October 15, 2019

15Oct

POLICY & POLITICS

 

State Water Officials to Vote On Valley-Wide Plan to Reduce Nitrate And Salt

KVPR
Later this week, the State Water Resources Control Board will vote on a long-anticipated plan to reduce some of the pollutants flowing into Central Valley water. The program is called Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long-Term Sustainability, or CV-SALTS.

See also:

 

North SJ Valley:

 

Some Modesto area schools improve test scores. But many students are falling short.

Modesto Bee

In Modesto’s largest school district, about 31 percent of elementary school students met or exceeded standards for reading and writing skills and 22 percent were proficient in math. Those scores on the statewide assessment tests were about 20 percentage points below the state results for English language arts and math.

 

Gov. Newsom signs bill delaying start of school day. How it affects Stanislaus students

Modesto Bee

Schools in Stanislaus County are faced with making major changes to schedules after a bill to provide more sleep time for adolescent students was signed into law. The bill signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday forbids California middle schools from ringing the opening bell before 8 a.m., and prohibits high schools from starting class before 8:30 a.m.

 

Living in fear: Domestic abuse affecting thousands in SJ, but Stockton well above other cities in number of cases reported

Stockton Record

Intimate partner violence, or domestic violence, directly affects thousands of lives throughout San Joaquin County. Women and men daily in the county are beaten, berated and sequestered, but data obtained by The Record shows no other city sees the number of cases reported at the level of Stockton.

 

Central SJ Valley:

 

Mayor Says Newsom SB 531 Veto Is ‘Huge Victory’ for Fresno

GV Wire

Arguments made by Fresno Mayor Lee Brand and other local business leaders convinced Gov. Gavin Newsom to veto Senate Bill 531 on Saturday. SB 531, authored by state Sen. Steve Glazer (D-Orinda) would have stopped cities from offering sales-tax incentives as an economic development tool.

 

Fresno ranked in top 15 worst driving cities in America

abc30

Fresno is the 12th worst driving city in the country, according to a recent study by QuoteWizard. The study analyzed data from millions of insurance quotes from drivers in the top 75 cities in the country.

 

Founder of Hanford electric vehicle startup Faraday files for bankruptcy

Los Angeles Times

Jia Yueting, an entrepreneur who ran up billions of dollars in personal debts trying to build a business empire in China, has filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. with plans to turn over his latest venture, an electric vehicle startup, to creditors.

 

Tulare County walnut growers, bombarded with tariffs, remain hopeful during harvest

Visalia Times Delta

After a devastating 2018, Tulare County walnut growers are on the rebound. That's according to Visalia walnut grower Sam Sciacca who said the bottom fell out of walnut prices last year partly as a result of a retaliatory Chinese tariff levied against U.S. walnuts.

 

Why aren’t more women running for office in Fresno? Let’s talk about it

Fresno Bee

Voting for Fresno County’s 2020 March primary election begins in February, but so far few women have filed paperwork to run for elected office. Three seats are up for election on the Fresno County Board of Supervisors. No women are running.

 

South SJ Valley:

 

Kern students continue to struggle to meet standards for English, mathematics in 2018-19, but educators say there are improvements

Bakersfield Californian

Less than half of all students in Kern County who took a statewide standardized test met or exceeded standards for English language arts and mathematics in 2018-2019, but local educators say the numbers show a different story.

 

Jean Fuller: BC making strides in the lives of students

Bakersfield Californian

“Afraid to fail”. That was the anonymous Post-It note that an incoming freshman student shared at Bakersfield College’s summer Bridge to BC, an intensive daylong orientation program that equips incoming students with a series of tips, resources and a blueprint for success in college.

 

Kern County snuffs out farmers' plans for roadside hemp sales

Bakersfield Californian

Local farmers recently raised what seemed like a simple question: Anyone growing hemp legally in Kern County ought to be able to sell it on the side of the road just like growers of other crops, right?

 

Taking care of business: Chamber hosts Business Expo

Porterville Recorder

The Business Expo at the Porterville Fairgrounds, hosted by the Porterville Chamber of Commerce, was buzzing with life as waves of guests walked from booth to booth, exploring the plethora of businesses in attendance.

