California voters want term limits for D.A.s and sheriffs, Berkeley poll finds
LAT's CAROLINE PETROW-COHEN: "A large majority of California voters support term limits for local elected offices, including county supervisors, district attorneys and sheriffs, according to a new poll released Tuesday, which some experts say could signal a desire for new leadership in the November elections.
Of more than 5,000 registered voters surveyed, the poll from the UC Berkeley Institute of Governmental Studies found that roughly three-quarters of respondents said they would like to see term limits enacted or shortened for county supervisors (77%), district attorneys (77%) and sheriffs (73%)."
Gov. Newsom is moving his family back to Marin County
LAT's TYRONE BEASON: "Gov. Gavin Newsom and wife Jennifer Siebel Newsom plan to move their family back to Marin County, a spokesperson said Monday.
Both Newsom and the first partner grew up in Marin County, an enclave just across the Golden Gate Bridge from San Francisco, and it’s where they were raising their four children prior to his becoming governor in 2018. They plan to enroll the children in Marin County schools in the fall."
‘I have done nothing wrong’: Defiant Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao blasts FBI raid
The Chronicle's ELI ROSENBERG, RACHEL SWAN: "Oakland Mayor Sheng Thao stood before reporters at City Hall on Monday morning, choking back tears as she delivered her first public comments since an FBI raid on her house last week plunged the city into crisis and threw her political future into peril.
“I plan to be 100% transparent, and cooperate fully with this investigation,” Thao said during a defiant speech in which she questioned the timing of the raid and the FBI’s tactics, while also attacking critics who want her recalled. “And I want to be crystal clear: I have done nothing wrong. I can tell you with confidence that this investigation is not about me.”"
Controversial Capitol annex project would be exempt from environmental law under new bill
Sacramento Bee's NICOLE NIXON: "California lawmakers plan to expedite construction for a $1.1 billion revamp of the state Capitol annex by exempting it from state environmental law.
The state began demolition last year on a historic building connected to the capitol which houses the offices of the governor, state lawmakers, and their legions of staff."
How election conspiracy theories tore apart this remote Northern California county
CALMatgters's JESSICA HUSEMAN: "To understand the forces tearing apart California’s Shasta County, consider what has happened to Cathy Darling Allen.
In five consecutive elections, voters in the rural county have selected her as their chief election official. That means that since 2004, she’s been responsible for voter registration, the administration of elections, and a host of related tasks. She’s consistently been the only Democrat in countywide office in the conservative county, where Donald Trump won more than 60% of the vote in 2020. In 2022, her most recent appearance on the ballot, she took in nearly 70% of the vote. By those indicators, she seems pretty popular."
Au revoir, Anthony Wright (PODCAST)
Capitol Weekly's STAFF: "We’re joined today by two guests: first up, Anthony Wright, the longtime Executive Director at Health Access California, who will be leaving soon to take a new position as Executive Director at Families USA in DC. He spoke with us about the new job and his most memorable moments in Sacramento.
We also welcome redistricting expert, campaign strategist, and former mayor of Winters, Matt Rexroad, who joins us to talk about the Terrible, Horrible, No Good, Very Bad Worst Week in California Politics."
California to spend millions on reparations programs. Do Black advocates think it’s enough?
Sac Bee's MATHEW MIRANDA: "Black advocates are in agreement following last weekend’s announcement that the state will earmark $12 million over the next year to launch reparations — the money is a good start, but not nearly enough.
“That it is a lowball amount, especially given the amount of harm that was done to Black people in this state and for the amount of time that it was done,” said Kavon Ward, co-founder of Where Is My Land, a group that advocates for Black people trying to reclaim lost and stolen land."
Protest violence outside L.A. synagogue spurs widespread condemnation. Bass vows quick action
LAT's STAFF: "A violent protest outside a Los Angeles synagogue sparked condemnation from President Biden and others Monday and prompted new debate over what some consider escalating behavior during demonstrations over the war in Gaza.
The protest began Sunday afternoon at the Adas Torah synagogue in the heavily Jewish Pico-Robertson neighborhood but eventually spilled into nearby areas over several hours. Fights broke out between pro-Palestinian demonstrators — who said they were protesting an event at the synagogue promoting the sale of stolen Palestinian land — and supporters of Israel."
L.A. talks of restricting masks at protests after violence outside synagogue
LAT's STAFF: "The violent protest Sunday at a synagogue has prompted Mayor Karen Bass to say Los Angeles should consider rules governing demonstrations and the wearing of masks by those protesting.
Bass on Monday did not offer a proposal but said the city needed to look at the issue — including “the idea of people wearing masks at protests.” A number of pro-Palestinian protesters had their faces covered Sunday."v
A groundbreaking mayor, a housing advocate, a giver of food... (INTERACTIVE / HISTORY)
LAT's CIVIC CENTER: "They are the backbone of Los Angeles. They know the metropolis’ streets and its people."
A nonprofit got jobs for disabled workers in California prisons. A union dispute could end them
CALMatters's SHAANTH NANGUNERI: "A long-simmering dispute between California’s largest state employee union and a nonprofit organization that hires disabled workers is coming to a head this summer, and dozens of people could lose their jobs.
SEIU Local 1000 for several years has been trying to push the state’s correctional health care system to terminate its contracts with nonprofit PRIDE Industries at two state prisons where it employs dozens of disabled workers and others who are recovering from addictions."
San Francisco has seen the most dramatic drop in solar adoption across California
The Chronicle's LYDIA SIDHOM: "The number of approved applications to install residential solar panels has plummeted across California. The fourth quarter of 2023 saw about 24,400 total approved applications in the state, compared to 75,800 in 2022, according a Chronicle analysis. That's a drop of 68%.
The sudden drop in solar panel applications is in large part due to the enactment of a new rate structure for paying solar customers enacted in April 2023. Passed by the California Public Utilities Commission in April 2023, the policy decreased the amount of money that utilities pay homeowners for selling surplus solar power to the grid by about 75%."
S.F.’s office vacancy continues to grow, but there are positive signs for the city’s office market
The Chronjicle's LAURA WAXMANN: "Framing the sluggish recovery of San Francisco’s office market — which some anticipate might take decades — is increasingly about tallying the small wins.
From that perspective, while the city’s amount of vacant and available office space in the second quarter of 2024 continued its, now, more than four-year upward climb, the pace at which companies are exiting leases has slowed."
An outsider as next LAPD chief? Candidates face culture that has ‘spit out’ past leaders
LAT's LIBOR JANY: "The running joke around the Los Angeles Police Department for the last few years was that if you wanted a promotion, you had better learn to ride a bike.
Former Chief Michel Moore was an avid cyclist, and career-minded officers jockeyed to get into his riding group in hopes of currying favor before the next promotional list came out."
Giants honor Willie Mays in touching tribute at Oracle Park: ‘He was our guy’
The Chronicle's JOHN SHEA: "They gathered at the Willie Mays statue and left flowers. They dropped by the Willie Mays popup exhibit to soak in the vibes. They entered Oracle Park at Willie Mays Plaza to catch a pregame tribute that honored a hero.
They were San Francisco Giants fans and/or Willie Mays fans. Some weren’t fans at all, but all came with the same purpose. To pay their respects, toast a legend and try to find a fine line between celebrating and mourning."
