All that's left to overhaul California's police use-of-force law is Newsom's signature
Sacramento Bee's HANNAH WILEY: "A measure that would make California’s law governing police use of force one of the strictest in the country cleared the Legislature late Monday and is on its way to Gov. Gavin Newsom’s desk."
"Assembly Bill 392 passed the Senate floor on Monday afternoon in the final leg of a yearlong process to elevate California’s deadly force law from when officers think it’s “reasonable” to only when “necessary."
"The Democratic governor is expected to sign the measure. He called it “an important bill” that will “help restore community trust in our criminal justice system” in late May."
READ MORE related to Use-of-Force Bill: State Senate approves strict police use-of-force bill, citing police killings of black people -- The Chronicle's DUSTIN GARDINER
Obamacare returns to court, creating new uncertainty about health coverage for millions
LA Times's NOAM N. LEVEY: "The future of the Affordable Care Act, and the health coverage it has delivered to millions of Americans, is once again in doubt as a federal appeals court in New Orleans convenes Tuesday to hear arguments in a lawsuit seeking to invalidate the law."
"The hearing at the U.S. 5th Circuit Court of Appeals — which pits blue states defending the law against red states and the Trump administration seeking its repeal — has also raised the possibility that the healthcare law, often called Obamacare, might survive in only parts of the country."
"Such an outcome would eliminate insurance protections for tens of millions of people and mark one of the most dramatic turns in the nearly decade-long legal fight over the law."
California bill could triple rebates for electric car buyers
The Chronicle's DUSTIN GARDINER: "California could triple the rebate it gives to drivers who purchase zero-emission cars under a San Francisco lawmaker’s bill that seeks to put the state on track to meet its goals to combat climate change."
"Democratic Assemblyman Phil Ting’s bill, AB1046, would let state regulators increase a typical consumer’s rebate for an electric car to up to $7,500 and provide a stable pot of funding for the payments."
"Ting said his bill would promptly boost rebates and reduce them over time, as electric vehicles such as Teslas and Chevrolet Bolts presumably grow in popularity."
READ MORE related to Energy & Environment: California could end off-roading at Oceana Dunes as beach access battle heats up -- LA Times's TONY BARBOZA; Seismic selfies: Massive earthquake surface rupture becomes tourist attraction -- LA Times's GIULIA MCDONNELL NIETO DEL RIO
Fewer students attending private, religious schools in California. Here's why.
Sacramento Bee's PHILLIP REESE: "The number of California students enrolled in private schools has fallen by nearly 25 percent since 2000 – dragged down by a significant drop in the number of students attending religious schools."
"About 479,000 students in kindergarten through 12th grade attended private schools during the 2018-19 school year, compared to about 536,000 a decade prior and 637,000 in 2000, according to the California Department of Education."
"The number of students in secular private schools – roughly 130,000 – has remained fairly steady since 2000. Religious schools have taken the biggest hits. The number of students enrolled in religion schools in California has dropped from about 506,000 in 2000 to about 339,000 during the last school year."
READ MORE related to Education: Academics, educators petition to save controversial school mural -- The Chronicle's JILL TUCKER; UCLA has paid more than $3.5 million in settlements over former gynecologist -- LA Times's JACLYN COSGROVE/TERESA WATANABE/RICHARD WINTON
California Democrat in hot election rakes in huge fundraising numbers -- again
Sacramento Bee's KATE IRBY: "Rep. Josh Harder raised more money than every other freshman Democrat in his first quarter in office, and his second quarter numbers show he’s not slowing down."
"Harder, D-Turlock, raised about $750,000 in the second quarter of 2019, according to numbers his campaign provided to McClatchy. He raised about $870,000 in the first three months of the year and has about $1.3 million in cash on hand as he prepares to run for re-election in 2020."
"These numbers are not normal, usual or routine,” said Mike Lynch, a Modesto-based Democratic political strategist who does not work for Harder. “It’s extraordinary the way he’s hit the ground running and never stopped.”
He told Joe Biden to 'pass the torch.' Now he's dropping out of the Democratic primary
Sacramento Bee's ANDREW SHEELER: "Rep. Eric Swalwell, D-Dublin, made headlines at the Democratic presidential debates when he told former Vice President Joe Biden that it was time to “pass the torch” to a younger candidate."
"But now it’s Swalwell’s turn to pass the torch, as the four-term congressman announced Monday that he is dropping out of the primary and will instead seek a fifth term in Congress, the first of what Politico reports is an expected wave of Democratic candidate withdrawals from a crowded race."
"Today ends our presidential candidacy, but it is the beginning of an opportunity in Congress for a new perspective ... to bring that promise of America to all Americans,” Swalwell said at a conference in Dublin."
Ghost Ship founder testifies in manslaughter trial he is 'tired, brokenhearted'
The Chronicle's MEGAN CASSIDY: "The founder of the Ghost Ship artists’ collective appeared to be on the verge of tears almost immediately after taking the stand Monday — the first day in his long-awaited testimony — rubbing his eyes, pausing before answering questions and telling his attorney he accepts responsibility for the deadly fire that killed 36 people."
"I instigated something, I drove something ... I dreamed something,” said Derick Almena, one of the co-defendants in the criminal trial for an Oakland warehouse fire in 2016, as he described creating the artists’ community."
“I invited beautiful people to my space,” he said."
The numbers are in: SF homeless population rose 30% since 2017
The Chronicle's KEVIN FAGAN: "San Francisco’s appalling homeless problem seemed to worsen only modestly compared to the rest of the Bay Area when the city released its preliminary homeless-count numbers in May. The first glimpse showed a 17% uptick — not great, sure, but not as bad as Alameda County’s 43% rise. Or Santa Clara’s 31% increase."
"Turns out the news wasn’t quite so rosy."