Rival interests paid nearly $50 million this year to get 15 initiatives on the ballot -- almost $20 million more than 2012's election.
DOROTHY MILLS-GREG with Capitol Weekly: "It’s like a poker game: If you want to play, you have to ante up."
"And this year, the ante for Nov. 8 was nearly $48 million. That’s how much the rival interests for 15 initiatives paid to get on the ballot."
"That’s not money spent on the merits of the initiatives. It’s the money spent simply to get the propositions before the public."
Wednesday night's Senate debate illustrated a portrait of both candidate's personalities and the stark contrast in policy despite both candidates being in the same political party.
CHRISTOPHER CADELAGO with Sacramento Bee: "U.S. Senate underdog Loretta Sanchez smiled, scowled and gestured her way through her only debate with Democratic rival Kamala Harris on Wednesday night, consistently exceeding her time limit and punctuating her closing remarks by striking a made-for-social-media pose."
"Sanchez’s abrupt dab, a trendy dance move, jolted Harris, who broke from her guarded demeanor to comment on her rival’s behavior: “There’s a clear difference between the candidates in this race."
"On style, the debate laid bare the gulf between Sanchez’s unbound qualities and Harris’ direct, prosecutorial approach."
READ MORE related to Kamala Harris/Loretta Sanchez: Claim: Loretta Sanchez 'passed one bill in 20 years' is technically correct, but misleading -- CHRIS NICHOLS with Politifact; Backpage.com raided, CEO arrested for sex trafficking -- DON THOMPSON and TERRY WALLACE with AP
Billionaire Tom Steyer has just aired his endorsement advertisement for Proposition 56 -- a $2 tax increase on cigarette packs.
LIAM DILLON with L.A. Times: "Billionaire Tom Steyer is featured in the latest television advertisement in favor of Proposition 56, a $2-per-pack increase in the cigarette tax."
"The spot, which will begin appearing on televisions across the state on Friday, argues that the new tax will reduce youth smoking, and highlights increased spending on healthcare that would come with the new revenue."
"If you don’t use tobacco, you don’t pay,” Steyer says to the camera. “Smokers pay their fair share of the $3 billion in healthcare costs all taxpayers are paying now."
READ MORE related to tobacco/cannabis: Are California roadways ready if recreational marijuana is legalized -- SUSAN CARPENTER with KPCC
As November inches closer, Governor Brown continues garnering support for his sentencing reform ballot measure.
MARISA LAGOS with KQED: "When Gov. Jerry Brown signed Senate Bill 42 in 1976, he said it would provide “certain, clear punishment for crime."
"The measure passed the Legislature with little controversy. It created adeterminate sentencing structure in California, scrapping most open-ended prison terms and instead giving inmates a set release date. It was the first major shift toward a more prescribed approach to punishment in California, one that lawmakers and voters embraced wholeheartedly in the decades that followed."
"Now, 40 years later, Brown believes that signing the law was a mistake — and he’s asking voters to approve a measure that would move California back toward the system it abandoned."
The complexities of this year's Medi-Care ballot measure have left many voters stumped--fortunately, The Sun has a cheat sheet that makes explaining the darn thing a whole lot easier.
KAISER HEALTH NEWS in The Sun: "California voters will be asked to weigh in this November on a hospital financing measure so politically and financially complicated that they might be tempted to avoid it altogether."
"The initiative, Proposition 52, would make permanent the “Hospital Quality Assurance Fee,” which the state collects from private hospitals to bring in additional federal dollars for Medi-Cal, California’s version of the federal Medicaid health care program for the poor. The federal government matches money that California puts up to fund Medi-Cal services."
"The dollars generated by the fee are used to fund hospital services and children’s health care under Medi-Cal, and the ballot measure would help ensure the money is not diverted by lawmakers for other uses."
One solution for water shortage: recycle wastewater and purify it. The problem: getting people comfortable with the idea of drinking wastewater.
TARA LOHAN with KQED: "Would you rather drink a cup of recycled wastewater or advanced purified water?"
"Actually, that’s a trick question – both terms are often used to talk about the same thing. But when it comes to public acceptance of the practice, the language you use makes a big difference. And so does education about how the process works."
"Those are some of the things that have helped shift attitudes in California around potable reuse (drinking wastewater that has been purified for drinking). But it’s been a long road to get there and a few bumps remain."
READ MORE related to Environment: California regulators set new rules for cancer-causing pesticide -- AMY QUINTON with CPR
