In the wake of high profile officer-involved deaths in Ferguson, Missouri and elsewhere, California lawmakers have introduced a score of bills to increase oversight and transparency in cases of police use of force. Melanie Mason, Los Angeles Times:
"’I'm tired of being shocked. I'm tired of prayer vigils. I'm tired of sit-ins and walks,’ said Assemblywoman Shirley Weber (D-San Diego). ‘I'm saying to my members that you tell me every day how horrible, how sad this is. What are you going to do about it?’…
“Meanwhile, the flurry of proposals has put law enforcement groups on their heels.
"’We are more under the microscope,’ said Chula Vista Police Chief David Bejarano, president of the California Police Chiefs Assn.
“Although his and other law enforcement groups say they're open to some new proposals, such as increased training, Bejarano cautioned, ‘we have to be careful we don't overreact and go too far one way or the other.’"
Recreational use of marijuana has been legalized in Colorado, Washington and Oregon and Alaska – will California be the next state to embrace the bud? Christopher Cadelago looks at the prospects for the Bee:
“A recent statewide survey found that likely voter support for legalizing recreational marijuana use has grown to 55 percent, up 6 points since 2010. In that time, it has increased by 10 points among Republicans, though GOP support still stands at 44 percent, according to the Public Policy Institute of California.
“Even with a majority of voters favoring the issue at the start, proponents of successful ballot measures must get everything right: from the timing, concept and policy details to the messages, messengers and money, said Ned Wigglesworth, an initiative strategist and partner at Redwood Pacific Public Affairs...
“’If it comes off as a sensible, well-considered change in drug policy supported by credible groups, they’ve got a shot,’ he said. ‘If it comes off as a scheme cooked up by potheads, voters will treat it accordingly.’”
It’s almost like a Frank Capra movie: crusading reporter writes touching story about a school district rejecting a little girl because her mom doesn’t ‘really’ live in the district – story catches fire, inspiring a Senator to rush to her defense. In real life, we call it SB 200.
Matthas Gafni, Inside Bay Area: “The California Senate unanimously approved legislation Thursday allowing children to attend school where their live-in working parents reside.
“Senate Bill 200 -- inspired by this newspaper's reports on an Orinda elementary school student who was at first determined to be living outside her district boundaries -- would update state school residency laws to ensure live-in workers, such as nannies, caregivers, maids and gardeners whose children live with them could attend school in that district.
"’Many workers like nannies, caregivers and maids sacrifice time with their family to care for others, and these workers are often required to live part-time or full-time with their employers to fulfill the duties of their job,’ said state Sen. Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens). ‘These workers may not fit the traditional family model, but should not face undue hardship to keep their family together. It is critical that they have the option to keep their children with them during the work week.’"
With access to millions of gallons of water hanging in the balance, water districts across the state are scrambling to revise what they say were incorrect reports of residential water use. Phillip Reese has the story for the Sacramento Bee:
“[The California State Water Resources Control Board] is basing its cutback orders on usage reports that water agencies statewide began filing monthly last year, in response to new drought regulations. Under the board’s proposed drought rules, communities across the state would have to cut water use anywhere from 4 percent to 36 percent by next February compared with 2013 usage. Communities that used the most water per person per day between July and September last year are targeted for the biggest cuts.
“With those mandates now hanging in the balance, water districts statewide are contacting the state to say they made mistakes in their usage reports. About one third of California’s 411 urban water districts submitted corrections last month to water production data they had reported to the state last year. If accepted by the state, those changes would reduce the severity of the cuts that customers in 50 water districts need to make this year, according to a Sacramento Bee review of state data.”
It’s essential for candidates for high-profile races like U.S. Senate or President of the United States to get an early start – but the race to replace termed out state senate Minority Leader Bob Huff is seeing early action as well. From Martin Wisckol at the Orange County Register:
“Orange County was a small portion of the district when Huff, who lives in Diamond Bar, was elected in 2008. But the 2011 redistricting resulted in Orange County accounting for 71 percent of the district, according to Political Data Inc. That increases the odds that the next representative will be from Orange County.
“I mentioned in March that Huff district director Tim Shaw – a Republican La Habra City Council member – was in the race.
“Joining the fray in April was former Irvine Mayor Sukhee Kang, a Democrat…
“Kang may also have to contend with at least one other Democrat. Former Brea City Councilman Brett Murdock said he’s ‘strongly leaning toward running.’”
A bill by Senator Ricardo Lara (D-Bell Gardens) that would make undocumented immigrants eligible for Medi-Cal heads to the Senate Appropriations Committee for a vote today. Similar legislation failed to move last year. From Tracy Seipel, Contra Costa Times:
“If Senate Bill 4 can make it over that hurdle, through the Assembly and ultimately garner Gov. Jerry Brown's signature, more than a million low-paid undocumented farm and construction workers, hotel maids and service workers would qualify for Medi-Cal, the state's health program for the poor.
“Furious opponents, however, say it's just another example of liberal legislators opening up California's wallet -- to the world…
“A fiscal analysis of SB 4 obtained by this newspaper before its scheduled release to the public on Monday shows that annual Medi-Cal costs for covering the undocumented would range from $175 million to $740 million, depending on whether President Barack Obama's executive order giving nearly 5 million illegal immigrants protection against deportation takes effect. The order, issued late last year, remains blocked -- at least temporarily -- in federal court.
“If the order is eventually upheld in court, about 900,000 of California's undocumented immigrants would become eligible for Medi-Cal without Lara's bill, the legislative fiscal analysis says.”
Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Morain takes aim at former CPUC head Michael Peevey and lets go with both barrels:
“Peevey isn’t some two-bit politician who shakes down businessmen in exchange for votes. He’s much more refined and operates on a much higher level, for the good of us all….
“This past week, Southern California Edison filed documents with the Public Utilities Commission detailing how Peevey tried to persuade Southern California Edison and San Diego Gas & Electric to donate $25 million to fund the California Center for Sustainable Communities at UCLA. If I didn’t know better, I could have concluded Peevey was a bully, maybe even an extortionist….
“None of this is to suggest the California Public Utilities Commission under Peevey was part of a sleazy kleptocracy in which officials demanded tribute in exchange for favorable action.”
Ouch.
Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper made big news last week when he announced his Fix California Challenge to find new ways to improve California’s governance. Has he ever thought of dice?
“A roll of the dice has decided who will be the next Mayor of a South Dakota town.
“The race to run Platte was evenly split between incumbent Rick Gustad and challenger Steve Christensen at the April 14 ballot, according to KSFY-TV.
So they turned to a years-old state statute to determine the outcome for them.
The law allows for certain too-close-to-call elections to be decided by a high card draw or a roll of the dice.
“[Former] police chief Christensen rolled a seven in the contest on Thursday…
[meaning] Christensen will become the town's mayor for the next two years.