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Political Stories
Top stories
Assisted suicide bill heads to Jerry Brown – Dan Diaz, whose wife brought national attention to the physician-assisted death movement before dying last year, stood at the back of Senate chambers Friday – the bill he championed about to pass but its ultimate prospects still unclear. “(Jerry) Brown’s the big question,” said Diaz, the widower of Brittany Maynard. “He hasn’t given us an indication one way or another.” Sacramento Bee article; San Francisco Chronicle article; New York Times article; AP article; San Jose Mercury News article; KQED report
Plan to regulate medical marijuana heads to Jerry Brown — After years of false starts and nearly two decades after California legalized cannabis for medical purposes, lawmakers Friday sent Gov. Jerry Brown a legislative package to regulate the billion-dollar industry. Sacramento Bee article; AP article; LA Times article
CD21: A new Democrat emerges — It looks like the Democrats don’t like the way things are shaping up in their effort to oust Hanford Republican David Valadao from the 21st Congressional District.It’s unclear if all that is what spurred the party into action, but a new name is now in the mix — Connie Perez. The Tulare County native is currently a certified public accountant and a partner with Bakersfield-based Brown Armstrong. Fresno Bee article
Gov. Brown
Jerry Brown’s job approval rating dips, new USC/Times poll shows — Gov. Jerry Brown’s popularity has slipped in recent months, but a majority of California voters still approves of his job performance, according to a new USC Dornsife/Los Angeles Times poll. The survey found 53% of voters gave the Democratic governor a favorable job rating, down from 64% in February, shortly after the start of his final term. Thirty-four percent rated him negatively, up from 27% in February. LA Times article
Valley politics
Valley legislators split, or don’t vote, on Redskins legislation — A bill that bans Redskins as a public-school mascot has cleared the state Legislature and is on its way to Gov. Jerry Brown’s desk. The bill divided the Legislature’s San Joaquin Valley delegation, with two members voting yes and seven members voting no. Fresno Bee article; Stockton Record article
Governor vetoes Fuller’s school-threats bill —The governor this week vetoed a locally inspired bill that would have created a new crime with which to charge people who threaten violence on school grounds. But the Bakersfield Police Department, which had asked state Sen. Jean Fuller, R-Bakersfield, to carry the legislation, is hoping to try again in the future. Bakersfield Californian article
Experts: Economic drivers won’t necessarily benefit Merced districts — In a little more than a week, Merced City Council will get its first public look at the maps it must choose to set local election districts, raising questions about whether it’s more important to fix boundaries around defined neighborhoods or to fairly distribute economic power. Experts in the region say it’s not black and white which choice is best for constituents in the district, but there are some factors for the City Council to consider. Merced Sun-Star article
FPPC rejects complaint against Tubbs — An ethics complaint filed against Stockton City Councilman and mayoral candidate Michael Tubbs by a longtime critic was rejected this week by the state Fair Political Practices Commission only seven days after it was submitted. Stockton Record article
Statewide politics/Ballot Measures
Walker backs out of California GOP convention – Seema Mehta is reporting that Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker has backed out of a speech planned for GOP activists attending the California party convention on Sept. 19. LA Times article
Immigration
California bill protecting immigrant crime victims awaiting Brown’s approval – A proposed bill that would grant deportation relief and other protection to unauthorized immigrants in California who have been the victims of crime is awaiting signature by Gov. Jerry Brown. San Diego Union-Tribune article
For all the talk of birthright citizenship, fewer babies being born to women in the country illegally — For all of this summer’s heated campaign-trail rhetoric about immigration and women in the country illegally giving birth in the U.S., new data show that the number of such babies born here is on the decline. LA Times article
Huntingdon Park still roiling over appointment of undocumented immigrants — Among the new commissioners handpicked by a trio of young new council members were people who helped get them elected, including a campaign consultant who lives in another city and, most controversial of all, two young undocumented immigrants; 21-year-old Julian Zatarain and 28-year-old Francisco Medina. KQED report
Other areas
California lawmakers want special session to tackle drought – A bipartisan group of 47 state Assembly members delivered a letter to Gov. Jerry Brown on Friday asking him to declare a special session to tackle problems related to California’s ongoing drought. AP article
