The governor's 12 cent gas-tax hike has been approved by the Legislature, following a major push by Democratic leaders.
OC Register's JEFF HORSEMAN: "Following behind-the-scenes maneuvering and a public relations blitz by Democratic leaders, the California state Legislature Thursday evening, April 6, approved a $52 billion transportation funding package that raises the gas tax and imposes new vehicle fees to fix the state’s crumbling roads."
"SB 1, the Road Repair and Accountability Act of 2017, passed the Senate by a 27-11 vote, barely clearing the two-thirds hurdle needed to pass tax increases. After 10:30 p.m., the Assembly OK'd the bill on a 54-26 vote."
"Going into the day, it wasn’t clear whether Gov. Jerry Brown and the Legislature’s Democratic leadership had enough support, despite a sustained lobbying effort leading up to Thursday’s self-imposed deadline for a vote."
READ MORE related to Transportation: Sen. Steve Glazer, only Senate Democrat to vote against gas tax, explains vote -- Bay Area News Group; Legislature OKs $52 billion road bill -- The Chronicle's MELODY GUTIERREZ; Divided Senate approves gas tax and vehicle fee increases to raise $5.2b annually for road repairs -- LA Times' PATRICK MCGREEVY; Lawmakers undecided on gas-tax hike suddenly could get millions for their districts -- Sacramento Bee's TARYN LUNA/ALEXEI KOSEFF; Gas-tax increase to pay for road repair clears California Legislature -- Sacramento Bee's TARYN LUNA/ALEXEI KOSEFF
U.S. military forces fired 59 Tomahawk missles at Syria in retaliation for that country's chemical weapons attack that killed dozens of men, women and children.
From WaPo's DAN LAMOTHE, MISSY RYAN AND THOMAS GIBBONS-NEFF: "The U.S. military launched 59 cruise missiles at a Syrian military airfield late on Thursday, in the first direct American assault on the government of President Bashar al-Assad since that country’s civil war began six years ago."
"The operation, which the Trump administration authorized in retaliation for a chemical attack killing scores of civilians this week, dramatically expands U.S. military involvement in Syria and exposes the United States to heightened risk of direct confrontation with Russia and Iran, both backing Assad in his attempt to crush his opposition."
"Syria and Russia swiftly denounced the attack."
Meanwhile, the federal government released the latest unemployment figures.
From the NYT's NELSON D. SCHWARTZ: "Job growth turned in a disappointing showing in March, according to data released Friday by the Labor Department. It is the latest official snapshot of the state of the American economy."
"98,000 jobs were added last month. Economists had been anticipating a gain of about 180,000."
"The unemployment rate was 4.5 percent, the lowest level in almost a decade, down from 4.7 percent in February."
"The average hourly wage grew by 0.2 percent."
Comedy legend Don Rickles has sailed off into the sunset at the ripe age of 90: Rest in peace!
LA Times' ROBERT LLOYD: "It seems wrong somehow to come to praise Don Rickles, who died Thursday at age 90, even as we are about to bury him. The fitting thing would be to cover him in in cutting one-liners — something about his baldness, his bigness, his failed sitcoms — before finally admitting that it's all in fun, that we come in love, to honor his life and regret his absence. That is how Rickles did it, anyway, for more than half a century.
"And you have got to be funny to get away with it."
The bids are starting on the Oroville Dam's 3,000-foot-long concrete spillway repair.
The Chronicle's KURTIS ALEXANDER: "California officials on Thursday announced an ambitious plan to increase the size of Lake Oroville’s damaged main spillway, allowing it to release nearly twice as much water, as they seek to rebuild the 3,000-foot-long concrete chute that gave way this year."
"The work could begin as soon as April 17 in what will be a race to finish before the reservoir fills again next winter. Without an operational spillway, the state risks not being able to discharge water from the lake — the same problem that triggered fears of mass flooding downstream in February."
"The idea here is that we have to move really fast,” said Bill Croyle, acting director of the California Department of Water Resources, which runs the Oroville Dam. “This is the kind of project that would (typically) take two or three years to design and two or three years to build.”
READ MORE related to Environment: Natural gas from expanded Roseville sewer plant to help fuel city wheels -- Sacramento Bee's WALTER KO; Oroville Dam fix to spawn two years, but some key work due before winter rains -- Sacramento Bee's DALE KASLER; Appeals court upholds California's cap-and-trade system -- Sacramento Bee's CHRISTOPHER CADELAGO; Mighty LA water agency wants a share of Valley's Sites Reservoir -- and is willing to pay -- Sacramento Bee's DALE KASLER
A Laguna Beach High student has contracted measles, and now a group of non-vaccinated students are barred from entering campus during the virus' 3-week incubation period.
