno area’s Hmong farmers adjusting their crops and business plans in the face of California’s drought? New York Times food writer and columnist Mark Bittman visits the central San Joaquin Valley to find some answers. New York Times video
California olive oil industry ripe for expansion â Californiaâs burgeoning olive oil industry is expected to have a record-breaking year in 2015 as demand and acreage continue to grow. This year, the stateâs olive growers are estimated to churn out four million gallons of California extra virgin olive oil, nearly double the amount milled in 2014. Fresno Bee article
Fresno hosts first-ever conference for Latino growers â More than 300 farmers and ranchers from across the state gathered Tuesday in Fresno for the first-ever Latino Growers Conference. Sponsored by the National Center for Appropriate Technology and the U.S. Department of Agriculture â and held at the Radisson Conference Center â the daylong event was unique because it was conducted entirely in Spanish. The Business Journal article
Planned purification plant would eliminate need for imported water, officials say âAs the worst drought in California history threatens to enter a fifth straight year, officials are advocating a variety of water reuse projects they say will reduce Southern California’s unquenchable thirst for imported water. LA Times article
Tulare County considers red tagging drought stricken rental homes â Tulare County is ground zero for drought. More than 2,000 household wells have gone dry leaving families without water. The county has provided tanks and water to many homeowners, but as FM89âs Ezra David Romero reports, officials says their hands are tied when it comes to providing the service to renters. KVPR report
One possible El Nino effect: Rains unearthing more skeletal human remains —  In a span of two days, starting on Halloween, hunters and hikers found three sets of skeletal remains off of forest trails. A skull, a spine, a femur and a hand. Los Angeles County sheriffâs homicide Lt. Victor Lewandowski said he doesnât know why there have been so many finds in and around the Angeles National Forest in such a short amount of time. But he said that with a rainy winter predicted due to El Niño, more human bones are likely to be found. LA Times article
Criminal Justice/Prisons
Data Tracker: California jail population falls by almost 9,000 after Prop 47 — California’s jail population dropped by roughly 8,600, or 11 percent, in the months following the November approval of Proposition 47, the latest state figures show. Sacramento Bee article
Merced County recommended to receive $40 million for jail renovations â The California Board of State and Community Corrections has recommended Merced County to be awarded $40 million to renovate the John Latorraca Correctional Facility on Sandy Mush Road. Merced Sun-Star article
AP Investigation: Broken system lets problem officers jump from job to job — Law enforcement officers accused of sexual misconduct have jumped from job to job â and at times faced fresh allegations that include raping women â because of a tattered network of laws and lax screening that allowed them to stay on the beat. AP article
LAPD to compile âmuch more comprehensiveâ review of force, chief says â Los Angeles Police Chief Charlie Beck said Tuesday that his department will put together a “much more comprehensive” review this year than ever before of incidents in which his officers used force. LA Times article; AP article
One Kern deputy takes plea deal, another faces trial for firing shot outside casino — A Kern County sheriffâs deputy who was present when another deputy fired a shot into the air outside a Bakersfield casino has pleaded no contest to aiding in a misdemeanor, court records show. Bakersfield Californian article
How Prop 47 helped one man keep his job — Donyell Green knew his bosses at the Tesoro Refinery in Martinez would eventually find out about his past. He just didnât know when. KQED report
Education
Campus threat a young manâs horrible mistake, not a pure act of terrorism, Fresno State officials say — The online threat of deadly gunfire that rocked Fresno State on Monday was a case of a young man making a horrible mistake and not a serious act of terrorism, university officials said Tuesday afternoon. However, authorities will continue to pursue criminal charges against Christian Malik Pryor, a now-former Fresno State football player who allegedly posted on Yik Yak that he would use a weapon to “release my frustrations.” Fresno Bee article
Trustees recalled in Selma, Golden Plains school districts â Voters replaced three trustees each in Selma Unified and Golden Plains Unified school districts Tuesday, in recall elections sparked in part by decisions to replace district superintendents. Fresno Bee article
Tom Torlakson: Californiaâs students should aim for the stars â Californiaâs superintendent of public instruction writes, âCaliforniaâs economic prosperity has long been fueled by its creativity and cutting-edge technologies. Itâs imperative that our education system keep up and prepare students for careers that have not yet even been invented.â Torlakson op-ed in Sacramento Bee
Breyer High to unveil STEM center Thursday — Just as science is about experimenting and exploring, Beyer High teachers hope students, families and the interested public on Thursday evening will turn out to explore whatâs being taught in the schoolâs new STEM (science, technology, engineering and mathematics) Center. Modesto Bee article
As transgender students make gains, schools hesitate at bathrooms â As transgender students assert themselves more, schools have hesitated at the locker room and the bathroom. Many have developed policies that require transgender students to use private changing and showering facilities, drawing opposition from these students, their parents and advocates who say the rules are discriminatory. New York Times article