 

Gavin Newsom reforms oil standards with regulatory changes, appointments

Bakersfield Californian

Sacramento's shifting approach to reining in California oil production came into sharper focus with Gov. Gavin Newsom's weekend announcement that he had signed half a dozen bills regulating petroleum activities and appointed two senior officials — including a former Chevron engineer — to oversee Kern's most valuable industry.

 

State:

 

California regulator sanctions utility over power outages

Fresno Bee

California's top utility regulator blasted Pacific Gas and Electric on Monday for what she called "failures in execution" during the largest planned power outage in state history to avoid wildfires that she said, "created an unacceptable situation that should never be repeated."

See also:

 

New Laws Help Prepare Communities for Wildfire

PPIC

California has taken a number of steps over the past two years to reduce the pervasive threat of wildfires to the state’s communities and mountainous forests. Last year, Governor Brown focused on fostering more active management of headwater forests to improve their resilience to fire, drought, and pests.

 

Meat industry has beef with California, sues over more animal space

Visalia Times Delta

The meat industry is suing California over a 2018 proposition requiring out-of-state farmers to house their animals in more spacious cages if they want access to the Golden State's lucrative markets.

See also:

 

Abortion pills, gun control and roadkill: New California laws Gavin Newsom just signed

Merced Sun-Star

And the sun sets on the California Capitol’s 2019 legislative year. Gov. Gavin Newsom crossed the finish line of his first session as governor on Sunday with a bill-signing sprint that brought his total approved laws to 870 and his vetoed proposals to 172.

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Gavin Newsom declares Indigenous Peoples Day, recognizing ‘resilience’ over ‘conquest’

Sacramento Bee

Gov. Gavin Newsom announced on Monday that the state would honor Indigenous Peoples’ Day, celebrating Native Americans on a holiday usually associated with Italian explorer Christopher Columbus.

See also:

 

Shadow of Gray Davis looms over Newsom as outages rock California

Politico

California Gov. Gavin Newsom in his first 10 months has faced a barrage of legal challenges from the White House, the anger of anti-vaccine protesters, intense pressure to solve homelessness and the threat of catastrophic wildfires.

 

Opinion: Californians Are Fleeing the State's Progressive Policies

Reason

I remember getting that phone call 20-some years ago while at my desk at The Lima News, which was a sister newspaper to The Orange County Register. "Would I like to come to California to work at the Register," the editor asked? "Why, yes," I eagerly said. "When do I start?" I forgot to ask about the salary.

 

Federal:

 

Trump Wants States to Experiment With Medicaid — Up to a Point

Pew Trusts

The Trump administration has heartily endorsed the idea of giving states maximum Medicaid flexibility. But the mixed reaction of Trump’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to Utah’s plan has demonstrated that while the administration is open to breaking with precedent, it is not ready to embrace all of Utah’s proposals.

See also:

 

California cannabis king linked to Ukrainian who was indicted with Giuliani associates

Sacramento Bee

A Ukrainian-born man indicted in a campaign-finance scheme along with two associates of Rudy Giuliani, President Trump’s personal attorney, is an officer in a Sacramento cannabis dispensary controlled by a local businessman with a considerable share of the city’s pot business, records show.

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Elections 2020:

 

Did Tom Steyer buy his way onto the Democratic debate? How he worked his way to the stage

Sacramento Bee

Tom Steyer had a sudden change of heart when he went to Iowa in January. Worried he couldn’t compete with the plethora of 2020 Democratic presidential hopefuls, he reversed course and made an unusual announcement. He would not run for president.

 

Bloomberg Reportedly Still Itching to Run for President Now That Warren Is Surging

Slate

Michael Bloomberg, the former mayor of New York City, has told associates that former vice president Joe Biden’s seeming struggle to stay on top of the Democratic pack amid a surging Sen. Elizabeth Warren is making him seriously consider whether he should be warming up to join the race, according to CNBC.

 

Facebook Political Ads: What the 2020 Candidates’ Campaign Spending Reveals

New York Times

Collectively, the 19 current Democratic candidates for president have poured nearly $32 million into Facebook ads this year — more money than they have spent so far on television ads, a striking measure of the social network's ever-rising influence in politics.

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Other:

 

Inside Mark Zuckerberg's private meetings with conservative pundits

Politico

The lengthy, off-the-record gatherings were held at one of the Facebook founder’s homes in California. They come as the social-media giant fends off accusations of liberal bias.

