What goes up, must come down. Gov. Jerry Brown hints at a demolition of the The Annex attached to the state Capitol.
From Jim Miller with the Sacramento Bee: "Gov. Jerry Brown’s downtown renovation plan includes the possible tear-down of part of the state Capitol, officials said Tuesday, as the Legislature’s nonpartisan fiscal analyst raised concerns with the administration’s overall building proposal."
"The Capitol Annex, which extends east from the historic Capitol rotunda, houses Brown’s office as well as those of Lt. Gov. Gavin Newsom, rank-and-file lawmakers, and some legislative committees."
As government-funded programs for children disappear up-in-smoke, a pot tax initiative on the June ballot may help clear the air.
From Bob Moffitt at Capital Public Radio: "In the June election, voters in the city of Sacramento will be asked to tax marijuana cultivation and manufacturing. The tax revenues could only be spent on children's programs."
"Currently there is a four percent tax on marijuana dispensaries. If approved, a separate 5-percent tax on cultivation and manufacturing would be assessed once those activities are legalized in the city."
And more from Miller: Watch out Cal-Access, Maplight is looking to steal your shine.
The Sacramento Bee's Jim Miller reports: "Voters trying to follow the torrent of unlimited outside spending during this year’s California campaigns now have an easier-to-use alternative to the state’s unwieldy Cal-Access system: an enhanced search tool launched Tuesday."
Independent expenditures by businesses, unions, trade groups and others topped $78 million in legislative races during the 2013-2014 cycle, with the outside spending often overshadowing the activities of the candidates’ own campaigns. During last year’s special election in the East Bay’s 7th Senate District, for example, candidates’ campaigns spent $2.5 million combined – about one-fourth what outside groups spent."
Meanwhile, California's corrections chief aims to improve prison conditions and bolster rehabilitation.
AP'S Don Thompson tells the tale: "California's new corrections chief plans to add training on diversity and leadership for prison employees and to examine what has been effective in other states to change employees' attitudes as he tries to alter a culture that often pits prison guards against inmates and outsiders."
"They (guards) have worked under very difficult situations and we have to figure a way to get them engaged in the rehabilitation process and not just be somebody counting heads," Scott Kernan told The Associated Press in an interview.
Sometimes, less is more. Find out how the G.O.P.'s dwindling numbers could actually improve their chances in the U.S. Senate race.
From the A.P.'s Michael Blood:"The sudden withdrawal of one of the Republican candidates in California's U.S. Senate race could help a party that's been battered in recent statewide elections, although Democrats remain favorites to hold the seat now occupied by Sen. Barbara Boxer."
"The exit Monday of Assemblyman Rocky Chavez came at a time when Republicans had shown little evidence that they could be competitive in a state where Democrats hold every statewide office and control both chambers of the Legislature."
War tension is heating up in Europe between England and France.. and it's all thanks to social media and a stack of crêpes.