Lawmakers approve $1.4-billion loan for PG&E to keep Diablo Canyon nuclear plant open
TARYN LUNA, LA Times: "California lawmakers voted to keep the Diablo Canyon nuclear plant open for five more years, ultimately siding with Gov. Gavin Newsom’s controversial call to lend PG&E up to $1.4 billion and reverse plans to shutter the facility.
PG&E agreed six years ago to close the plant in 2025 in part because of safety concerns in the event of a major earthquake along fault lines near the coastal San Luis Obispo County site and as environmental groups pressured the state to do more to meet its renewable energy goals.
But California’s inability to avoid rolling blackouts during 2020 heat waves prompted Newsom to reconsider closing Diablo, the state’s single largest power source. The plant generated 6% of California’s electricity last year."
California lawmakers kill bill that would have let their staffers unionize
The Chronicle, SOPHIA BOLLAG: “Lawmakers in the California Assembly voted not to let their staff unionize, a blow to staffers and labor advocates who had pushed for the change.
The bill to let legislative staff unionize died in an Assembly committee Wednesday, the final day for lawmakers to pass bills for the year.
Although the California Legislature has a reputation for supporting labor unions, the Legislature has never before passed a bill to allow its own staffers to organize. Five previous bills to let staffers unionize all died without passing out of a single committee.”
California heat wave elevating fire risk and threat of rolling power outages
The Chronicle, MICHAEL CABANATUAN/CLAIRE HAO: “As parts of the Bay Area began warming on Wednesday, heat advisories turned to warnings and authorities cautioned that the unusual heat and expected Labor Day crowds headed outdoors increased the risk of major wildfires.
State power officials also urged people to conserve electricity and raised the specter of rolling power outages.
Temperatures in the outer East Bay, including Walnut Creek and Livermore, were headed to forecast highs above 90 on Wednesday. In Vacaville, the temperature surpassed 90 around noon and was expected to reach 98 degrees. Most of the rest of the Bay Area remained cooler — for the moment.
Fire near Castaic explodes to more than 4,600 acres as 8 firefighters suffer heat-related injuries
LAT, CHRISTIAN MARTINEZ/GREGORY YEE: “A wildfire near Castaic quickly exploded in size on Wednesday, prompting mandatory evacuations and closing all lanes of the 5 Freeway as Southern California sweltered under triple-digit temperatures.
The Route fire, which was first reported just after noon along the freeway near Lake Hughes Road, had grown to 4,625 acres and was 0% contained, officials with the L.A. County Fire Department said during a Wednesday night news conference.
About 250 county firefighters were assigned to the blaze along with 115 U.S. Forest Service firefighters, eight air tankers and seven helicopters, said L.A. County Fire Inspector Craig Little.”
First day of heat wave brings record temperatures to Southern California
LAT, GREGORY YEE: “The first day of a punishing heat wave brought new high temperature records to the Los Angeles area.
Woodland Hills reached 112 degrees, breaking the previous daily record of 111 degrees set on Aug. 31, 1998, according to the National Weather Service office in Oxnard.
The temperature could continue climbing “and probably isn’t done yet,” meteorologists said.”
California moved swiftly to limit concealed weapons after Supreme Court ruling. That plan backfired
The Chronicle, DUSTIN GARDINER: “When the U.S. Supreme Court took a sledgehammer to concealed-carry gun laws that limit firearms in public places, California officials vowed to swiftly respond and enact new restrictions.
But a measure to tighten the state’s rules for concealed weapons failed in the state Capitol early Thursday morning, a shocking outcome for a plan championed by Democratic legislative leaders and Gov. Gavin Newsom.
SB918 by state Sen. Anthony Portantino, D-La Cañada Flintridge (Los Angeles County), would have added a slew of new regulations and background check requirements for gun owners to obtain permits. It also sought to greatly expand the list of public places where guns cannot be carried, including bars, parks, casinos, sports arenas, libraries, churches and gyms.”
Newsom’s court-ordered treatment plan for homeless Californians passes final test
LAT, HANNAH WILEY: “Gov. Gavin Newsom’s sweeping proposal to provide court-ordered treatment for homeless Californians struggling with mental illness and addiction passed the Legislature on Wednesday after lengthy debate that ended in overwhelming approval of the plan.
Newsom unveiled the Community Assistance, Recovery and Empowerment (CARE) Court framework in March as an innovative tool to treat and house thousands of people who have some combination of homelessness, substance use and severe mental illness.
