Billionaire business mogul and GOP presidential contender Donald Trump leads the field among California Republicans, according to the latest poll from the Public Policy Institute of California.
From the LAT's Phill Willon: "With the departure of Florida Sen. Marco Rubio from the campaign, Texas Sen. Ted Cruz appears to make up ground by nabbing the bulk of Rubio's supporters, but he still lags behind Trump."
"California's 172 delegates — 14% of the 1,237 required to win the nomination — will be chosen on June 7, when New Jersey and four other states will also caucus or cast votes..."
"The survey showed that 38% of California Republicans likely to vote in the June primary support Trump, compared with 19% who support Cruz and 12% who support Ohio Gov. John Kasich. Rubio, who dropped out of the race while the poll was being conducted, also had 12% support."
(Other reports on the PPIC poll can be seen here, here, here and here. For the original, complete poll, click here.)
California, which has the biggest haul of convention delegates of any state, is getting ready for the June 7 primary.
From Capitol Weekly's Chuck McFadden: "Brace yourselves, Californians. The violent, vicious and volatile Republican political campaigns that have destroyed civility across parts of the South and Midwest are increasingly likely to cross the Sierra and spread vitriol in the Golden State."
"Ohio Gov. John Kasich says he’s going to rent a covered wagon and come to California. Desperate members of the Republican establishment are casting about for something — anything — that will stop Donald Trump’s seemingly unstoppable march toward the Republican presidential nomination. For Democrats, Vermont Sen. Bernie Sanders is looking for a California miracle to get him the nomination and former Secretary of State Hillary Clinton is looking for a final link in a thus-far victorious campaign chain."
"Trump needs 1,237 delegate votes to grab the nomination when the Republicans convene in Cleveland this July. If Trump does as well for the remainder of the campaign as he has done so far in March, he probably will have enough delegates to win outright. And the demographics of at least some of the remaining states favor Trump, based on who has voted for him so far. All that is tenuous."
Newly installed Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, a Democrat, has announced his top legislative election target -- a district that was captured by a Republican two years ago after a bitter fight.
The Bee's Jeremy B. White tells the tale: "An East Bay Assembly district that hosted a bitter intra-Democrat battle last cycle ranks at the top of the party’s 2016 election target list, according to Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Paramount."
"In a press release, Rendon called the 16th Assembly District “the top pick-up opportunity for Democrats in the Assembly” and pledged to give Democrat and former Pleasanton City Council member Cheryl Cook-Kallio “all the support she needs” to defeat incumbentAssemblywoman Catharine Baker, R-Dublin."
"Rendon told The Bee in early March that “I expect to pick up at least a seat” in November and said the party has “a good shot” at winning back Baker’s seat."
Meanwhile, we're still in a drought, but reservoirs replenished by recent rains are releasing water to assure flood safety.
From Dale Kasler in the Bee: "After years of drought, Northern California has so much water that the state’s two largest reservoirs are releasing water to maintain flood-control safety."
"The water releases from Lake Shasta and Lake Oroville don’t mean the drought is over. But they represent the latest evidence that drought conditions are easing as El Niño has brought meaningful amounts of rain and snow to Northern California for the first time since 2012."
"Yet the free-flowing water remains a significant source of controversy throughout Northern California. Suburban Sacramentans wondered last month why water was being deliberately spilled out of Lake Folsom instead of stored for future use. Similar complaints are popping up in the northern end of the Sacramento Valley after several days of substantial flood releases from Shasta."
Here's a novel way for a city to finance a local sports stadium: Make the tourists pay for it.
From the Union-Tribune's Dan McSwain and Lori Weisberg: "The Chargers will ask San Diego voters in November to raise taxes on hotel stays to 16.5 percent from today’s 12.5 percent rate to help build a $1.8 billion hybrid stadium and convention center next to Petco Park downtown, said sources close to the team’s negotiations with lawyers, bankers and the hotel industry."
"Paying for the project would fall solely upon hotel guests, the Chargers and the National Football League, unlike previous proposals that tapped general taxpayer funds for part of the financing."
“The city’s full faith and credit is not put at risk,” a source said Tuesday. A spokesman for Mayor Kevin Faulconer said he wouldn’t comment until the plan was released publicly."
And from our "On the Road" file comes the tale of a woman who was arrested and charged with a felony for driving with a license plate made out of cardboard.
"A New York woman is facing a felony charge after Erie County Sheriff’s deputies say she was caught driving with a fake, homemade license plate."
"Deputies noticed the vehicle while on patrol on Springville. They say the vehicle driven by Amanda Schweickert, 28, had no front license plate and an imitation of a New York plate on the back."
"The license plate was made out of cardboard and painted to look like a real plate, according to deputies."
This could only happen in Pennsylvania ...