The Fair Political Practices Commission is catching some serious flak for allegedly engaging in heavy-handed conduct.
PATRICK MCGREEVY with L.A. Times: "A rare and heated dispute has erupted between California’s campaign finance regulators and open-government groups that have accused the watchdog agency of pressuring them to rescind their support for legislation designed to show who is funding political ads."
"Supporters of the bill criticized the state Fair Political Practices Commission for heavy-handed tactics that they said included pushing groups the commission has the power to investigate and fine to drop their support for the transparency bill."
“It’s really inappropriate for a regulator who has enormous power over organizations to call up those organizations over which they have power, and lobby them,” said Trent Lange, president of California Clean Money Campaign. “It’s just inherently intimidating to have your regulator call you and ask you to do something."
Sometimes, getting a ballot measure sponsored requires luck just as much as anything else.
SARAH D. WIRE with L.A. Times: "When she sat down at a Starbucks in Torrance a few years ago, Michele Sutter was desperately looking for a California legislator to sponsor a bill regarded by many as a nonstarter — a proposition instructing the state’s congressional delegation to change the U.S. Constitution."
"Voters had just passed a similar measure in Los Angeles with 76% of the vote, and Sutter and others at her nonprofit — Money Out, Voters In — wanted to give the entire state a say on whether the 55 Californians they send to Congress should fight to overturn the controversial 2010 Citizens United decision that has allowed money to flood American elections."
"For months, Sutter had contacted any likely legislative sponsor and sat down with a half-dozen members without luck, she said. The deadline to file bills in the California Legislature was just a week or so away."
Kamala Harris and Loretta Sanchez have yet again skipped out on a debate schedule, making this U.S. Senate Race one of the quietest ever -- despite its significance.
PHIL WILTON with L.A. Times: "That silence you hear in California’s U.S. Senate race is the sound of another candidate debate that didn’t happen."
"California Atty. Gen. Kamala Harris and Orange County Rep. Loretta Sanchez had been invited to a debate today in Sacramento as well as in Los Angeles last Friday. The two Democratic Senate candidates failed to reach agreements on both, however, so they were scrapped."
"As of now, the only debate both Sanchez and Harris have agreed to will be on Oct. 5 in Los Angeles, sponsored by the Pat Brown Institute for Public Affairs at Cal State Los Angeles and KABC-TV."
Driverless cars are getting an oversight rehaul within the Department of Transportation/DMV.
SAMANTHA MASUNAGA with L.A. Times: "For California state officials, the new federal guidelines on testing and deployment of driverless cars come as a bit of a relief."
"Until this week, the absence of U.S. government guidance had left the state Department of Motor Vehicles — generally in charge of registering vehicles and issuing drivers’ licenses — to take the lead role in drafting regulations to ensure the safety of self-driving vehicles."
"Though the federal guidelines issued Tuesday are short on specifics, the Department of Transportation will take responsibility for regulating the driving hardware and software, and it has devised a model state policy that probably will take the pressure off individual state agencies. "
The July shooting-death of a mentally ill homeless man at the hands of Sacramento PD has prompted a public promise for police reform.
ANITA CHABRIA with Sacramento Bee: "Sacramento police on Tuesday released video that shows a mentally ill man running from police officers, then stopping to gesture at them before they shot him dead in July."
"The police released the video and related audio hours after The Sacramento Bee posted surveillance video of the incident it had obtained earlier Tuesday."
"Sacramento City Council members viewed the footage released by police in closed session Tuesday night. During the public portion of the meeting, Mayor Kevin Johnson promised to propose a set of police oversight reforms in coming days."
Chemical manufacturer Dow finds itself at the heart of a lawsuit claiming negligence in regards to public health when applying certain pesticides.
AP in The Chronicle: "Chemical manufacturing giant Dow fails to warn people in farming communities throughout California when a potentially dangerous pesticide is applied to nearby fields, health advocates claimed in a lawsuit filed Tuesday."
"Telone is among the most commonly used pesticides in California — applied to strawberry fields, almond orchards, vineyards and other crops."
"The chemical kills pests in the soil and dissipates before crops are planted, so health advocates say harmful residue is not found in food. Rather, they say the fumes released when it is first applied can potentially cause health issues."
Cal State has publically announced a very ambitious goal: double the current graduation rate by the year 2025.
SONALI KOHLI with L.A. Times: "California State University leaders have set some big goals for the next decade: to double the percentage of students who graduate in four years and improve graduation at an even higher rate for minorities and low-income students."
"By 2025, the university system wants 40% of freshmen to graduate in four years, up from 19% now, and 45% of transfer students in two years, up from 31% now."
"Even though graduation rates have been increasing incrementally across the system in recent years, gaps based on race, income and first-generation college status still remain. By 2025, Cal State aims to reduce those gaps to zero, bringing disadvantaged students up to the same graduation rates as their peers."
READ MORE related to Education: A mere 8% of California youths voted in the last election; CSU will try to change that -- ANDREW EDWARDS with Press-Telegram; U.C. Berkeley study finds link between language, memory -- SEMIRA SHERIEF with Daily Californian
Paging Erin Brockovich: California has another 'chromium 6' crisis.
LINDSEY HOSHAW with KQED: "When Erin Brockovich went after PG&E for poisoning groundwater in the desert town of Hinkley, California — a campaign that later became a film starring Julia Roberts — the toxic chemical was a heavy metal called hexavalent chromium."
"Also known as chromium 6, the chemical is listed under California’s Proposition 65 as causing cancer, developmental harm and reproductive harmin both men and women."
"A new report out today finds Hinkley isn’t the only California city with chromium 6 contamination."
Valero's proposal to run crude oil trains through select Northern California cities has been rejected.
TONY BIZJAK with Sacramento Bee: "The Benicia City Council on Tuesday unanimously rejected a controversial plan by the Valero Refining Co. to ship crude oil trains through Sacramento and other Northern California cities to its bayside refinery."
"The 5-0 vote, taken after four years of bitter debate, represents a victory for environmentalists and offers relief to Sacramento-area leaders who said the oil trains would put local residents and habitat at risk of a catastrophic oil spill and fire."
"The Valero proposal, if approved, would have sent up to two 50-car crude oil trains rolling daily through Roseville, downtown Sacramento, Davis and other rail cities, as well as along mountainsides in the Feather River Canyon."
