Capitol Weekly released its first Top 100 List – a completely subjective rundown of the 100 heaviest-hitting non-elected political players in the state – on a whim nearly ten years ago. Now, almost a decade later, the Top 100 has become an annual tradition, with all the good and bad that entails. Capitol Weekly editor John Howard downplays any scientific rigor used in compiling the list (and urges anyone who will listen not to take it that seriously) but in the end, everyone in the capitol crowd wants to know who is on the list – and in what ranking. From the intro:
“There is scant methodology in this list except to talk to as many people as possible who follow state politics, pick their brains and compare notes. Then do it all over again. And again. We move numbers around, make slots for fresh faces, pour through news stories and talk to staffers, lobbyists, journalists, PR pros, board members – and after a while, to ourselves.
“We also get lobbied, and this year it seemed to be more aggressive than usual.
“But in the end, our list is highly subjective and I think that is one reason it’s an interesting read: Take the personality and uncertainty out and you’ve got zip. The ranking is entirely our own, and there are some names we had noted on early drafts of the list that got overlooked in the final cut (I can think of four as I write this). This list can never be perfect, but we hope that it is, as one of our friends described it, ‘within the margin of error.’”
No surprise that First Lady Anne Gust Brown ranked in the first spot again this year – as she has since becoming First Lady. The 2015 list was published in two parts: 1-50 here, 51-100 here.
In the face of scorching opposition from the oil industry, Senate pro tem Kevin de León says he is tweaking Senate Bill 350, his landmark climate legislation that would require California to halve petroleum use by 2030. David Siders, Sacramento Bee:
“The move comes as de León tries to push Senate Bill 350 through the lower house. The bill would require California to reduce petroleum use in motor vehicles by 50 percent by 2030, and oil companies have launched TV and radio ads criticizing the mandate it would give the California Air Resources Board.
“De León, while dismissing as misleading claims that the ARB will ration gas or impose surcharges on trucks and minivans, said, ‘The reality is, does CARB deserve more regulatory oversight? Without a doubt, and I plan on doing that.’
“The Los Angeles Democrat suggested that amendments to SB 350 will include ‘exit strategies and offramps’ in the event of an economic downturn.”
The bill is getting national attention, with President Obama citing SB350’s goals in a speech on Monday.
As lawmakers continue to work through two Special Sessions, four Republican lawmakers have urged the governor to call another special session to deal with water. John Ellis, Fresno Bee:
“Four Republican state Assembly members — two of them from the central San Joaquin Valley — have written a letter to Gov. Jerry Brown asking for a ‘special legislative session to address California’s unresolved water crisis.’
“The letter, signed by Assembly Members Jim Patterson, R-Fresno, and Devon Mathis, R-Visalia, as well as William Brough of Dana Point in Orange County and James Gallagher of Nicolaus near Yuba City in northern California, doesn’t overtly call for Republican priorities such as new dam construction or suspension or repeal of environmental regulations. But it does hint at such actions.
“’We also believe that this goes far beyond any discussion about ‘drought’ — a naturally occurring atmospheric condition that has been a continuous part of California’s history,’ the letter says.”
A Republican proposal to audit Planned Parenthood to determine if taxpayer funds were inappropriately used to harvest fetal tissue for sale was rejected by Democratic lawmakers Patrick McGreevy, Los Angeles Times:
“Thirteen Republican legislators, led by Assemblywoman Melissa A. Melendez of Lake Elsinore, asked the Joint Legislative Audit Committee to approve a review to determine whether taxpayer funds were used to improperly harvest and sell fetal tissue — for example, without the women’s consent…
“…Sen. Connie Leyva (D-Chino) joined other Democrats in deciding against an audit.
‘“The allegations made by the proponents did not justify spending over $300,000 of taxpayer dollars for this audit,’ Leyva said. She noted that the group provides other healthcare services to women.
“’Since a compelling fact-based case was not made for this audit, I could not support a proposal that may ultimately hurt the countless women and men that rely on these vital health services every day.’”
Keeping it upbeat, Sacramento Bee columnist Dan Walters notes that wildfires and climate change are not the only potential disasters facing California – catastrophic earthquakes and economic collapse could be just around the corner, too. Hey, at least he’s not warning about a plague of locusts.
“We can build earthquake resistance into vital structures, such as freeways and hospitals, as we are doing. We can make certain that emergency responders are trained and equipped. We can establish a warning system, such as the ShakeAlert string of sensors now being planned.
“But whenever it happens, a killer quake will have a life-altering effect – a Katrina-scale disaster magnified by 10 times or more. We can only hope to minimize its impacts.
“We are also getting a warning about fiscal peril from global financial markets, one that’s within our control and should not be ignored…
“We saw, just a few years ago, what happens when the global financial system hiccups. The wealthy got a financial cold, so to speak, and the state budget got pneumonia, with a $20 billion drop in annual revenue.
“It should have warned us to change our tax system and become less dependent on our 1-percenters, but instead we largely raised taxes on the wealthy and became more dependent.”
Dan also neglected to mention polluted water, but William Stringfellow, with the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab has that covered. Amy Quinton, Capital Public Radio:
“California lawmakers say the report by the California Council on Science and Technology and the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab outlined the lack of information state regulators have about fracking. The study said the state lacks data about the toxicity of hundreds of chemicals used in fracking as well as how wastewater from the process is disposed of or reused.
“During a legislative oversight hearing Tuesday, William Stringfellow, with the Lawrence Berkeley National Lab, said fracking wastewater that is reused to irrigate crops must be monitored better.
“’There’s questions about whether the treatment currently being used is adequate,’ says Stringfellow. ‘That needs to be determined and in general put in other kinds of safeguards that are standard for reuse of water of this type.’"
When we think of Idaho, ‘marijuana fanatics’ isn’t the first phrase that jumps to mind. This news, from U.S. Highway 95, mile marker 420, might make us change our perception.
“If you're looking for milepost 420, you won't find it in Idaho.
I”daho transportation officials say the mile marker has been replaced with 419.9 signs to curb thieves eager to own a number associated with marijuana enthusiasts.
“Turns out, Idaho isn't alone in this problem. States like Washington and Colorado have also replaced 420 signs with 419.9 after consistently having to replace them after thefts by supposed sticky-fingered stoners.
“Adam Rush of the Idaho Transportation Department says officials have replaced the old sign along U.S. Highway 95 with "MILE 419.9," just south of Coeur d'Alene.
“Rush added that this is the only 420 sign the department has replaced in Idaho, a state known for its strict anti-marijuana laws despite being nearly surrounded by states with relaxed pot regulations.”