 

Teens find circumventing Apple’s parental controls is child’s play

Washington Post

Helen Glaze didn’t think anything of it when her two sons told her they were looking for ways to get around Screen Time, Apple’s built-in tool that gives parents control of their kids’ phones. Then she discovered her 9- and 12-year-olds watching Minecraft videos at 2 a.m. during their annual trip to Chautauqua, New York, this past August.

 

Banning ethnic hairstyles 'upholds this notion of white supremacy.' States pass laws to stop natural hair discrimination

Visalia Times Delta

Clinton Stanley Jr. was excited about his first day at a new private school in suburban Orlando, Florida. His father, Clinton Sr., thought A Books Christian Academy, with its small class sizes and rigorous curriculum, was the perfect fit for his 6-year-old.

 

 

MADDY INSTITUTE PUBLIC POLICY PROGRAMMING

 

Sunday, October 13, at 10 a.m. on ABC30 – Maddy Report: “The Road Ahead for Zero-Emision Vehicles in CA” – Guest: F. Noel Perry, Founder of Next 10. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, October 6, at 10 a.m. on Newstalk 580AM/105.9FM (KMJ) – Maddy Report - Valley Views Edition: “Climate Change and Electric Vehicles: Public Action and Private Markets” – Guests: F. Noel Perry, Founder of Next 10; State Senator Fran Pavley. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director, Mark Keppler.

 

Sunday, October 6, at 7:30 a.m. on UniMas 61 (KTTF) – El Informe Maddy: “Workers Comp Fraud” – Invitado: Margarita Fernandez, PIO State Auditor's Office. Presentado Por: Coordinadora del Programa del Maddy Institute, Maria Jeans.

 

AGRICULTURE/FOOD

 

Tulare County walnut growers, bombarded with tariffs, remain hopeful during harvest

Visalia Times Delta

After a devastating 2018, Tulare County walnut growers are on the rebound. That's according to Visalia walnut grower Sam Sciacca who said the bottom fell out of walnut prices last year partly as a result of a retaliatory Chinese tariff levied against U.S. walnuts.

 

Kern County snuffs out farmers' plans for roadside hemp sales

Bakersfield Californian

Local farmers recently raised what seemed like a simple question: Anyone growing hemp legally in Kern County ought to be able to sell it on the side of the road just like growers of other crops, right?

 

Marijuana Madness Turns Into a Cannabis Crash

Wall Street Journal

The party is over for cannabis companies. Share prices of marijuana producers tumbled last week, some by nearly 40%, after a string of disappointing quarterly reports and mounting skepticism about the industry’s rosy growth forecasts.

 

The marijuana industry is hiring. New data shows 1,242% spike in California job postings

Sacramento Bee

Looking for a job? Now would be a good time to consider the cannabis industry. California Marijuana industry-related job postings at job search website Indeed.com have spiked more than 1,200 percent over the last four years, according to the company released.

 

Cannabis Banking Challenges Go Beyond Pot

Pew Trusts

Marijuana business owners in states that have legalized the drug have struggled for years to access banking services, thanks to conflicts between federal and state law. Now people who grow and sell hemp — a nonpsychoactive form of cannabis — are facing a similar set of problems.

 

Cannabis was supposed to be a tax windfall for states. The reality has been different

Politico

Advocates for legalization in California originally envisioned legalized pot raising $1 billion a year. As it turns out, the state raised not even a third of that in fiscal 2018-19, the first full year since recreational sales began.

 

CRIMINAL JUSTICE / FIRE / PUBLIC SAFETY

 

Crime:

 

New California law gives victims of childhood sexual assault more time to file lawsuits

Sacramento Bee

Survivors of childhood sexual assault will have more time to report abuse allegations and file lawsuits under a new law signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday. The law has been heralded as a new opportunity for now-adult victims to find justice and closure.

See also:

 

In the rush to harvest body parts, death investigations have been upended

Los Angeles Times

When 69-year-old Marietta Jinde died in September 2016, police had already been called to her home several times because of reports of possible abuse. A detective described conditions at the woman’s home in Gardena as “horrendous.”

 

When Cops Create Their Own Risk, Innocent People Die for Their Mistakes

National Review

But there is also no question that time and again police have enhanced the risk to the public through their own mistakes. Poor tactics can yield terrible results, and police should not be able to use the “split-second decision” defense when they created the crisis.