OC Register's ERIKA I. RITCHIE: "An unvaccinated Laguna Beach High School student has been quarantined by county health officials after contracting measles."
"Jessica Good, spokeswoman for the Orange County Health Care Agency, said Thursday, April 6, that the teen may have exposed other students to the highly contagious virus."
"Infectious disease specialists did an assessment at the high school and identified six other unvaccinated students who may have been exposed to the virus when the infected student was on campus March 29. All of them have been barred from attending school and will have to stay home until April 18, the end of the incubation period, Good said."
The East Bay Times has a live update feed of the current spate of inclement weather.
Bay Area News Group: "An April storm is expected to bring wind and rain to the Bay Area and other parts of California starting Thursday night."
"Check out the live updates and watch each storm’s progress on our live storm tracking maps are here."
"These live updates include announcements from the National Weather Service, PG&E, the Red Cross, law enforcement and other authorities."
2014's scandalous year in California's state Senate had been matched once before: in 1988, with the FBI's Capitol raid.
Capitol Weekly's ALEX VASSAR: "In recent legislative history, 2014 was an unusually rough year for the state Senate."
"Sen. Rod Wright was on trial for voter fraud and perjury, and Senators Ron Calderon and Leland Yee had been indicted by federal authorities on corruption charges. It was an unusual time and few Capitol staffers had any point of reference to compare it with."
"But older Capitol hands did. They recalled that August 1988 night when 30 FBI agents in suits and hats — hats! — swooped into the Capitol with search warrants in a hunt for evidence of political corruption. The raid was the culmination of a federal “sting” operation that came to be known as “Shrimpscam,” a reference to a phony shrimp processing company that played a role in the undercover investigation."
As a campaign strategist, union and labor champion Gale Kaufman is a powerful voice in California's political landscape -- and has been for decades.
Capitol Weekly's PAUL HEFNER: "Gale Kaufman was campaigning in California before Arnold Schwarzenegger was Conan the Barbarian."
"Kaufman, a bare-knuckled Democratic strategist, is as little known to the public as she is famous among political pros. When talk in the political world turns to “Gale,” everyone knows it’s a reference to Kaufman."
"She has been the campaign commander for the California Teachers Association, SEIU and other powerful labor groups in myriad, high-profile elections — almost all of which she won. In 2012, she successfully blocked — yet again — an attempt by business interests to cripple the ability of unions to raise political cash. A partial list of her campaigns and clients can be seen here."
Speaking of politicians, Twitter is taking the Trump team to task with a lawsuit brought against the government in an effort to protect a user's privacy and rights to free speech.
The Chronicle's MARISSA LANG: "In an effort to protect users from being unmasked by the government, Twitter has filed a lawsuit against the Department of Homeland Security after agents demanded that the social media company hand over information on one of several accounts identifying themselves as “alt” or “rogue” federal workers."
"It’s a strong statement from Twitter, one of the last big social networks that allows users to use fake names or remain anonymous, and one that is meant to signal to users that Twitter will defend their right to privacy and free speech, experts said."
The Bee's ELLEN GARRISON: "New York City Mayor Bill de Blasio and Sacramento Mayor Darrell Steinberg presented a united front Thursday on the important role of immigrants in their local economies."
"The Democratic mayors held court in a spacious lounge at the Golden 1 Center, surrounded by developers, high-tech executives, elected leaders and heads of ethnic chambers of commerce."
"Part of what would give people cover and support (in the immigration debate),” de Blasio said, “is if we more systematically brought out the voices of those who are saying an affront on immigration is actually bad for our businesses."
The man who brutally murdered his family in South Land Park last October is officially scheduled to have his day in court.
Sacramento Bee's DARRELL SMITH: "The man brought back from Mississippi in the knife killings of a pastor’s wife and her two grandchildren at their Land Park apartment last October faced a judge Thursday for the first time in the slayings."
"Jerod Michael Watson, 53, stood silent in his courtroom holding cell in front of the victims’ family and friends, who numbered in the dozens and filled every row of Judge Richard Sueyoshi’s courtroom. They wore T-shirts, sweaters and sweatshirts emblazoned with the photos of the victims: Marquise Brown, 23, James R. Ferrell, 20, and their grandmother, 68-year-old Christine Lucas."
"Lucas was married to Rev. John Lucas, pastor of Gloryland Revival Center. Ferrell had just graduated high school, while Brown was a young father and worked for Sacramento Regional Conservation Corps."
READ MORE related to Public Safety: Makeshift memorial to slain South Land Park family 'respectfully' removed -- Sacramento Bee's CATHY LOCKE
