Almost 4,000 California companies receive free water with little state oversight, even in the third year of severe drought, because of their hundred year old status of “senior rights holders.”
Jason Dearen and Garance Burke reports for Associated Press: “The water board's Howard said it would be impossible to do away with the system.”
"People have made investments based on promises in the existing system," Howard said. "Towns grew up and land was developed based on promises of a secure water supply. Do we strand those investments to start over?"
“The water board does not require monitoring or meters for users whose rights date back a century or more, or who have rights to draw from a waterway adjoining their land. So the bookkeeping by Sheppard's district provides the state with its only reckoning of how much water the district's landowners use.”
Receiving treatment would not have prevented the Isla Vista attacker Elliot Rodger from legally purchasing three guns.
From the LA Times staff writers: “Even a diagnosis of serious mental illness, in itself, would not have prevented Rodger from buying a gun under California law, said Lindsay Nichols, staff attorney with the advocacy group Law Center to Prevent Gun Violence.”
“If Rodger had issued a threat of violence against specific, identifiable victims to a psychiatrist, the psychiatrist would have been required to report it to law enforcement, and Rodger could have been banned from owning guns for five years. That did not happen, and there is no evidence that Rodger made such a threat -- in fact, his writings suggest that he had worked studiously to hide his violent plan.”
Thousands of bills will be heard this week as the legislative deadline draws near.
Katie Orr reports for Capitol Public Radio:” Friday is the legislature’s House of Origin deadline, meaning bills have to pass out of the house they were introduced in by then or they’re done. Democratic Assemblyman Mike Gatto says he expects to be voting on about 400 bills this week, a fraction of the thousands that are introduced each year. Gatto says there’s no need for that many bills.”
In the race for second place, the California Republican Party’s chief candidates starkly contrast in their campaign platforms and strategies.
Carla Marinucci reports in SF Gate: “The two GOP candidates do have one thing in common: Whichever one survives the primary will be hard-pressed to overcome an incumbent governor with more than 40 years in politics and $20 million in his campaign bank account.”
"You have an establishment candidate who is not terribly well funded and you have a Republican base that is dispirited," Whalen said. "You won't find a Republican in California willing to write a $25,000 check, because they're not excited about a race that smacks of fait accompli.”
Los Angeles Mayor Eric Garcetti lobbies in Washington for a billion dollar plan to restore the Los Angeles River habitat.
Richard Simon reports in the Los Angeles Times: “City officials have asked the Army Corps of Engineers, which manages the river as a flood control channel, to approve a $1-billion renovation plan. But the corps staff has recommended a less ambitious, $453-million alternative, which is why Garcetti and his most powerful congressional ally — California Democratic Sen. Barbara Boxer — are stepping up their efforts in Washington.”
“They want to persuade (Jo-Ellen) Darcy, the Army Corps brass and the White House to back the costlier plan.”
A ticket worth a jackpot was sold to someone in San Francisco.
Evan Sernoffsky reports in SF Gate: “Some lucky person bought a ticket worth a cool $70 million at the Safeway in San Francisco's Sunset District, the California Lottery announced Sunday.”
“The ticket, which was bought at the store at 2350 Noriega St., matched all six numbers to win the SuperLotto Plus jackpot. Winning numbers 13, 11, 23, 27, 29 and Mega number 10 were drawn Saturday night, lottery officials said.”