 

Public Safety:

 

Living in fear: Domestic abuse affecting thousands in SJ, but Stockton well above other cities in number of cases reported

Stockton Record

Intimate partner violence, or domestic violence, directly affects thousands of lives throughout San Joaquin County. Women and men daily in the county are beaten, berated and sequestered, but data obtained by The Record shows no other city sees the number of cases reported at the level of Stockton.

 

Deadly bacteria lingers at California prison 7 months after inmate death, and costs climb

Sacramento Bee

A bacteria outbreak at a state prison in Stockton has cost California $8.5 million and doesn’t appear to be going away seven months after it infected two inmates, one of whom died.

 

California to end its use of for-profit prisons, including for immigrant detention

PBS

California will ban the use of for-profit, private detention facilities, including those under contract to the federal government to hold immigrants awaiting deportation hearings, under a bill that Gov. Gavin Newsom said Friday that he had signed.

 

Fire:

 

California regulator sanctions utility over power outages

Fresno Bee

California's top utility regulator blasted Pacific Gas and Electric on Monday for what she called "failures in execution" during the largest planned power outage in state history to avoid wildfires that she said, "created an unacceptable situation that should never be repeated."

See also:

 

New Laws Help Prepare Communities for Wildfire

PPIC

California has taken a number of steps over the past two years to reduce the pervasive threat of wildfires to the state’s communities and mountainous forests. Last year, Governor Brown focused on fostering more active management of headwater forests to improve their resilience to fire, drought, and pests.

 

ECONOMY / JOBS

 

Economy:

 

More than half of Latinos in California struggle to stay afloat, report finds

Mercury News

Across the state, 52% — or 1.6 million — Latino households have trouble paying for basic expenses like food, housing, and electricity, the Insight center found, up from 49% in 2014.

 

2019 California Economic Summit Registration Opens

CAFWD

Register for the 2019 California Economic Summit, which will take place in Fresno on November 7-8. The Summit, produced by California Forward, marks the eighth annual gathering of private, public and civic leaders from across California’s diverse regions committed to creating a shared economic agenda to expand prosperity for all.

 

3 economists who study poverty win Nobel Prize

Modesto Bee

Two researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and a third from Harvard University won the 2019 Nobel Prize in economics on Monday for groundbreaking research into what works and what doesn't in the fight to reduce global poverty.

 

Trade Uncertainty Clouds Global Growth Prospects

Wall Street Journal

Small steps toward a trade truce between China and the U.S. last week likely aren’t enough to diminish uncertainties that are holding back global economic growth.

See also:

 

Marc Benioff: We Need a New Capitalism

New York Times

The current system has led to profound inequality. To fix it, we need businesses and executives to value purpose alongside profit.

 

Is Amazon Unstoppable?

The New Yorker

Politicians want to rein in the retail giant. But Jeff Bezos, the master of cutthroat capitalism, is ready to fight back.

 

Jobs:

 

Taking care of business: Chamber hosts Business Expo

Porterville Recorder

The Business Expo at the Porterville Fairgrounds, hosted by the Porterville Chamber of Commerce, was buzzing with life as waves of guests walked from booth to booth, exploring the plethora of businesses in attendance.

 

The marijuana industry is hiring. New data shows 1,242% spike in California job postings

Sacramento Bee

Looking for a job? Now would be a good time to consider the cannabis industry. California Marijuana industry-related job postings at job search website Indeed.com have spiked more than 1,200 percent over the last four years, according to the company released.

 

California Enacts a Raft of New Employment Laws

National Law Review

On Thursday, October 10, 2019, California Gov. Gavin Newsom signed into law several new measures that employers will need to comply with by January 1, 2020 and that will generally make it easier for employees to sue their employers. 

 

AB 5 Update: Joint Employment, Retroactivity, and Implementation Challenges

Littler

As employers in the Golden State attempt to prepare for the brave new world—courtesy of AB 5—that will greet them on New Year’s Day, federal and state courts in California continue to grapple with the scope and purpose of the 2018 groundbreaking Dynamex decision.

See also:

 

Drawn by the Salary, Women Flock to Trucking

Wall Street Journal

The number of female truckers increased by 68% since 2010 to 234,234 in 2018, though women still account for just 6.6% of the trucking workforce, according to the American Trucking Associations, a trade group. One big reason: equal pay.