Bills sent to Gov. Brown would create more felonies, put more in prison – Seven months after California reduced prison crowding to a level accepted by federal courts, lawmakers have sent Gov. Jerry Brown proposals that would create new felony crimes for which people could be locked up. LA Times article
Cathleen Decker: Politics at the local level: Many Californians don’t see the point — Disdain and disgust have been common sentiments when it comes to Americans’ views of the national political environment. But local government was supposed to be the safe haven, where things got done in a more neighborly way, with a lot less frustration than, say, dealing with the groaning bureaucracies of the IRS or Veterans Affairs. It hasn’t worked out that way, exactly. Decker in LA Times
John Myers: When time runs short in Sacramento, proposed laws appear in a flash — Many lawmakers say “gut and amend” gives them the flexibility to adapt to the politics of the moment. But critics say that flexibility comes at the expense of transparency, denying the public a chance to see what its elected representatives are really doing. Myers in KQED
Lawmakers send Jerry Brown scaled-back climate change measure – After Gov. Jerry Brown and legislative leaders suffered major setbacks on climate bills earlier this week, lawmakers on Friday sent a less sweeping greenhouse gas reduction measure to the governor. Sacramento Bee article
Sacramento Bee: How long will this blue state let oil remain king? – For now, there is this reality: Even though global warming will consume us if we don’t overcome our carbon dependence, in the 2015 legislative session, oil remained king. Sacramento Bee editorial
Joel Fox: Fallout from SB 350 change — After the governor and legislative leaders announced pulling the 50-percent petroleum cut mandate from SB 350, the controversial climate change bill, fallout whirled about the capitol from finger pointing to relative silence from a main supporter to a defiant stand from the state’s chief executive. Fox in Fox & Hounds
Joe Mathews: Behind late-session defeats for big policies, you’ll find the mistakes of reformers – The theory behind top two is that it would make legislators bolder. It’s not working out that way. Top two means more money, and the need for more money makes cowards out of politicians. Which is why you see the legislature backing off this week. Mathews in Fox & Hounds
Unpaid family leave expansion advances to Jerry Brown – Overcoming significant opposition from business groups, a bill expanding California’s unpaid family leave policy squeaked through the Legislature on Friday. Sacramento Bee article
California smoking age raise, e-cigarette regulations stall – Proposals to hike California’s tobacco-buying age to 21 and regulate electronic cigarettes did not get an Assembly floor vote before the legislative session concluded on Friday. Sacramento Bee article
Number of California lobbyists grows over past decade – As of June 30, there were 1,760 lobbyists registered with the state, according to filings with the secretary of state. That is down slightly from last year, but about 100 more than a comparable time in 2013, the first half of the 2013-2014 legislative session. Sacramento Bee article
Statement on gay marriage by Fresno Pacific president causes strong reactions — Adjunct professor Beth Gonzales decided she won’t be returning to Fresno Pacific University next semester after a discussion she had this week with university President Richard Kriegbaum about gay marriage. Disagreeing with school leaders’ vocal opposition to gay marriage, she asked Kriegbaum on Wednesday if she needed to resign. Fresno Bee article
California Senate overnight drivers still on payroll – Three months after California Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León ended an overnight ride service for senators, the two part-time drivers are still on the payroll. Sacramento Bee article
Students’ silent protest makes lots of noise – Senior Ivana Novoa was among the students at Langston Hughes Academy who approached teacher Yesenia Trejo with a question shortly after school began a month ago.“What do you think about what’s going on?” Novoa, 17, asked Trejo.“What do you think?” Trejo responded. It was from this conversation that about 35 students at Langston Hughes, a Stockton charter high school, came to hold a silent demonstration Friday morning to protest remarks made this summer by Republican presidential front-runner Donald Trump. Stockton Record article
California Senate passes resolution to ‘Dump Trump’ – In the waning minutes before the Senate adjourned for the year, Democrats adopted a resolution condemning the Republican presidential frontrunner’s views on immigration and calling on Californians to divest from his many business enterprises. Sacramento Bee article
Victor Davis Hanson: America’s descent into lawlessness — America is becoming analogous to the mess in lawless contemporary Venezuela. When the law is suspended or unevenly applied for politically protected individuals and groups, then there is no law. So we are now seeing the logical descent into the abyss of chaos. Hanson column in Fresno Bee
News Stories
