Acceeding to pressures from Delta residents and others, the state is reworking the massive twin-tunnels project.
From the Bee's Matt Weiser: "In plans to be made public today, the California Department of Water Resources proposes moving the 40-foot-diameter tunnels farther east, away from the towns of Courtland and Walnut Grove."
"{It also is shrinking a proposed water storage reservoir, called an intermediate forebay. The initial design called for a footprint of 750 acres and located the reservoir next to Stone Lakes National Wildlife Refuge. Now it would be 40 acres and located 10 miles farther south, near Twin Cities Road."
"Another significant change involves the handling of so-called "tunnel muck," the mix of dirt and drilling chemicals removed by the tunneling machines. The new design calls for fewer muck disposal areas on private land. Instead, DWR would use state-owned land near Interstate 5 in Sacramento County bought long ago for the Peripheral Canal, an earlier iteration of the massive Delta replumbing effort that voters defeated in 1982."
The off-reservation casino of the North Forks Rancheria approved for Madera is the first in a number of off-reservation casinos on the drawing boards.
From Capitol Weekly's Samantha Gallegos: "Three others are contemplated across the state from northern California to nearly the Mexican border."
"Weeks ago the Legislature approved the governor’s compact with the North Fork Rancheria of Mono Indians to begin constructing a 2,000-slot machine casino in Madera County, over 30 miles from tribe’s historic lands. The agreement culminated lengthy and complex negotiations, not only between the tribe and the government, but between the tribes themselves."
The dispute is far from over – an anti-casino group already plans to place a referendum before voters to block the project."
There are strange bedfellows in politics, and none stranger than the one that has formed to back an elections-related bill.
From the Bee's Dan Walters: "An unusual alliance of unions, Common Cause and the Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association lined up Tuesday behind late-blooming legislation that would crack down on use of public resources to promote ballot measures."
"The legislation, Senate Bill 594, is clearly aimed at local government umbrella groups such as theLeague of California Cities and the California State Association of Counties that frequently turn to the ballot to pursue their political causes. And the chief promoters of the legislation are the unions that represent city and county employees."
"While the use of taxpayer funds for political purposes is banned by law now, critics say governments have skirted the law by using non-profit subsidiary organizations to campaign for ballot measures. The legislation would impose tighter restrictions on non-profit groups' use of funds and other resources paid by taxpayers for campaigning."
The state's highest court turned down an attempt to reestablish California's ban on same-sex marriage.
From the Chronicle's Bob Egelko: "The California Supreme Court unanimously rejected an attempt to revive the state's ban on same-sex marriage Wednesday, ending a nine-year legal battle over the rights of gays and lesbians to marry the partner of their choice."
"The court order came seven weeks after the U.S. Supreme Court dismissed an appeal by sponsors of Proposition 8, the initiative defining marriage as a union of a man and a woman, of a federal judge's ruling declaring the measure unconstitutional."
"The first weddings took place June 28, after Gov. Jerry Brown ordered all 58 county clerks to issue marriage licenses to same-sex couples. But because the nation's high court did not rule on Prop. 8's constitutionality, sponsors of the 2008 measure urged the California court to step in and declare that only the two same-sex couples who sued to overturn the law should be allowed to marry."
From the LAT's Patrick McGreevy: "A proposal to streamline the environmental review process for development was approved by a key committee Wednesday after its author, state Senate leader Darrell Steinberg (D-Sacramento) said he is unwilling to include more dramatic changes demanded by business groups."
"The measure that would speed up approval of infill construction projects in heavily developed neighborhoods was approved 5-0 by the Assembly Local Government Committee despite opposition from a business coalition."
"Steinberg complained that the group of businesses has demanded a long, changing list of amendments to the California Environmental Quality Act that goes too far to win the votes needed for approval."
When it comes to real estate, the property in Orange and Los Angeles counties is the most over-valued in the nation. The specter of the "bubble" is alive and well.
From the LAT's Alejandro Lazos: "Here is a piece of news that might not surprise anybody traversing open houses in the Southland these days: Orange and Los Angeles counties are the most overvalued real estate markets in the country."
"That’s according to real estate website Trulia.com, which published its second-quarter “Bubble Watch” measure, which compares home prices to rents and incomes."
"Orange County prices were the most overvalued in the country — 12% above where the website’s analytics said they should be. Los Angeles County came in second, with prices about 10% overvalued."