 

Help Wanted: Too Many Jobs and Not Enough Workers in Most States

Pew Trusts
A labor shortage is jeopardizing economic expansion in almost every state, putting pressure on lawmakers to find ways to attract more residents and coax people who have dropped out of the workforce to rejoin it.

 

EDUCATION

 

K-12:

 

California plans to end 'lunch shaming' with a new bill that guarantees meals for all students

Visalia Times Delta

A bill signed Saturday by California Gov. Gavin Newsom plans to cut the recent trend in schools of "lunch shaming." SB 265 will require that all public school students have a "state reimbursable" meal provided by the school "even if their parent or guardian has unpaid meal fees."

See also:

 

Some Modesto area schools improve test scores. But many students are falling short.

Modesto Bee

In Modesto’s largest school district, about 31 percent of elementary school students met or exceeded standards for reading and writing skills and 22 percent were proficient in math. Those scores on the statewide assessment tests were about 20 percentage points below the state results for English language arts and math.

 

Gov. Newsom signs bill delaying start of school day. How it affects Stanislaus students

Modesto Bee

Schools in Stanislaus County are faced with making major changes to schedules after a bill to provide more sleep time for adolescent students was signed into law. The bill signed by​​ Gov. Gavin Newsom on Sunday forbids California middle schools from ringing the opening bell before 8 a.m., and prohibits high schools from starting class before 8:30 a.m.

 

Will later school start times mean more sleep or more hassles for California?

Los Angeles Times

The law, signed Sunday night by Gov. Gavin Newsom, has touched off mixed reaction — cheers from the sleep-deprived to official worries about impending logistical hassles. It will be phased in over the next three years.

See also:

 

Kern students continue to struggle to meet standards for English, mathematics in 2018-19, but educators say there are improvements

Bakersfield Californian

Less than half of all students in Kern County who took a statewide standardized test met or exceeded standards for English language arts and mathematics in 2018-2019, but local educators say the numbers show a different story.

 

ACLU Files Complaint Against Fresno Unified School District For Racism Gone 'Unchecked'

KVPR
The American Civil Liberties Union of Northern California filed a discrimination complaint against the Fresno Unified School District Thursday on behalf of two black Bullard High School students, claiming the school failed to protect students from racial abuse.

 

Higher Ed:

 

Fresno Pacific swim team members sue university over alleged excessive chlorine exposure

Fresno Bee

Three members of Fresno Pacific University’s swim team are suing the college for negligence after they were allegedly exposed to a dangerous amount of chlorine in the pool.

 

Kaiser teaming up with Samuel Merritt University to offer accelerated nursing program in Fresno

abc30

Kaiser Permanente and Samuel Merritt University are partnering up to offer nurses the chance to obtain their Bachelor of Science in Nursing in Fresno. On Monday, Kaiser announced the program will be 20-months long and classes start in January 2020.

 

Jean Fuller: BC making strides in the lives of students

Bakersfield Californian

“Afraid to fail”. That was the anonymous Post-It note that an incoming freshman student shared at Bakersfield College’s summer Bridge to BC, an intensive daylong orientation program that equips incoming students with a series of tips, resources and a blueprint for success in college.

 

Student tracking, secret scores: How college admissions offices rank prospects before they apply

Washington Post

To learn more about prospective students, admissions officers at the University of Wisconsin-Stout turned to a little-known but increasingly common practice: They installed tracking software on their school website.

 

ENVIRONMENT/ ENERGY

 

Environment:

 

How a massive Amazon wind farm promises to change a tiny town in rural America

CNBC
Amazon announced three new wind farm projects in April 2019 as part of their goal to become net-zero carbon emissions by 2040. Large wind and solar farms create economic booms for rural communities. Even after an initial construction boom, there is room for business growth.

 

Energy:

 

Gavin Newsom reforms oil standards with regulatory changes, appointments

Bakersfield Californian

Sacramento's shifting approach to reining in California oil production came into sharper focus with Gov. Gavin Newsom's weekend announcement that he had signed half a dozen bills regulating petroleum activities and appointed two senior officials — including a former Chevron engineer — to oversee Kern's most valuable industry.