Top Stories
A San Joaquin Valley irrigation drainage settlement is reached, but questions remain – A top Interior Department official next Tuesday will sign a San Joaquin Valley irrigation settlement with the Westlands Water District, signaling the end of a long-running legal battle, but marking the start of a hot new political fight. McClatchy Newspapers article; LA Times article
Achievement gap widens for California’s black and Latino students — For more than a decade, state educators have focused intensely on helping black and Latino students perform as well in school as their white and Asian peers, calling the issue a social and economic imperative. Data from new state tests suggests that they still have a long way to go. LA Times article
Jobs and the Economy
Health care company to hire 235 in Sacramento area – An Arizona health care company is opening an operations center in Rancho Cordova this fall and will hire 235 nurses, patient-service representatives and others. Sacramento Bee article
Modesto Bee: Sen. Berryhill, end the unfair ‘negative bailout’ now – Sen. Berryhill, if it’s in your power to end this injustice, you should. No, you must. Modesto Bee editorial
The State Worker: Brown gives and he takes away – Memo to Gov. Jerry Brown: Governor, you’ve done it again. It couldn’t have been easy getting state engineers and scientists to sign off on new labor deals that would require their members pay a percentage of their wages into a retiree health care fund. Sacramento Bee article
Outspoken California tax agency tech director resigns — Eric Steen, an outspoken critic of how state government manages IT projects – even while he headed a massive state technology overhaul himself – has submitted his resignation to the Board of Equalization. Sacramento Bee article
Agriculture/Water/Drought
Who owns California’s water? – Gold Rush-era seniority laws are allowing a few thousand farms, corporations and public agencies to gulp away with little accountability for how water is used, while others have been cut off entirely. Attempts to curb these privileged users have been met with lawsuits. San Francisco Chronicle article
Jeffrey Michael, Kathy Miller and Karen Mitchell: Dump low-yield, high-risk Delta tunnels plan – Michael, director of the Center for Business and Research at University of the Pacific; Miller, a member of the Delta Counties Coalition and the San Joaquin County Board of Supervisors; and Mitchell, a member of the Delta Counties Coalition and member of the Contra Costa County Board of Supervisors, write, “It’s time for the state to drop the deeply flawed twin tunnels plan and adopt real policy solutions that ensure sustainable water supplies, fiscal stability, an improved environment, and the viability of California’s agriculture and its farmers.” Michael/Miller/Mitchell op-ed in Merced Sun-Star
King County struggles to conserve water — As California’s drought lingers on, Hanford and Lemoore fell abysmally short of their mandatory water conservation targets for August. Hanford Sentinel article
Too early to hang our hopes on El Nino – After years of drought conditions that have developed into the worst California has seen since weather conditions were recorded here, people across the state have been anxious for some good news about the weather. Visalia Times-Delta article
The Blob that attacked California – When looking at the causes of California’s unprecedented drought, experts quickly point to the “Pacific Decadal Oscillation.” First discovered in discovered in 1996 by fisheries scientists studying salmon migration in the north Pacific Ocean, the event is a warming or cooling of water that is believed to occur every 10 or 15 years, affecting weather in a manner to the El Niño effect in the equatorial Pacific. Visalia Times-Delta article
You’ll be paying more for less – Hanford and Lemoore are in the middle of water rate studies to see what adjustments need to be made. Officials in both cities predict that water rate increases will be necessary to make up for revenue shortfalls caused by conservation. By law, officials must charge water users for the cost of providing the service — infrastructure, maintenance, manpower, the works. They legally can’t take money from other budget funds and use it to cover water costs. Hanford Sentinel article
After billing confusion, LA County says its water use decreased 7.4 percent – An updated report released Friday showed that water use by county departments had, to the contrary, decreased by 7.4% from 2014 to 2015. The new report blamed much of the confusion on issues with the billing system of the city-owned Los Angeles Department of Water and Power. LA Times article
California’s navel crop expected to grow — California’s navel orange industry is expected to produce a larger crop and bigger fruit this season, a California Department of Food and Agriculture survey shows. Fresno Bee article
Farm Beat: Event will benefit county fair, Stanislaus State ag — Two institutions in Turlock that teach farming — the Stanislaus County Fair and California State University, Stanislaus — will benefit from an Oct. 8 event. The 13th annual Tastes of the Valley will feature wine, cheese and hors d’oeuvres, as well as live and silent auctions. It will be from 6 to 9 p.m. at the fairgrounds, 900 N. Broadway. Modesto Bee article
