Senate leader Kevin De Leon proposed Thursday hiking the tuition rate for out of state students attending the University of California. The call comes on the heels of UC president Janet Napolitano’s proposal that the university system raise tuition 5% for all students. From Patrick McGreevy at the Los Angeles Times:
“De Leon called for the change in a letter and phone call Thursday to UC President Janet Napolitano, asking her to consider following the lead of public universities in other states including Virginia, where out-of-state tuition is 17% more than what California charges, or about $4,000 more a year.
“’California’s university system is one of the premiere higher education systems in the world and we should require that nonresident students pay a premium to attend it,’ De Leon wrote to Napolitano. ‘The revenue generated from these fees can be used to increase affordability and access for more Californians.’”
Covered California, the state’s healthcare exchange, will begin their second Open Enrollment period on Saturday. The system’s first open enrollment period, which began in October last year, was marked by computer glitches and other woes – Tracy Seipel of the San Jose Mercury News looks at what to expect from this year’s rollout.
“But unlike the first open enrollment period, which lasted 6½ months, the second will span only three months. And most health care experts considered the first year's eager applicants to be low-hanging fruit. This year, the California exchange -- like others around the country -- will have to shake a lot more trees to reach its goal of enrolling half a million more people in private insurance plans.”
As light rain fell in Sacramento yesterday, Jerry Brown and Nevada Governor Brian Sandoval met to discuss plans to cope with the historic drought affecting western states. Juliet Williams of the Associated Press was there.
“Nevada Gov. Brian Sandoval, chairman of the Western Governors' Association, initiated the yearlong series of meetings that include senior water, energy and agriculture policy leaders from government and the private sector. The meetings will lead to a report of best practices to be released next June.
“This week's meeting in Sacramento is focused on how to manage the drought's effect on agriculture.
"’These farmers ... they come to me and they feel really helpless. They don't know what to do. And their livelihood is at stake,’ said Sandoval, a Republican.”
Veteran Los Angeles Times columnist George Skelton credits two Schwarzenegger-era reforms – top two and independent redistricting – with creating a more moderate crop of winners in 2014. We’re not sure about that assessment (and indie reporter John Hrabe outright scoffs) but Skelton presents a compelling argument.
“Until last week, no Democratic state legislator running for reelection had lost to a Republican in 20 years. Then suddenly three did.
“When incumbents start losing their legislative seats, it means something is happening….
“[Credit] — or blame — voter-approved reforms that are starting to affect California's legislative elections.”
A new report from the ACLU claims that California local governments have spent over $45 million on spyware on surveillance equipment. From California County News:
“The report s the first attempt to show the extent of surveillance technologies being used in counties across California. It was compiled by combing through the minutes of public meetings in which budgets and spending were discussed. The report offers county-by-county tallies of who’s using what and examines the process for adopting the technology in each case.”
Two California frosh have made Mashable’s 10 Most Interesting New Members of Congress list:
“Republican Rep.-elect Mimi Walters is the rare political candidate who, after she won California's 45th congressional district, handed out $250,000 in campaign funds to other candidates and causes that she could have used herself. With the help of the Republican Party, she earned two times more fundraising money than her opponent, and now she plans to use the money she dished out to other Republicans as political capital whenever she's in need….
“Democratic Rep.-elect Norma Torres' parents sent her from her home in Guatemala to California when she was only five. She went to college, worked as a 911 dispatcher and eventually became mayor of Pomona City, California in 2006…”
For those of you still on the edge of your seats: the vote count continues in the Bera-Ose race.
And finally, we’re adding a new feature at the Roundup: Singin’ the Golden State Blues. At the end of each week we’ll single out the California political figure who had the worst week. (Yes, we’re shamelessly ripping off the Washington Post’s Worst Week in Washington.)
Our inaugural Blues singer is lobbyist and consultant Richie Ross, who was handed a $5000 FPPC fine this week for failing to collect over $160,000 in campaign consulting fees from legislators. So, he’s not only out the $160K that Ricardo Lara and Paul Fong went deadbeat on, but he gets to pay a hefty fine on top – talk about adding insult to injury….