 

HEALTH/HUMAN SERVICES

 

Health:

 

‘I could addict anybody.’ Whistle-blowing scientist warns students away from nicotine

Modesto Bee

Dr. Victor DeNoble knows a thing or two about addiction. “We can addict people very quickly,” he said. “I could addict anybody with any drug I want in three months or less — most drugs in just a few weeks.”

 

Massive opioid case may end with huge settlement. Where would the money go?

Los Angeles Times

The largest civil trial in U.S. history is scheduled to begin in a matter of days, putting those who made, marketed, distributed and dispensed prescription painkillers under the legal spotlight.

See also:

 

Fewer trees, more asthma. How Sacramento can improve its canopy and public health

Sacramento Bee

We often plant trees as a symbolic gesture. We plant them on Earth Day in honor of clean air and sustainability. We also plant trees to commemorate people and events. But trees do more than provide shade and improve landscapes. They are also critical to public health.

 

Amazon Joins Trend of Sending Workers Away for Health Care

Wall Street Journal

Employers are increasingly going the distance to control health spending, paying to send workers across the country to get medical care and bypassing local health-care providers.

 

Human Services:

 

How California’s new health care laws will affect you, from vaccines to premiums

Sacramento Bee

Now that California legislators and Gov. Gavin Newsom are done making new laws for the year, here’s a look at how the policies they created will affect your health care. They fall short of the universal health care Newsom campaigned on, but many of the new laws are aimed at getting more people insured, cutting costs and making it harder to forego vaccines and insurance.

See also:

 

As CDC warns against all cannabis vaping, California’s legal market tries to ease consumer fears

San Diego Union Tribune

Most of the vaping illness outbreak appears to stem from black market THC vaping products, and testing points to the additive vitamin E acetate as a possible culprit

 

Trump Wants States to Experiment With Medicaid — Up to a Point

Pew Trusts

The Trump administration has heartily endorsed the idea of giving states maximum Medicaid flexibility. But the mixed reaction of Trump’s Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services to Utah’s plan has demonstrated that while the administration is open to breaking with precedent, it is not ready to embrace all of Utah’s proposals.

See also:

 

IMMIGRATION

 

California extends new protections to immigrants under laws signed by Newsom

Los Angeles Times

California lawmakers continued the state’s expansion of rights and protections this year for immigrants who enter the country illegally, with laws signed by Gov. Gavin Newsom allowing them to serve on government boards and commissions and banning arrests for immigration violations in courthouses across the state.

 

LAND USE/HOUSING

 

Land Use:

 

One of Visalia's busiest streets is under construction. Here's what you need to know…

Visalia Times Delta

If you're trying to get your In-N-Out fix or build your fall wardrobe, you may need to wait a week. As part of the Storm Sewer Maintenance Project, construction crews will be at Walnut Avenue, just west of Mooney Boulevard starting Monday.

 

Coming soon: Here are all the stores and restaurants planning to open in the Fresno area

Fresno Bee

A slew of new stores and restaurants are headed for the Fresno area. From big-name chains to little boutiques and restaurants, there’s a lot in the works. The businesses include stores, bars, breweries, bakeries, restaurants – even a creamery selling sheep’s milk ice cream.

 

Another long-time Bakersfield furniture store to close

KGET

Red Door Interiors in Downtown Bakersfield will soon close its doors. The store is going out of business, and are selling everything they have. The owners have been in business since 1977 with different names and locations.

 

America’s formerly redlined neighborhoods have changed, and so must solutions to rectify them

Brookings

Over the last few months, several Democratic presidential hopefuls have released housing proposals that utilize a curious vector to implement their respective remedies for historical discrimination: redlining maps.

 

Housing:

 

Will this plan solve the homeless problem in Sacramento? It just might.

Sacramento Bee

One of the least understood reasons why cities are so pitiful at creating enough housing for low-income and homeless people is how expensive it is to build housing for people who can’t pay much rent or can’t pay any rent at all.

 

PUBLIC FINANCES

 

A do-over at SEIU Local 1000 gets a new result: State workers vote ‘yes’ on contract

Sacramento Bee

A group of workers within California state government’s largest union voted to approve a contract in a second vote last week, reversing a previous ‘no’ vote. The vote count in the SEIU Local 1000 contract ratification vote was announced Sunday.

 

Cannabis was supposed to be a tax windfall for states. The reality has been different

Politico

Advocates for legalization in California originally envisioned legalized pot raising $1 billion a year. As it turns out, the state raised not even a third of that in fiscal 2018-19, the first full year since recreational sales began.