Criminal Justice/Prisons
Probe launched over two San Francisco cops’ ‘graphic’ discussion of body cameras — San Francisco police are investigating whether two of their officers violated department policy by having a “graphic” conversation that was caught on video and posted on Instagram in which they discuss what they would and would not want to be captured on body-worn camera footage in an officer-involved shooting. San Francisco Chronicle article; LA Times article
Oakland police release videos in two incidents that led to suspect deaths — Oakland police released body-camera footage Friday in two unrelated incidents that led to suspect deaths, one in which officers fatally shot an alleged carjacker and a second in which a police foot chase ended with a man wedged between two buildings. San Francisco Chronicle article
Education
State to boost oversight of services for students learning English – California officials have agreed to boost oversight of school district efforts to help the state’s 1.4 million students learning English under a legal settlement announced this week. LA Times article
As pension rules tighten, some Sacramento-area districts convert superintendent allowances into pay – After the restrictions kicked in Jan. 1 for education workers, trustees for some of Sacramento’s largest school districts converted hefty superintendent allowances for vehicles and computers into base pay. The moves ensure that superintendents can still count the allowance amounts toward their pensions. Sacramento Bee article
Bitwise South Stadium should be ready for students Sept. 14 – Despite construction delays of the new Bitwise South Stadium facility and its 8,000-square-feet of classroom space in downtown Fresno, administrators say the group’s partnership with local high schools got off to a relatively smooth start last week. The Business Journal article
In school cafeterias, a longer lunch is a more healthful lunch, study says – In the continuing quest to improve the health quotient of school lunches, experts have proposed fancy chefs, cutesy lunch boxes and smiley-faced stickers. Now comes a more straightforward suggestion – just make the lunch period longer. LA Times article
Merced College enrollment climbs – Enrollment at Merced College is up slightly compared to last fall, according to numbers reported by the school this week. At 4,180 full-time equivalent students, Merced College has 116 more this fall than last fall, an increase of about 2.85 percent. Merced Sun-Star article
Obama promotes online search tool with college-specific data – President Barack Obama on Saturday debuted a redesigned online tool with college-specific information about student costs, loans and potential earning power, scaling back a planned ratings system that critics derided as too subjective and unworkable. AP article; LA Times article
National broadcasts spotlight Tehachapi robotics team — When teacher Danielle Evansic came to Tehachapi High School in 2008, the campus robotics team was on the brink of being cut. Too few students were interested, and the program lacked a teacher willing to devote the extra time. Now seven years later, it’s being featured on a national telecast broadcasted by all four major networks. Fox, CBS, NBC and ABC simultaneously aired the one-hour education special called “Think It Up” Friday from the Barker Hangar at Santa Monica Airport. Bakersfield Californian article
Sacramento Bee: Keep backing high school ‘Nobel Prizes’ in California – As the nonprofit Society for Science and the Public, which runs the contest, awaits a new sponsor, we urge Intel’s West Coast brethren to step up and give back. Sacramento Bee editorial
Lucile King: September marks 20th anniversary of Bill Clinton’s presidential visit to Selma – The retired school administrator for the Fowler Unified School District writes, “If you were to ask any one of the 18,800 people who were present on the campus of Abraham Lincoln Middle School in Selma 20 years ago this week what it was like to see President Bill Clinton, that person would probably tell you it was electrifying and miserably hot. I was principal.” King op-ed in Fresno Bee
Energy/Environment
Blaze threatens historic trees, ash fallout seen around Valley – The Rough fire burning in the Sierra Nevada east of Fresno expanded by nearly 9,000 acres Friday, growing to more than 119,000 acres in Sierra National Forest, Sequoia National Forest and Kings Canyon National Park. Fire officials say the blaze moved closer to the historic giant sequoia trees in Grant Grove and the Wilsonia community. Fresno Bee article
Butte fire grows to 64,728 acres — Governor Jerry Brown has declared a state of emergency in Amador and Calaveras counties, and the National Guard is being dispatched to provide disaster response support and relief efforts as the Butte Fire has grown to 64,728 acres in just two days. Stockton Record article; Modesto Bee article; Sacramento Bee article; LA Times article
