A new law is reducing the amount of immigrants turned over to federal authorities after being arrested in California.
Elliot Spagat and Amy Taxin report for the Associated Press: “While it was expected the state law known as the Trust Act would reduce the number of people held for possible deportation, it wasn't clear how significant the drop would be.”
“Not all supplied data for the first two months of this year, but among the 15 that did, there was a 44 percent drop, from 2,984 people to 1,660. Those 15 counties included four of the five largest in the state — Los Angeles, San Diego, Riverside and San Bernardino. Orange County could not provide 2013 data because officials do not keep paperwork on this issue for more than a year.”
Two CalSTRS members were granted a $300 million credit for their retirement accounts from a surplus.
Ed Mendel reports for Cal Pensions: “To some board members it looked like bad timing and a policy out of step with the times. CalSTRS is seeking a multi-billion dollar rate increase for the main under-funded pension system.”
“A board member representing Gov. Brown’s finance department, Eraina Ortega, urged a delay until the policy adopted in 2006 during different economic conditions could be reconsidered at the next board meeting.”
Facebook’s Sheryl Sandberg could be taking a leap from the private sector and into public office.
Carla Marinucci reports for the SF Chronicle: “But is the billionaire chief operating officer of Facebook quietly laying the groundwork for more - a campaign for elective office?”
“The valley buzz in recent months has suggested that Sandberg may be exploring just that, perhaps a future U.S. Senate run - or something even bigger.”
Bay Area rich may have more political influence because of a recent Supreme Court ruling.
Josh Richman reports for the Mercury News: “Now they're free to shower much more money on federal candidates, parties and committees, raising concerns of whether Wednesday's ruling in the McCutcheon vs. Federal Election Commission case has cemented the status of a new class of American oligarchs. Only the state of New York had more donors who maxed out.”
“The California donors are mostly male and mostly white, and though the data is spotty, their money seems to be split about evenly between Democrats and Republicans, though it skews more Democratic in the Bay Area.”
Despite tuition freezes, some of California’s public universities are raising fees.
Katy Murphy reports for Mercury News: “Students protested the success fees at last month's CSU trustees meeting, and some San Jose students are wondering where theirs went -- $19 million this year alone. Next year, the campus's success fee, $790, will be CSU's highest.”
“So far, the changes San Jose State promised two years ago -- classrooms outfitted with the latest technology and more academic support -- haven't materialized, some students say. A closer look at the campus budget shows it gave nearly 40 percent of the success fees to athletics, a use hardly mentioned in the spending priorities presented to students in 2012.”
With their senators suspended because of various crimes, millions of constituents have been left to rely on the remaining office staffers.
Jeremy B. White reports for the Sacramento Bee: ” But that isn’t an ideal substitute, political scientists say: Assembly members might represent some of the same constituents as the suspended senators and could carry bills at the urging of those voters, but they likely act according to a different slate of priorities – not to mention distinct personal beliefs – than their absent Senate counterparts.”
Some medical marijuana strains are a miracle plant for epilepsy sufferers.
Jason Henry reports for the San Gabriel Valley Tribune: “A year ago, Realm of Caring California’s director Ray Mirzabegian quit his job teaching to grow Charlotte’s Web for Emily, his epileptic daughter, and other California families.”
“She’s tried 13 medications, she failed all of them,” Mirzabegian said. “None of them helped nearly as much as this oil, or CBD, has helped her. I wanted to have it readily available here to make sure we have access to it.”
“The wait list in California is nearly 500 and still growing, he said. The foundation limits its number of patients to avoid cutting off someone after they start.”
Hundreds were arrested at one raging spring break party down in Santa Barbara hosting 15,000 people.
The Associated Press reports: “Sheriff’s spokeswoman Kelly Hoover said things escalated after a campus police officer was hit in the face with a backpack filled with large bottles of alcohol.”
“Authorities said some members of the crowd began throwing rocks, bricks and bottles at officers, lighting fires and damaging law enforcement vehicles.”