Nan Austin: Retired teachers take a bow this week for what theyâve done for us lately — In honor of Retired Teachers Week, Nov. 1-7, CalRTA Stanislaus released its total for the year: 27,000 hours racked up â and that is by just the 13 percent of its membership that logs their time. To put that in teacher-time perspective, 27,000 hours equals more than 18 school yearsâ worth of work donated by the senior corps over the last 12 months. Austin in Modesto Bee
âWe really are Notre Dameâ — Inside a third-grade classroom at Taylor Leadership Academy, the self-described University of Notre Dame class of 2029 is learning about math using the names of Fighting Irish players. Stockton Record article
Energy/Environment
Massive pine tree die-off scares Forest Service, dead trees could harm visitors â The bark beetle has killed so many trees in the Sierra Nevada that officials are worried that people visiting places like the Sierra National Forest are in danger just by being there. Last week Governor Jerry Brown declared a state of emergency when it comes to the dead trees and is asking for federal resources to remove them safely. FM89âs Ezra David Romero reports from the Bass Lake area on what the Forest Service is doing to protect visitors. KVPR report
Federal government undecided whether to extend subsidy for Kernâs Hydrogen Energy clean coal plant â The U.S. Department of Energy has ended financial support to the $4 billion Hydrogen Energy California clean coal project in western Kern County, and said Tuesday it remains undecided whether to extend the proposalâs federal subsidy. Bakersfield Californian article
Edison will spend $12 billion on electric system over next three years — Over the next three years, Southern California Edison, the state’s second-largest investor-owned utility, plans to spend $12 billion to modernize the electric grid, the chief executive of the utility’s parent company said Tuesday. LA Times article
A guide to green energy savings for low-income Californians â Billions of dollars worth of incentives, support and rebates have already flowed to poorer Californians. That stream looks likely to widen thanks to a requirement that struggling communities get a quarter of the money from Californiaâs cap-and-trade system, which has reaped a huge and growing pot of money by selling carbon emissions permits to business. Hereâs a look at whatâs available. Sacramento Bee article
Edison sees little risk in San Onofre nuclear storage plan — Southern California Edison said it is confident in its plans to store tons of highly radioactive waste at San Onofre indefinitely. But reports that the company knew about potential problems with faulty steam generators and installed the system anyway has undermined Edisonâs credibility. KPBS report
Grant repays costs for cleanup of illegal dump site in Kings County — A landowner in Kings County has been awarded a grant of more than $56,000 to reimburse for cleaning up tons of illegally dumped trash that had accumulated over the years. Fresno Bee article
Donât eat Dungeness crab, California health department warns — Do not â repeat, not â eat crab caught along much of the California coast until further notice. Thatâs the stunning message issued Tuesday by health officials just days before Saturdayâs start of the recreational crab season, which may be delayed. San Francisco Chronicle article; San Jose Mercury News article
Bay Area to test landslide early-warning system during El Nino — There was no way to see last yearâs deadly mudslide in Oso, Wash., coming â 43 lives lost with no warning. The same was true of the slide in 1982 that killed 10 in the Santa Cruz Mountains. Jonathon Stock, a geomorphologist for the U.S. Geological Survey, is trying to change this. The director of the Innovation Center for Earth Sciences in Menlo Park is putting together an early-detection system for landslides, which is taking root in the Bay Area. San Francisco Chronicle article
Health/Human Services
California fines top health insurers for overstating Obamacare networks — California regulators fined two insurance giants for overstating their Obamacare doctor networks, and said the companies will pay out millions of dollars in refunds to patients. LA Times article; Sacramento Bee article
Millions eligible but still uninsured in California â Covered California has begun its annual open enrollment period. About 11 percent of adults in California remain uninsured. New data show about 2 million are eligible for either the stateâs health insurance exchange or Medi-Cal but have not yet enrolled. Capital Public Radio report
Congresswoman Doris Matsui: Requiring mentally ill to get treatment isnât always the right answer â The Sacramento Democrat writes, âI am sincerely concerned that mandating outpatient treatment at the federal level would divert resources from other options that should be there for patients and families, and would limit our communitiesâ ability to make local decisions.â Matsui op-ed in Sacramento Bee
Asian tiger mosquitoâs disease-spreading potential worries health officials — At least 28 people in California this year have died from West Nile virus, the neurologically debilitating disease spread through mosquito bites. Riverside and Los Angeles counties both recorded a surge in human infections not seen in several years. But with peak West Nile virus season coming to an end, attention is shifting to a potentially virulent mosquito species rarely seen in California; the Asian tiger mosquito. KQED report
Land Use/Housing