LA gets greener with promise to lease more electric vehicles — Soon, Los Angeles will become even more sustainable with a commitment by Mayor Eric Garcetti and city departments to lease green energy vehicles. Garcetti, speaking at a news conference Friday outside Los Angeles Police Department headquarters, announced a commitment to lease 160 pure battery EV vehicles, which he said will give L.A. the largest pure EV fleet in the nation. LA Times article
Will California revisit the San Onofre settlement? — It’s California’s $4.7-billion question: whether to revisit the settlement splitting up the San Onofre nuclear plant’s closure costs, which left consumers on the hook for most of it. The decision rests with state regulators, who have no timetable or even requirement to act. LA Times article
Texas firm in Santa Barbara oil spill ordered to fix ‘probable’ safety violations — Federal pipeline safety regulators Friday issued a series of warnings to the Texas owners of an oil pipeline that ruptured and spilled as many as 143,000 gallons of crude along the Santa Barbara Coast in May. LA Times article; AP article
Health/Human Services
In Fresno, ‘unprecedented increase’ in ER visits due to Rough fire — Fresno health officials are alerting county residents to limit all outdoor activities as the Rough Fire “rains ash” on Fresno. Fresno County’s department of public health reports an “unprecedented increase” in emergency room visits. Over the last 72 hours, local ERs have seen a 411 percent increase in visits due to respiratory issues and 90 percent increase in visits due to cough. KQED report
Smoke-free workplaces and tax hikes reduce youth smoking, study says — Smoke-free zones and greater taxes on cigarettes help reduce the prevalence of smoking in teens and young adults, according to a recently published study by UC Merced and UC San Francisco. Merced Sun-Star article
Lindsay Mann: Planning for a new acute care hospital – The CEO of the Kaweah Delta Health Care District writes, “Over the past several months, we have spent a great deal of time planning for the development of a new acute care hospital to offer life-saving care, handle an increasing number of patients, and recruit and retain highly-qualified employees and medical staff.” Mann op-ed in Visalia Times-Delta
Land Use/Housing
San Joaquin County reviewing land use around airport — Two public events planned for Monday will focus on land use in a broad swath of San Joaquin County under Stockton Metropolitan Airport flight paths. Stockton Record article
Other areas
Court says stalking doesn’t require threat of violence – A stalker, the law says, is someone who repeatedly follows or maliciously harasses another person and makes a “credible threat” intended to put that person in “reasonable fear for his or her safety.” But it doesn’t have to be a threat of violence. Not if the harasser’s unwanted words and actions are the kind that would frighten an ordinary person. San Francisco Chronicle article
Gloria Sandoval: Being homeless not a crime, even in Atwater – The president of Journey for Justice in Merced County writes, “Is Atwater intent on criminalizing the poor? That’s how it seems from reading ‘New Atwater rule targets homeless’ (Aug. 26, Sun-Star, Page 1A). Atwater’s new ordinance will punish people for sleeping and camping in Atwater. Councilman Joe Rivero questioned the logic but still voted for the proposal. Such laws won’t work.” Sandoval op-ed in Merced Sun-Star
Hanford city attorney: Group doctored email on Facebook – A Hanford city attorney is claiming a local activist group altered an email to their attorney and posted it on Facebook. Hanford Sentinel article
Audit finds gaps in sexual harassment policies at Sacramento City Hall – The city of Sacramento’s sexual harassment policy does not meet state requirements and “could benefit from a comprehensive update,” the city auditor found. Sacramento Bee article
FAA to probe incident involving ice that crashed into Modesto home — A Federal Aviation Administration inspector met Thursday with the Modesto residents who reported that a chunk of ice fell through the garage roof of their home on Wednesday morning, said FAA spokesman Ian Gregor. The ice was no longer there when the inspector arrived, but pictures showed it was clear. Modesto Bee article
Hanford council will discuss new fire station – The Hanford City Council will hold a study session Tuesday to discuss possible funding options to build a third fire station in the city. Hanford Sentinel article
Hundreds of people line parade route for Sacramento men who foiled terrorist on train — Hundreds of people lined the Capitol mall during their lunch break Friday to honor three local men who foiled the attack of an armed gunman on a train headed from Amsterdam to France last month. Sacramento Bee article
Tulare County HSSA employee alleges interrogation into sex life — A lead psychologist for Tulare County’s Health and Human Services Agency is suing her bosses after she says she was targeted in rumors of an affair and later wrongly disciplined. Visalia Times-Delta article
Valley Editorial Roundup
Fresno Bee – Thumbs up, thumbs down.