 

TRANSPORTATION

 

Fresno ranked in top 15 worst driving cities in America

abc30

Fresno is the 12th worst driving city in the country, according to a recent study by QuoteWizard. The study analyzed data from millions of insurance quotes from drivers in the top 75 cities in the country.

 

You kill it, you grill it. New California law allows drivers to eat roadkill

Merced Sun-Star

The bad news: While driving at night, you struck and killed a deer. The good news: You just got a free venison dinner, under a bill now signed into law by California Gov. Gavin Newsom.

 

Founder of Hanford electric vehicle startup Faraday files for bankruptcy

Los Angeles Times

Jia Yueting, an entrepreneur who ran up billions of dollars in personal debts trying to build a business empire in China, has filed for bankruptcy in the U.S. with plans to turn over his latest venture, an electric vehicle startup, to creditors.

 

Every bus in this country deserves its own lane

Curbed

Improved service that exceeds all expectations? This is everything that public transit in this county must aspire to if we want to reduce emissions, congestion, and traffic deaths. What can deliver all this and more? Dedicated bus lanes.

 

Skelton: Are California transportation officials pulling a bait and switch on gas tax funds?

Los Angeles Times

What really irks people about politicians is when they sell them one thing and deliver something else. It’s called bait and switch. It breeds cynicism and mistrust of government. It becomes even harder for citizens to follow wannabe political leaders. Voters say a pox on all career politicians.

 

WATER

 

Column: Poor Central Valley communities deserve safe, affordable water service

Visalia Times Delta

We write on behalf of la Asociación de Gente Unida por el Agua (AGUA) and Protectores del Agua Subterránea (Protectores), representing over 30 communities around the Valley, to make a public appeal to the State Water Board, which on Wednesday will make a decision that will determine the quality of our water in the Central Valley for decades to come.

 

State Water Officials To Vote On Valley-Wide Plan To Reduce Nitrate And Salt

KVPR
Later this week, the State Water Resources Control Board will vote on a long-anticipated plan to reduce some of the pollutants flowing into Central Valley water. The program is called Central Valley Salinity Alternatives for Long-Term Sustainability, or CV-SALTS.

 

California finds widespread water contamination of ‘forever chemicals’

Los Angeles Times

Nearly 300 drinking water wells and other water sources in California have traces of toxic chemicals linked to cancer, new state testing has found.

See also:

 

Climate Readiness Plan: Just (Let the Rivers) Go With the Flow

Pew Trusts

Washington is one of the rare states to have its own state-funded buyout and restoration program, one that is set up to remove development from flood-prone areas on an ongoing basis, not just as federal relief money becomes available in the wake of a massive disaster.

 

“Xtra”

 

Burning Man lite coming to Kern County in a few weeks

Bakersfield Californian

A miniature Burning Man will soon happen on the outskirts of Kern County. A small San Diego collective plans to hold YOUtopia near California City, from Oct. 23-27, according to the festival's website.

 

The Big Fresno Fair: Carnival Rides, Fast Food – And Fewer ER Visits

KVPR

To the estimated half a million visitors it attracts each year, the Big Fresno Fair is synonymous with carnival rides, fried food, and horse racing. But to hospitals, the fair means something completely different: fewer visits to the emergency room.

 

Painter And Fresno Native Darren Waterston Brings ‘Last Days’ Piece To Fresno Art Museum

KVPR

And for the weekend, let’s take a look at a recent aquisition at the Fresno Art Museum: Just added to FAM’s permanent collection is a piece from Fresno native Darren Waterson. He now lives and works in New York City, but he got his early art education at the museum. The new piece is called “LAST DAYS (Gabriel)”.

 

Pioneers Who Created The Bakersfield Sound Are Now On A 10-CD Collection

KVPR

Buck and Bonnie Owens, Merle Haggard, Bill Woods - their names are forever associated with the Bakersfield Sound. But what about the lesser known artists who also belted out their stories of hardship defying Nashville's more polished grooves?

 

Arts fans, Stockton has an amazing week in store

Stockton Record

The fourth annual Stockton Arts Week is in full swing, celebrating the community’s rich arts and culture with a packed lineup of art walks, exhibits, paint nights, performances and more.

 

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

 

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

                                                     

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

 

 

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