“Today’s passage of the CARE Act means hope for thousands of Californians suffering from severe forms of mental illness who too often languish on our streets without the treatment they desperately need and deserve,” Newsom said in a statement after the final vote on SB 1338. “With our partners, we’ll make CARE Court a reality, giving hope to not just those suffering with severe, untreated mental illnesses with psychosis, but also offering a lifeline to the friends and family members of these individuals who for too long have felt hopeless in getting help for their loved ones.”
Newsom’s call now: Tracking California bills passed in the 2022 legislative session
CALMatters, STAFF: “After eight months, California’s legislative session is coming to a close this week with a final flurry of frantic activity. Lawmakers are rushing to pass hundreds of remaining bills before the clock strikes midnight Wednesday, when they must gavel down for the year. For a select few measures, with urgency clauses that allow them to take effect immediately, the votes could stretch even later.
Contentious fights are playing out over bail costs, unionization rights for legislative staff and a package of climate legislation sought by Gov. Gavin Newsom. Other high-profile measures aim to establish California as a progressive leader on hot-button national issues such as abortion access, concealed carry permits for handguns and transgender health care for minors. These votes are taking place as campaigns ramp up for 100 of the 120 seats in the Legislature.
Not every proposal will make it through the gantlet; a bill that would have allowed teenagers to get vaccines without parental permission was pulled Wednesday without a vote. But for those measures that do win approval, a final decision awaits on the governor’s desk. Newsom has until the end of September to either sign or veto the bills — and his choices will likely be more closely watched than ever this year as speculation builds about whether he is positioning himself to run for president.”
Column: A big GOP ‘uh-oh’: Republican midterm candidates try to hide their antiabortion truths
LAT, ROBIN ABCARIAN: “It’s fair to say I am a single-issue voter. If a candidate does not support the right to safe and legal abortion, they can kiss my vote goodbye.
Reproductive freedom is that important to me. Women must have autonomy over their own bodies and the right to choose their own fates and economic futures. My mantra is simple: If you don’t like abortion, don’t have one.
And yet, I don’t begrudge politicians who once opposed abortion but changed their minds.”
‘Hella stanky’: Thousands of dead fish removed from Lake Merritt will be incinerated
The Chronicle, JESSICA FLORES: “Ahead of a forecasted heat wave, crews began removing the dead fish from Oakland’s Lake Merritt Wednesday morning as passersby snapped photos of the decaying topsmelt and bass.
Contracted workers set up cones and caution tape along the shoreline near Lakeshore Avenue and E. 18th Street just after 9:30 a.m. Using nets from the Lake Merritt Institute and donning protective gear, the workers scooped the dead fish and placed them into biohazard bags.
The fish will then be incinerated, according to city protocol, said Sean Maher, public information officer for the city’s Public Works Department.”
Thousands without childhood vaccinations unable to return to school
EdSource, DIANA LAMBERT: “Falling childhood vaccination rates during the pandemic meant that thousands of students were unable to start the school year on a campus because they did not have the immunizations required by the state.
More than 1 in 8 California students ages 4 to 6 did not have their measles, mumps and rubella vaccination — one of 10 vaccinations California requires — before school started this year, according to the California Department of Public Health. That means that there could potentially be many more students who haven’t had other required vaccinations that could put them at risk of being sent home.
Experts attribute the decrease in the number of vaccinated children to families falling behind on wellness checkups during the pandemic, vaccine fatigue and increased vaccine hesitancy. In at least one community, vaccine supply has become an issue.”
The latest S.F. housing failure: Thousands of units delayed for a study that never happened
The Chronicle, HEATHER KNIGHT: “The property on South Van Ness Avenue isn’t much to look at, but it’s a vivid depiction of San Francisco’s dire housing straits. Just south of Mission Street, the lot holds the cars of shoppers at a kitchen supply store, a pair of poorly kept palm trees, a boarded-up taco stand and a scattering of trash including, on Tuesday morning, a single sock and a pack of pink press-on nails.
For decades, the city has envisioned more for this sad piece of land in the center of the city — along with 14 other parcels near it that contain parking lots, auto shops, a car wash and government buildings.
Planning officials have long wanted to rezone the area, dubbed the Hub, to allow taller, denser apartment buildings in an area well suited for them and in a city that famously needs them. The housing would be near transit, and the projects would create union jobs while not displacing any residents.”