As the blueprint of California's bullet train continues to take shape, lawmakers on both sides of the fence are coming together, calling for stricter oversight and more definite planning.
LAT's Ralph Vartabedian reports: "A key state legislative committee on Monday unanimously approved a Republican-led bill to strengthen oversight of the California bullet train, a sign of growing bipartisan concern about the project."
"The bill, which would set new reporting requirements for the $64-billion bullet train project, was approved by the Assembly Transportation Committee. Until the last six months, the Democrat-controlled Legislature largely had kept its hands off the project, which enjoys strong support from Gov. Jerry Brown and the Obama administration."
"But a series of recent hearings and a key report by the Legislative Analyst's Office have intensified questions about the project's cost, schedule and scope."
Money that had been destined for Lake Tahoe protections wasn't included in the governor's 2016-17 state budget -- a move that took many by surprise.
From Capitol Weekly's Dorothy Mills-Gregg:"As details of the funding were being hammered out, five recipients were identified for that $475 million, which the Legislative Analyst said was intended to “satisfy certain state commitments.”
"But when Brown released the 2016-2017 budget in January, Lake Tahoe received zero dollars while the Salton Sea restoration, Central Valley Project, Klamath hydroelectric settlement and San Joaquin River restoration would in sum receive $464.9 million."
California's voter registration card is proving burdensome for independent voters who have mistakingly aligned themselves with the American Independent Party after murky voter registration instructions leave many scratching their heads.
John Meyers reports with LAT: "Although Californians now register to vote in more places than ever, most still rely on something that's been around for generations and is increasingly seen as imperfect: the voter registration card."
"I think that it is confusing and somewhat misleading," said Kim Alexander, president of the nonpartisan California Voter Foundation."
"Most of the card is straightforward -- name, address, date of birth -- but one key section requires both close inspection and careful interpretation. There, voters choose whether to join a political party, the equivalent of an electoral fingerprint used extensively by candidates and campaigns."
Last year's coverage of the San Bernardino massacre that left 14 dead and 22 wounded has netted The Los Angeles Times a pulitzer prize.
LAT's Christopher Goffard reports: "The Los Angeles Times has won a Pulitzer Prize, American journalism's top honor, for its coverage of last year’s mass shooting in San Bernardino."
"The staff won the 2016 breaking news prize — The Times’ 44th Pulitzer — for its work chronicling the chaotic, fast-breaking events of Dec. 2 and their aftermath."
"In announcing the award Monday, the Pulitzer board cited The Times “for exceptional reporting, including both local and global perspectives, on the shooting in San Bernardino and the terror investigation that followed.”
SEE ALSO: Sacramento Bee cartoonist Jack Ohman wins 2016 Pulitzer Prize -- reported by Sam Stanton with The Sacramento Bee.
The Bay Area's BART system continues to be plagued with issues as a recent announcement states that the rail system faces a $400 million defecit over the next decade.
Matier and Ross in The Chronicle: "BART’s tentative new labor pact will guarantee “no strikes” for the next five years, but how the aging and budget-strapped system will pay for 10.8 percent in raises and other goodies remains to be seen."
"According to a staff report presented at Thursday’s board meeting, the new union deals will cost about $77 million over the life of the new contract."
"At same time, it was announced that BART faces a $400 million deficit over the next 10 years unless voters in San Francisco, Alameda and Contra Costa Counties approve a $3.5 billion fix-up bond."
SEE ALSO: More budget issues add to the Bay Area's deficit as a new report claims it will require at least $3 billion to keep the embarcadero afloat. -- Rong-Gong Lin II reports in LAT. Meanwhile, a staggering drop in VTA bus ridership since 2001 is forcing the agency to consider it's 'biggest shakeup ever.' Gary Richards in the Mercury News.
And from our "Let There Be Air" file comes word that somebody is selling air from Kobe Bryant's last game. That's what we said.
"A sandwich bag purporting to contain air from Kobe Bryant's last game as well as the NBA star's autograph was listed for nearly $4,600 on eBay."
"User cardemon_huskers2015 created an eBay listing Sunday for the bag of air and the listing ended just hours later "because the item is no longer available."
"It was unclear whether the bag sold for its $4,599.99 asking price."
"The bag bears Bryant's purported signature along with an explanation that the air was from Bryant's final game with the Los Angeles Lakers April 13 at Staples Center in Los Angeles."
P. T. Barnum was right....