Stanislaus supervisors OK rezone for farm equipment dealership — Stanislaus County supervisors unanimously approved a 17-acre rezone Tuesday for a John Deere dealership near Keyes. Modesto Bee article
Fresno County supervisors reject Selma cemetery expansion — A proposed cemetery a mile east of Selma was denied Tuesday by Fresno County supervisors, who backed up a previous decision by the countyâs Planning Commission. Fresno Bee article
Transportation
Kings County attorneys take aim at confidential memo in high-speed rail lawsuit — A consultantâs internal memo to the California High-Speed Rail Authority, cited last week in a Los Angeles Times analysis on the likelihood of cost overruns for the stateâs high-speed train project, is at the center of legal wrangling between the agency and Kings County interests who are suing over plans for the system. Fresno Bee article
Second Bakersfield meeting on controversial bullet train coming Thursday â Officials from the agency responsible for California’s greatly debated bullet train will join city and federal officials at a workshop Thursday to educate residents and property owners on its new proposed path through Bakersfield. Bakersfield Californian article
Carol Bender: Examining the new High Speed Rail alignment misperceptions â The Bakersfield resident writes, âIn Adam Cohenâs Oct. 30 Community Voices article, âQuit HSR Russian roulette, endorse Truxtun station,â the author spins information to his own liking and grounds his article on reports done over a decade ago or that simply do not exist.â Bender op-ed in Bakersfield Californian
Caltrans delays old Bay Bridge pier implosion â Caltransâ much-touted plan to implode the largest concrete pier of the old Bay Bridge eastern span has been delayed a week until Nov. 14 because of packaging problems with the dynamite needed to destroy the structure, agency officials said Tuesday. San Francisco Chronicle article
House rejects proposal to let heavier trucks on interstates — A controversial proposal to allow heavier trucks on interstate highways in an effort to save shippers time and money was rejected by the House on Tuesday, one of dozens of amendments expected to be offered to a sweeping transportation bill this week. AP article
LAX air traffic controllers fatigued by understaffing and soaring overtime — Air traffic controllers are working longer and harder than ever to safely handle the enormous volume of aircraft that arrives and departs at this prominent West Coast gateway. Overtime is soaring and serious staff shortages loom despite warnings issued in 2009 by the inspector general for the U.S. Transportation Department. LA Times article
Other areas
Lois Henry: Restricting cameras in the courthouse goes too far â I understand the need to protect a personâs right to a fair trial. Believe me, if I were in the defendantâs seat, Iâd want all the rights I could get. You would, too. But new rules that arbitrarily prohibit any recording and still photography from pretty much the entire courthouse, except two designated areas, without prior judicial approval go too far. Henry column in Bakersfield Californian
Susan Rothman: âClub no one wants to joinâ â I am a member of a club no one wants to join. I did not seek membership, nor would I wish it for anyone else. I became a member on January 17, 1989. I am a survivor of gun violence. Rothman op-ed in Stockton Record
Merced warming tent may be open fewer days this winter â Organizers of a warming tent for homeless people in Merced are looking to change the operating policies that have been used during the past few winters, making the tent open less often. Merced Sun-Star article
Protestors again disrupt Sacramento City Council meeting â For the second straight week, protesters disrupted a Sacramento City Council meeting. Tuesday nightâs meeting was delayed 12 minutes after a protester stood up and began reading prepared remarks criticizing the arrests of two women during a heated meeting Oct. 27 in which the council approved an increase in the minimum wage. Sacramento Bee article
Kerman City Council to vote on whether to recognize 1984 anti-Sikh violence as genocide â The Kerman City Council is scheduled to vote Wednesday night on whether to recognize the anti-Sikh violence that started in 1984 in India as a genocide. Fresno Bee article
San Joaquin County supervisors: Chairs shuffle, but not much change in the end — San Joaquin County Supervisor Bob Elliott will remain primary delegate to the California State Association of Counties, after a lengthy discussion regarding who was best qualified to represent the county. Stockton Record article
Multicultural California leads nation in linguistic complexity — Californiaâs cultural complexity, unmatched by any other state, is on graphic display in a new Census Bureau report. Just 56 percent of the 35 million Californians over the age of 4 speak only English at home, the Census Bureau study found, proportionately far fewer than residents of any other state. Sacramento Bee article; AP article
Is the California Dream turning dark? — With a new piece in the New York Times (My Dark California Dream), writer Daniel Duane suggests that California is entering a new age, one where the California dream isnât filled with sunny optimism but a much darker vision â one filled with in his words a âprofound sense of loss.â KVPR report
Google pumps $2.35 million into racial justice projects, including #BlackLivesMatter video app — One of the founders of the #BlackLivesMatter movement and three racial and social justice initiatives in Oakland and San Jose are sharing $2.35 million in grants from Googleâs philanthropic arm. San Jose Mercury News article
Valley Editorial Roundup
Fresno Bee â House Speaker Paul Ryanâs weekend pronouncement that a much-needed immigration overhaul wonât happen provides a sad commentary on the start of his speakership.
