For the first time in the 50-year history of the state's Scenic Highway Program, a stretch of road has been declared "unscenic."
From Greg Lucas in Capitol Weekly: "A 37-mile stretch of Inland Empire freeway is no longer part of the state’s network of “scenic” highways under legislation signed by Gov. Jerry Brown."
"It’s the first time since the California Scenic Highway program was created in 1963 that a section of the roadway has been removed from the program."
"The move came at the request of Riverside County, which wants to erect an electronic billboard near Cabazon where the Morongo Band of Mission Indians operate a 148,000 square foot casino, 310-room hotel, spa and outlet mall."
Gov. Brown, who loathes signaling in advance his positions on legislation, has made an exception of the minimum-wage bill.
From the LAT's Marc Lifsher and Tiffany Hsu: "In a rare effort to move legislation more quickly, Gov.Jerry Brown endorsed a bill that would raise California's minimum wage to $10 an hour by January 2016."
"The governor and labor union leaders said the increase is needed, given that the last hike — of 50 cents an hour to $8 — took effect at the start of 2008...The bill, which must win final passage in the Legislature before a Friday recess, would raise the rate to $9 in July 2014 and $10 an hour 18 months later."
"Employers, including retailers, fast-food franchisees and farmers, denounced the proposal as too much, too fast. Brown typically has refused to disclose his views on pending legislation, so his statement is seen as a key signal that he wants the bill passed as soon as possible. Leaders of the Senate and the Assembly joined in his statement urging lawmakers to pass the bill."
GOP gubernatorial contender Abel Maldonado's campaign has gone through a major shakeup -- maybe seismic sea change is a better description -- that includes the departure of most of his key staffers.
From the Chronicle's Carla Marinucci: "Maldonado’s chief strategist John Weaver — the GOP insider who advised former presidential candidate John McCain — left the campaign last month, along with the rest of Weaver’s Washington D.C.-based team. Those staffers included media strategist Fred Davis, campaign manager Jeff Corliss, deputy communications director Julia Smekalina, as well as the campaign treasurer, an internet adviser, and two fundraisers, the Chronicle has learned."{
“We have some huge challenges ahead of us, and this is a huge challenge for me, it’s no secret,’’ Maldonado said in a phone interview Wednesday. But “with a governor who believes he needs 16 years to fix California — I think he’s had enough…it’s time for some new blood.”
"On the recent changes, Maldonado said: “Mr. Weaver helped me set the foundation of the campaign and now I’m moving to the next step — and I’m moving forward.” Campaign finance figures from the California Secretary of State’s office showed Maldonado’s campaign raised $314,222 and spent $317,570 in the first six months of the year — $185,000 on campaign consultants alone, and another $48,000 on office expenses."
After months of discussion, the Legislature approved and sent to Gov. Brown a measure to regulate companies' use of hydraulic fracturing, or fracking, in their quest for oil.
From Capitol Weekly's John Howard: "A first-in-the nation bill to regulate hydraulic fracturing, or "fracking," in the exploration for underground oil and gas deposits was approved by the Legislature and sent to the governor's desk."
"The legislation by Sen. Fran Pavley, D-Agoura Hills, requires state environmental regulators and state and regional water boards to get together to draft the new rules. Pavley’s bill does not include a moratorium on fracking, something which had been sought by some environmentalists and activists."
"Her measure, SB 4, requires companies to provide details and amounts of the chemicals – such as acids -- and procedures in their use of hydraulic fracturing, which has been employed in California for several decades. The bill also requires scientific studies of fracking, state permits for wells and disclosure of impacts on water. The bill, which earlier passed the Senate in a different form, was approved Wednesday in the Assembly and by the Senate several hours later."
Speaking of the environment, Senate Leader Darrell Steinberg is dropping most of his efforts to weaken California's Environmental Quality Act.
From Capitol Public Radio's Ben Adler: "Steinberg had been pushing a bill that would speed up the state’s cumbersome environmental review process for infill development projects. Instead, facing pressure from business groups and Governor Jerry Brown’s administration on one side and environmental groups on the other, Steinberg is holding off on his broader CEQA bill – at least for now."
"Instead, he’s taking a couple of provisions from that bill and adding them to a separate measure – a measure intended to ensure a new basketball arena for his hometown Sacramento Kings gets built to meet an NBA deadline."
"This is the second consecutive year that Steinberg has pulled the plug on CEQA legislation at the last minute. Last year at this time, he promised to spend all of this year working with stakeholders to make a deal – a deal which, one year later, has still eluded him."
Lawmakers have approved a compromise in California's prison-crowding issue that seeks more time from the feds.
From Reuters' Sharon Bernstein: "Under the plan, the state will ask a panel of federal judges to reconsider an end-of-year deadline to ease prison crowding, saying the state would prefer instead to spend funds on rehabilitation and mental health services for inmates - a strategy meant to ease overcrowding over time."
"If the judges refuse to grant an extension, the measure sent to Gov. Jerry Brown also authorizes the state to spend $730 million to lease space for inmates in private lockups, county jails and out-of-state prisons over the next two years."
"The judges have ordered the most populous U.S. state, which holds 120,000 prisoners in 34 facilities, to reduce the prison population by about 8,000, either by finding new prison beds or by releasing the inmates that pose the lowest risk to society."
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(Ed's Note: In yesterday's Roundup, we mischaracterized Gov. Brown's role in his opposition to naming the Bay Bridge after Willie Brown. The naming proposal, which applies to the western span, is a resolution, not a bill, and the governor has no authority to sign or veto it. The resolution is ACR 65 by Assemblyman Isidore Hall, D-Compton.)
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And finally, from our "Tales of the Deep" file comes word of the discovery of a century-old bottle that was tossed into the sea with a message in it.
"Steve Thurber says he was walking along Schooner’s Cove in Tofino on Monday when he found the old bottle lying in the sand. It was in an area recently excavated as part of a Parks Canada invasive species restoration project."
"The bottle was sealed and had a note inside. Thurber did not want to open or break the bottle, but was able to make out through the glass that the note was dated September 29, 1906 and was signed by Earl Willard, who was sailing from San Francisco to Bellingham aboard the Steamer Rainier when he threw the bottle into the ocean, 76 hours in to the voyage."
"It even lists Willard’s address in Bellingham, which is now the Railway museum."
Wonder what the note said ....
