Beginning today, California will allow undocumented immigrants to apply for driver’s licenses for the first time since 1993, when the legislature passed a law requiring first-time applicants to provide a social security number. Opponents of the change claim that the policy will reward immigrants who broke the law – and complain about the $141 million in extra DMV costs. Proponents say the change will improve public safety, encouraging immigrants to study traffic laws and carry car insurance. Kate Linthicum has the story in the Los Angeles Times.
“’It’s going to change everything,’ said Ben Wood, an organizer at the Pomona Economic Opportunity Center, a nonprofit that assists day laborers and is one of dozens of groups across the state offering license test preparation classes for immigrants. ‘Once people are able to lose a little bit of the fear they had of being on the road, that will increase participation.’”
The change in the license application is only one of 930 new laws taking effect this year. Patrick McGreevy at The Times has a rundown of some of the new laws and when they come into effect.
“One law being implemented now allows police or family members to seek a restraining order that bars a person deemed dangerous from possessing firearms for 21 days. Another requires law enforcement agencies to develop policies encouraging officers to consult a state database that shows who owns guns before checking on someone who is potentially dangerous.
“The measures followed the May massacre in Isla Vista, where Elliot Rodger killed six UC Santa Barbara students and wounded 13 others. Less than a month before, police had visited Rodger to check on his welfare but did not know he had guns.
“Also last year, federal bribery charges were leveled against two state senators, and [Governor] Brown signed measures that extend the statute of limitations for prosecuting public bribery cases and double restitution fines for public officials who seek or accept bribes.
“In addition, public officials are now barred from using campaign funds to pay fines for improper personal use of political funds.”
Last year, the Bee chose seven Californians to watch for 2014, and followed those seven throughout the year. On Wednesday, they named seven to watch in 2015, making an interesting list of politicos and other public policy warriors: Janet Napolitano, Jodi Remke, Kristin Olsen, Alex Padilla, Antonio Villaraigosa, Kevin McCarthy and Joe Nuñez. We’ll follow right along with them.
KQED’s John Myers looks back at the big moments in a dramatic year for California politics. Topping the list: the Leland Yee scandal, natch.
“If you were casting a movie about a political scandal and you needed a legislator on whom to base a character accused of corruption … Leland Yee wouldn’t have been your guy.
“The San Francisco Democrat was a fairly high-profile member of the California Legislature, but not a flamboyant one or one who was the subject of gossip and rumor. And that’s probably why the news in March landed with such a bombshell, when the 66-year old former psychologist was arrested and charged with not only corruption, but also with allegedly participating in a scheme to smuggle illegal weapons into the United States.
“The irony was impossible to miss: gun trafficking charges against a Democrat who made a name for himself as a fierce advocate of gun control, a politician who championed a nationally debated California law to ban children from buying violent video games.”
And, that’s a natural segue into our Friday feature: Singin’ the Golden State Blues, where we look back at who had the rottenest week in California politics. This week we’re looking at who had the crappiest year.
But, honestly, there wasn’t any competition.
Yes, former Senator Rod Wright lost his senate seat in a corruption scandal, and even spent 90 minutes in jail. Yes, former Assemblyman Raul Bocanegra lost an eminently ‘winnable’ election to a political neophyte who spent less than $10,000 on her campaign. Yes, former Senator Ron Calderon gave up his seat and surrendered to federal authorities after an FBI raid on his office, and could face 396 years in prison if convicted on all charges.
Even given that heavy competition, it was no contest. Senator, gun-runner, and maximum-security prison inmate Leland Yee, had, hands down, the crappiest year in California politics.
Let this Taiwanese animated newsreel remind you why.
Happy 2015!
