Gov. Jerry Brown, who has a long-standing penchant for surprise announcements, came up with one Wednesday: He is launching a ballot initiative dealing with paroles for nonviolent prison inmates, and wants to give juvenile court judges greater discretion in deciding cases.
From Capitol Weekly's John Howard: "Gov. Jerry Brown and a number of church and law enforcement leaders said Wednesday they are launching a November ballot initiative that would ease parole restrictions on nonviolent prison inmates and provide incentives for prisoners to work toward an earlier release and rejoin society."
"The Democratic governor, who signed California’s existing determinate sentencing law nearly four decades ago, said the proposed initiative would not change existing sentencing rules. Rather, it uses early paroles as a carrot that can be achieved with positive behavior demonstrated over time."
“This initiative by no means restores the old indeterminate sentence, but it does recognize the virtue of having a certain measure indeterminacy in the system,” the governor said. The initiative applies to those who “have served their primary term,” he added. An inmate’s early release would “depend on the inmate making definite steps to change what got them into prison in the first place. The sentencing remains the same…” Brown said."
Despite all the money spent and all the hype over the past decade, people in Southern California don't like to use public transit.
From the LAT's Laura J. Nelson and Dan Weikel: ""For almost a decade, transit ridership has declined across Southern California despite enormous and costly efforts by top transportation officials to entice people out of their cars and onto buses and trains."
"The Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority, the region's largest carrier, lost more than 10% of its boardings from 2006 to 2015, a decline that appears to be accelerating. Despite a $9-billion investment in new light rail and subway lines, Metro now has fewer boardings than it did three decades ago, when buses were the county's only transit option."
"Most other agencies fare no better. In Orange County, bus ridership plummeted 30% in the last seven years, while some smaller bus operators across the region have experienced declines approaching 25%. In the last two years alone, a Metro study found that 16 transit providers in Los Angeles County saw average quarterly declines of 4% to 5%."
State regulators, in a decision following the massive gas leak near Porter Ranch, have ordered a check of all gas fields in California in a search for leaks.
From the LAT's Paige St. John: "The directive from the state Public Utilities Commission accompanies an order by environmental regulators requiring Southern California Gas Co. to turn over all records it has on its gas storage field in Aliso Canyon, where a well has been leaking massive amounts of methane since late October. Noxious fumes from that leak have forced thousands of downwind residents in Porter Ranch and other communities from their homes."
"The letters bear Tuesday's date, though they were not publicly posted by the commission until Wednesday."
"We are taking additional safety assurance measures and directing the operators to demonstrate that their storage facilities are safe by conducting this special leak survey," said commission spokeswoman Terrie Prosper."
The multibillion-dollar daily fantasy sports industry may wind up being regulated in California, an issue that is proving contentious in other states as well.
The Bee's Jeremy B. White tells the tale: "The daily fantasy sports industry moved closer to official recognition in California on Wednesday as the state Assembly passed a bill regulating the popular contests, with lawmakers declining to await word from the state’s attorney general on whether the games are an illegal form of gambling."
"Officials estimate that millions of people play fantasy sports, which allow contestants to assemble teams of athletes and then wager on their daily performances. Regulators and state attorneys general, though, have taken notice as the industry’s adherents and profits have boomed, bankrolling TV advertisements that tout substantial cash prizes."
"In some states, such as Texas, officials have deemed the practice illegal gambling and moved to shut it down. California Attorney General Kamala Harris has so far not followed suit. She has not publicly said whether or not the practice constitutes gambling."
California health officials are keeping a close eye on the Zika virus, which has hit Brazil hard and may spread across the Americas.
From the Mercury's Tracy Seipel: "A mosquito-borne virus linked to a rare birth defect in Brazilian newborns has the Americas in its grips and Californians worried about its possible progression to the Golden State."
"The implications of the Zika virus -- which also has reportedly led to paralysis in some cases -- have caused widespread panic in the Southern Hemisphere since last fall, when cases of microcephaly, abnormal smallness of the head in babies, ballooned in Brazil from 150 in 2014 to 3,900 in the past four months. This week, the World Health Organization predicted the virus would spread to all countries across the Americas except Canada and Chile."
"Brook Meakins, a 33-year-old East Bay woman expecting her first child, is anxiously waiting for test results to determine if she has the virus."
The headquarters building of the state Board of Equalization, known for years for its structural problems, also is a lousy place to work, says a new state report.
From the Bee's Jon Ortiz: "Forget the Board of Equalization tower’s history of mold, water leaks, falling exterior glass panels, corroded waste-water pipes, unreliable elevators and bat infestation."
"There’s a better reason to move the tax-collecting agency’s headquarters from the 24-story,scoffolding-skirted, running joke that has cost taxpayers $60 million to repair so far: The building is terrible for business."