In a development with major implications for California students, the state Assembly passed a bill Wednesday capping UC nonresident enrollment -- a growing statistic that was preventing many locals from attending.
Maxwell Jenkins-Goetz reports in The Daily Californian: "A bill that would cap out-of-state enrollment in the UC system is one step closer to becoming a law after state lawmakers voted 10-3 Tuesday to move the bill to a committee that will evaluate its financial viability."
"Amid tension between the University of California and state leadership over space on UC campuses for California students, state Assemblymember Kevin McCarty, D-Sacramento, introduced Assembly Bill 1711 in January designed to cap UC enrollment of out-of-state students at 15.5 percent of the total undergraduate student body."
"The vote to push AB 1711 forward in the legislative process comes after a report by the California state auditor on UC nonresident enrollment."
SEE ALSO: $5 million in funding for undocumented UC students set to expire in June -- Harini Shyamsundar with The Daily Californian. UC School of Health considers cutting medical school program -- Sofia Gonzalez-Platas
Speaking of education, California seems more likely than ever to promote public education, including increasing taxes to fund growth.
Sharon Noguchi reporting with Mercury News: "California voters are willing to to tax the rich -- and themselves -- to prop up education, and believe that even with billions in extra dollars, the state doesn't spend enough on schools, a new poll shows."
"In a poll released Wednesday by the Public Policy Institute of California, a solid majority -- 62 percent -- of likely voters supported extending for 12 years Gov. Jerry Brown's Proposition 30 income tax increase on individuals earning over $250,000 to pay for education and health care. An initiative being circulated by teachers unions and health care organizations would put that proposal before voters in November."
The state PUC, under fire on a number of fronts, was targeted in legislation that seeks to curb its independent authority.
From the Bee's Jeremy B. White: "California’s embattled utilities regulator moved one step closer to losing its autonomy Wednesday as an Assembly panel passed a measure to overhaul the Public Utilities Commission."
"The PUC has taken heavy criticism as several incidents – the Aliso Canyon methane leak, a lethal gas-line explosion in San Bruno, and a San Diego-area nuclear plant closure deal that angered some ratepayers – have unfolded in industries it oversees. Critics contend the agency’s coziness with industry has made it a complacent regulator."
“The litany of complaints has been a mile long,” said Assemblyman Mike Gatto, D-Los Angeles, noting “the tragedies in San Bruno and Porter Ranch and the distrust and discontent in every part of the state.”
The DoJ has announced that 66 companies have agreed to pay more than $70 million in clean-up costs at the now-toxic waste site of the defunct Omega Chemical Corp. recycling plant.
Steve Scauzillo reports in Whittier Daily News: "Contamination from a shuttered solvent recycling company that had been leaking toxic chemicals for decades will be cleaned up by a group of 66 companies that have agreed to pay $78 million, the U.S. Department of Justice announced Wednesday."
"The companies, which were not named, signed a settlement agreement that will begin groundwater treatment in 2017 as part of the cleanup of the Omega Chemical Corp. Superfund Site in Whittier."
"We are happy to see it is moving forward now, before it creates a much larger problem,” said Robb Whitaker, general manager of the Water Replenishment District, on Wednesday."
And from our "Only in Germany" file, comes word of the male stripper who raised fears that a shooter was on the prowl.
"A male stripper sparked panic in Frankfurt's red-light district after being spotted with what appeared to be an assault rifle and bullet-proof vest emblazoned with "FBI."
"A significant number" of police officers were deployed to the area after Saturday night's sighting, officials said."
"The 30-year-old Hungarian man was later found in a table-dance bar, where he revealed the suspicious items were part of the costume for his act. The weapon turned out to be a plastic replica "but had deceiving similarities to a G36 assault rifle," according to a police statement."
"After a delay, the stripper was permitted to perform late Saturday, "but whether his act was a success, is not known," police added."