Modesto Bee – Sen. Berryhill, end the unfair “negative bailout” now.
Sacramento Bee — For now, there is this reality: Even though global warming will consume us if we don’t overcome our carbon dependence, in the 2015 legislative session, oil remained king; Keep backing high school “Nobel Prizes” in California.
Maddy Events
Sunday, Sept. 13, at 10 a.m. on Fresno ABC30 – Maddy Report: “Livable Communities: Coming to a Neighborhood Near You?” — — Guests: Laura Podolsky, policy director, National Center for Sustainable Transportation– Institute of Transportation Studies, UC Davis; Gian-Carla Sciara, assistant professional researcher, Urban Land Use and Transportation Center, UC Davis, and Paul Zykofsky, associate director of the Local Government Commission. Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director Mark Keppler.
Sunday, Sept. 13, at 10 a.m. on KMJ (580AM and 105.9FM Radio/podcast) – Maddy Report – Valley Views Edition: “Walkable, Bikeable Transit-Oriented Communities: What (is the) Demand?” — Guests: Keith Bergthold, executive director of Fresno Metro Ministry and past assistant director of Planning for the City of Fresno; Mike Prandini, executive officer for Fresno & Madera Counties, California Building Industry Association; and John Wright, former planning director for the City of Clovis). Host: Maddy Institute Executive Director Mark Keppler.
Sunday, Sept. 13, at 7 a.m. on Univision 21 (KFTV) and UniMas 61 (KTFF) – El Informe Maddy: “Livable Communities” – Guest: Paul Zykofsky, associate director of the Local Government Commission. Host: Maddy Institute Deputy Director Ana Melendez.
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 Wonderful Company will hold information sessions in Avenal and Wasco for area nonprofits, churches, religious organizations and local government agencies interested in applying for the Wonderful Community Grants initiative. The Wasco event will be held at Wasco City Hall on Monday, Sept. 14, from 10-11 a.m. The Avenal event will be held at the Avenal Recreation Center on Tuesday, Sept. 15, from 10:30-11:30 a.m. More information: www.wonderfulcommunitygrants.com.
- CA Fwd will hold an event on “Money, Schools, Jobs and You – A Bipartisan Conversation in Clovis” at the Center for Advanced Research Technology on Tuesday, Sept. 29, from 6-8 p.m. Speakers are Fresno Mayor Ashley Swearengin; former San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed; Pete Peterson, executive director of Davenport Institute for Public Engagement and Civic Leadership; and Marshall Tuck, Educator in Residence, New Teacher Center. Event is free but registration is required. More information: www.CAFWD.org.
- West Hills Community College District will hold an event, “Shifting Ground — Adapting the San Joaquin Valley Economy to a Changing Climate,” on Oct. 8 at Harris Ranch in Coalinga. Senior leaders from business, agriculture, government agencies and nonprofits will gather to launch immediate actions and provide near-term guidance to create next generation jobs in a region battered by drought and struggling with multiple challenges. Visit www.essentialelementsseries.comfor details of this no-fee policy series.
- The fourth annual San Joaquin Valley Affordable Housing Summit will be held at the Bakersfield Marriott at the Convention Center on Tuesday, Nov. 3, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m. Registration and additional information is available here.
- 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 state’s 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 – For the first time in a decade, California’s 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 Coalition’s 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 – 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 – The Maddy Institute has updated its list of San Joaquin Valley elected officials. The list is available here.
Maddy Institute on Facebook and Twitter – To learn about Maddy Institute activities (e.g. The Maddy Report tv show, The Maddy Associates’ Luncheons, the Maddy Legislative Intern Program), become a fan of the Maddy Institute on Facebook or log on to http://twitter.com/MaddyInstitute. And if you have a Facebook or Twitter account, please add us and follow us!
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The Kenneth L. Maddy Institute at California State University, Fresno was established to honor the legacy of one of California’s most principled and effective legislative leaders of the last half of the 20th Century by engaging, preparing and inspiring a new generation of governmental leaders for the 21st Century. Its mission is to inspire citizen participation, elevate government performance, provide non-partisan analysis and assist in providing solutions for public policy issues important to the region, state and nation.
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