State senators failed to ask California’s Public Utilities Commission chief about a scathing report on the commission released by the state auditor.
John Myers reports for News10: “The recent audit comes after a number of other troubling questions about PUC's ability to track large sums of money. In March 2013, an Assembly budget subcommittee took the agency to task for a state Department of Finance audit that suggested large sums of money -- in one case, $275 million -- were not being closely tracked.”
“None of this was discussed by senators during Tuesday's hearing.”
California’s GOP leaders have a $13.6 million plan to take down Democratic supermajorities in both houses of the Legislature.
Patrick McGreevy reports for the LA Times: “The strategic plan, a copy of which was obtained by The Times, calls for “surpassing historical leadership fundraising” for a party that raised just under $10 million in the 2012 election year.”
The City Council of Richmond could approve the highest minimum wage in the state.
Robert Rogers reports for the Mercury News: “The council voted 6-1 to hike the local minimum wage to $12.30 per hour, with increases pegged to inflation after it is fully phased in by 2017.”
Schoolteachers and train operators could have a minute warning before earthquakes hit – if the early warning program finds a source for funding.
Kale Williams reports for SF Gate: “The early-warning system in California has been in development for 15 years, but it got a big boost last year when Gov. Jerry Brown signed SB135. The bill, sponsored by state Sen. Alex Padilla, D-Pacoima (Los Angeles County), would create an $80 million network of seismographs that could provide Californians with as much as 60 seconds of lead time before the ground starts to tremble.”
“The only problem: Who is going to pony up the cash?”
A bill moving through the Legislature would give car owners control of their onboard data.
Marc Lifsher reports for the LA Times: “California's two giant automobile clubs on Tuesday unveiled legislation that they said would give car owners control over a wide range data streaming from their vehicles.”
“The bill, SB 994, was immediately attacked by auto manufacturers as a bid to generate more insurance revenue for the Automobile Club of Southern California and its AAA counterpart in Northern California.”
Lawmakers are carrying bills to equip California students with computer science skills needed in the modern workforce.
Lillian Mongeau reports for Ed Source: “If all six bills become law, the California State Board of Education would be tasked with developing computer science standards for grades 1 to 12 and the state higher education systems would be asked to create guidelines for courses they’d be willing to accept for admission credit. ”
An 83-page internal review of officials’ response to a November shooting at LA International Airport found it “successful” but with room for improvement.
Brenda Gazzar reports for the LA Daily News: “Among the key recommendations are that emergency alert and warning systems, including duress phones or “red phones,” need to be updated and technologies for 9-1-1 notifications to airport police must be better integrated.”
Though a federal court threw out San Diego’s concealed weapons ban, the question of constitutionality has been left unanswered.
Kirk Siegler reports for Capitol Public Radio: “The San Diego case could have national implications. It's not the only one working its way through the courts that seeks to loosen California's concealed carry law, but it's gotten the furthest. In a case in New York, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals recently upheld local restrictions on concealed carry permits. These conflicting rulings could be a sign that the Supreme Court will weigh in.”
"The United States Supreme Court has said only that people have a Second Amendment right to have guns in their home, for the sake of security," says Erwin Chemerinsky, dean of the University of California, Irvine School of Law.”