Merced Sun-Star â The same day we learned that Dean Cortopassiâs No Blank Checks initiative has advanced to the November 2016 ballot, we got a perfect example of why many people believe it is needed.
Modesto Bee â Salmon belong where they can thrive.
Sacramento Bee â Issuing ultimatums is no way to fix GOP debates; House Speaker Paul Ryanâs weekend pronouncement that a much-needed immigration overhaul wonât happen provides a sad commentary on the start of his speakership.
Maddy Events
Sunday, Nov. 8, at 10 a.m. on KMJ (580AM and 105.9FM Radio/podcast) â Maddy Report â Valley Views Edition: âIs the Valleyâs Political Influence Growing?â â Guests: Bill McEwen, opinion page editor of the Fresno Bee, and Dr. Thomas Holyoke, political science professor at Fresno State. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director Mark Keppler.
Sunday, Nov. 8, at 7 a.m. on Univision 21 (KFTV) and UniMas 61 (KTFF) â El Informe Maddy: “Californians and Civic Engagementâ â Guest: Mony Flores-Bauer of League of Women Voters of California. Host: Maddy Institute Deputy Director Ana Melendez.
Sunday, Nov. 8, at 10 a.m. on Fresno ABC30 â Maddy Report: âPolitical Influence in California Politics: The Good, the Bad & the Uglyâ — Guests: John Myers, former senior editor for California politics and government for KQED and currently Sacramento bureau chief for the Los Angeles Times, and Marisa Lagos, KQED California politics and government reporter. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director Mark Keppler.
The Maddy Report airs throughout California on The Cal Channel. Check http://www.calchannel.com to find the Cal Channel and schedule in your area. You also can view previous Maddy Report programs in their entirety at http://www.maddyinstitute.org/policy-analysis/the-maddy-report-tv.
Community Events
- The 34th annual Agribusiness Management Conference will be held at the DoubleTree Hotel and Conference Center in Fresno on Wednesday, Nov. 4. The event will feature presentation on the economic outlook for agriculture, trade, water, and immigration. More information: 559.278.4405 or www.csufcab.com.
- The 2015 California Economic Summit will be held in Ontario on Nov. 12-13. Since its inception in 2012, the Summit has brought together hundreds of private, public and civic leaders from the stateâs diverse regions in an effort to advance the triple bottom line: promoting a prosperous economy that respects environment and equity concerns. More information and registration is available here.
Interactive
Next 10: UPDATED California budget challenge â For the first time in a decade, Californiaâs budget is largely in balance. However, the state has outstanding debts of $28 million, not counting long-term pension and retiree health care costs. Budget choices affect us all. Take the Challenge and decide how much should be spent on programs and where the money should come from.  Next 10 California Budget Challenge
Next 10: Federal budget challenge — The Federal Budget Challenge is based on The Concord Coalitionâs Principles and Priorities budget exercise, which has been used in numerous town hall meetings across the country by members of Congress from both parties, as well as in hundreds of high school and college classrooms.  Next 10 Federal Budget challenge at www.federalbudgetchallenge.org.
Next 10: California Water Challenge â As our state faces some of the most severe drought conditions in its history, Next 10 wants to issue a new challenge to Californians: can you create a plan to make sure there’s enough water for everyone? Next 10 California Water Challenge
LEGISLATORS’ VOTING RECORDS: How often has a California legislator broken party ranks, abstained or switched sides? The Sacramento Bee has a database of the voting records of every member of the state Senate and Assembly. Enter a lawmaker’s last and first names to see how he or she voted, or enter a bill number to see how every legislator voted on it. Check it out at this link. http://www.sacbee.com/votingrecord/
More Information
Please visit http://www.maddyinstitute.com/news/maddy-daily if you want to view the Maddy Daily with our comprehensive list of links to all federal, state and local government, public affairs institutes/regional entities, Valley media and public policy blogs. (Please note new website address.)
Maddy Institute Updates List of San Joaquin Valley Elected Officials â The Maddy Institute has updated its list of San Joaquin Valley elected officials. The list is available here.
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The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno was established to honor the legacy of one of Californiaâs 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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