The state prisons have been reducing the inmate population dramatically, almost meeting the targets imposed by the court in its order to reduce overcrowding. Marisa Lagos in the Chronicle tells the tale.
"California’s prison system has been shedding an average of 933 inmates a week since the governor’s realignment plan took effect this fall, and the state almost hit a court-mandated goal to reduce the population to 133,000 inmates by Dec. 27."
"As of today, the state’s prisons held 134,804 inmates — just 1,800 short of the target and far closer to that goal than many expected."
"California prison officials announced the numbers Tuesday and said they are in the midst of preparing a report, due by Jan. 10, that details the progress made toward meeting the court-ordered reductions."
"The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in May that California must obey a lower court order to reduce its prison population, agreeing with federal judges who had found that overcrowding was the main cause of “grossly inadequate provision of medical and mental health care.” In the 5-4 ruling, the high court agreed that the prison system — which has held nearly twice its designed capacity for more than a decade — should cut its population to 110,000 by spring of 2013."
The California Lottery is going to take a look at the online sales of lottery tickets -- a move that was prompted by an Obama administration opinion last week that online sales don't violate federal law.
From Jim Puzzanghera in the LA Times: "The inexorable push to sell almost everything online could soon include lottery tickets."
"Officials at the California State Lottery said they will explore selling tickets over the Internet after the Justice Department determined that such sales would not violate federal law."
"It does open up a major potential channel for lottery sales in California, but right now it's just a potential channel," Robert O'Neill, who was named last week to head the state lottery, said Tuesday."
"State lottery officials will review the Justice Department's legal opinion, which allows states to sell lottery tickets over the Internet and possibly to offer poker and other types of online gambling. The opinion clarified that a 40-year-old law, known as the Federal Wire Act, applies only to sports betting, not to other online gambling that states may permit."
Ballot proposals to cut government pension costs actually may wind up increasing them, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst.
From the Bee's Jon Ortiz: "Two ballot proposals aimed at cutting government pension costs could wind up increasing them, are fraught with legal and fiscal uncertainty and would put pressure on governments to increase public employee pay, according to new analyses of the measures."
"The nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office on Tuesday released its takes on two public pension reform plans filed by Dan Pellissier, president of California Pension Reform. The group hopes to put one of the proposals to a statewide vote next November."
"Steve Maviglio, spokesman for labor coalition Californians for Retirement Security, issued a statement calling the pension plans "sloppily drafted and extreme" initiatives that "will be an economic disaster for our state."
Democratic State Sen. Michael Rubio, whose candidacy for Congress had been much sought by House Democrats, has decided not to run after all.
From Roll Call's Kyle Trigstad: "State Sen. Michael Rubio announced he will not run for the 21st district, leaving the party without its highly touted candidate for the new Central Valley-based seat created in redistricting."
"In a statement, Rubio said that he and his wife recently had a baby who was born with Down syndrome."
“It would be easy to continue my candidacy for Congress with thoughts of being engaged in the difficult issues that face our nation today,” Rubio said in a statement. “But my family needs me more today than Congress does.”
"The race between Rubio and state Assemblyman David Valadao (R), another young rising star in the state, was expected to be among the closest contests in the state. The district was carried by President George W. Bush in 2004, President Barack Obama in 2008, and in 2010 by Gov. Jerry Brown (D) and Senate candidate Carly Fiorina (R)."
