Newsom names three to California wildfires panel
The Chronicle's ALEXEI KOSEFF: "Gov. Gavin Newsom named his three appointments to a newly formed commission tasked with studying the costs of California wildfires associated with electric utilities."
"The five-member Commission on Catastrophic Wildfire Cost and Recovery was established through legislation last year that made it easier for utilities to pass along some of their financial liability from wildfires to customers.The panel must produce a report for Newsom and the Legislature by July 1 recommending changes to ensure “equitable distribution of costs” from the disasters."
"Former state Insurance Commissioner Dave Jones, San Francisco attorney Michael Kahn and Carla Peterman, a former member of the California Public Utilities Commission, were named to the commission by Newsom on Tuesday. The state Senate Rules Committee and Assembly Speaker Anthony Rendon, D-Paramount (Los Angeles County), will each fill one of the remaining spots."
READ MORE related to Energy & Environment: PG&E: Judge's wildfire proposal could cost as much as $150 billion - J.D. Morris
Kamala's long-shot presidential bid
From CHUCK McFADDEN in Capitol WSeekly: "In declaring her candidacy for the Democratic nomination for president, Kamala Harris joins an increasingly crowded field that includes an array of potential California contenders. Whether she will get the nomination is questionable."
"They would never admit it, but in the deepest part of their minds, a group of California politicians have to be musing about the increasingly likely possibility that poll-leading Joe Biden is going to run for the presidency."
"Here’s a recent New York Times headline: “Biden Sees Himself as Democrats’ Best Hope in 2020, Allies Say.” And in Politico: “Biden uses midterms haul to bolster his 2020 chances.”
Newsom blocks parole for San Diego police kiler Jesus Cecena
LA Times's GREG MORAN: "Gov. Gavin Newsom has reversed the decision by a state parole board to release Jesus Cecena, who was convicted of murder as a teenager in 1979 for gunning down San Diego Police Officer Archie Buggs."
"The decision marks the fourth time in the last five years that the governor’s office has reversed the decision by parole board members to free the 57-year-old Cecena."
"Cecena shot Buggs to death during a routine traffic stop the evening of Nov. 4, 1978. After being convicted of first-degree murder, he was sentenced to life without parole. His sentence was modified to life with the possibility of parole in 1982 after an appellate court ruled that juveniles could not be sentenced to no-parole terms."
State Supreme Court OKs Santa Clara County transpo sales tax
The Chronicle's MICHAEL CABANATUAN: "Nearly 22 months after Santa Clara County voters approved a $6.5 billion sales tax to help extend BART to downtown San Jose, modernize Caltrain and improve some of Silicon Valley’s congested highways, transportation officials can start spending the money."
"The state Supreme Court on Wednesday rejected a lawsuit filed by a Saratoga woman to stop the tax. While the case was being decided, and appealed, the tax revenues collected — about $340 million — were placed in an escrow account."
"The road block against road and transit improvements has been cleared,” said Carl Guardino, CEO of the Silicon Valley Leadership Group, which led the campaign for Measure B on the 2016 ballot. “Voters will now receive the improvements promised in Measure B, paving the way for work to get started to improve the quality of life for 1.9 million county residents."
Immigration adovcates to meet with Kushner on deal to protect Dreamers, end shutdown
Sacramento Bee's FRANCO ORDOREZ: " The White House has invited several leading Hispanic groups to meet Thursday with President Donald Trump’s top adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner to see if there is a way to trade funding for Trump’s border wall in exchange for protections of hundreds of thousands of young immigrants brought to the country illegally by their parents."
"Trump may also “pop in” to the meeting being organized with officials from the League of United Latin American Citizens, Libre Initiative, the Hispanic Chamber of Commerce and other immigrant advocacy groups, said people familiar with the planning."
"Domingo Garcia, president of LULAC, said his organization wants to help both sides find common ground to end the shutdown."
READ MORE related to Shutdown Showdown: Shutdown, health care, budget: How moderate House Dems will influence the party -- Sacramento Bee's WILLIAM DOUGLAS/KATE IRBY; California state workers, Wes Venteicher wants to hear from you -- Sacramento Bee STAFF
SF may aid on immigration for extradition help
AP's JANIE HAR: "In an apparent exception to its sanctuary protections, San Francisco officials agreed on Wednesday to work with federal authorities to extradite a felony rape suspect from Canada."
"The legislation allows the city to notify immigration authorities if Mohamed Ben Azaza posts bail, is acquitted or if there isn't enough evidence to try him. The Department of Homeland Security made the request."
"San Francisco is a sanctuary for people who are in the country illegally and generally prohibits communication between employees and the federal government regarding a person's immigration status. There are strict rules on when cooperation is allowed."
READ MORE related to Immigration: DACA lives on: What you need to know about the status of the Dreamers -- The Chronicle's TATIANA SANCHEZ
Cannabis reform no laughing matter for Oakland Rep. Barbara Lee
The Chronicle's TAL KOPAN: "For Rep. Barbara Lee, the fight for justice runs through the Congressional Cannabis Caucus."
"The Oakland Democrat was recently named co-chair of the bipartisan group, formed in 2017 to advocate for more “sensible” federal marijuana laws. No person of color has served in leadership of the caucus before her, which Lee sees as evidence of a broader disparity in the way marijuana policy is enforced and debated in this country."
"She hopes that in taking on the role, she can encourage and inspire more people of color to get involved in marijuana politics, where they can help address “a systemic racism, and institutional racism and injustice in our criminal justice system.”"
Sacramento might get a 29-story tower for long-suffering California tax collectors
Sacramento Bee's ANDREW SHEELER/ADAM ASHTON: "A California state office tower so reviled it once had its own parody Twitter account is in line for a major renovation and the thousands of tax collectors who work there could move to a new site as soon as 2024."
"California state government took a step toward getting workers out of the old Board of Equalization building at 450 N Street by signing a lease that will let it relocate the Office of State Publishing to West Sacramento."
"Moving the publishing office lets the state clear a 17-acre site on Richards Boulevard that it intends to develop into a new complex for what is now the California Department of Tax and Fee Administration, according to an office plan the state published in April."
Mayor apologizes after police told homeless people to leave City Hall during rainstorm
Sacramento Bee's THERESA CLIFT: "Mayor Darrell Steinberg has asked police to stop telling homeless people sleeping under City Hall overhangs during rainstorms to leave the area. An incident during a storm earlier this month prompted Steinberg’s action."
"As the mayor of this city, I want to apologize,” Steinberg said during Tuesday’s City Council meeting. “I’m taking the responsibility ... that should not have happened. People should not be asked to leave at 2:30 in the morning or whenever it was, in a rainstorm, period."
"Steinberg’s apology came after homeless rights activist David Andre told the council about the incident."
California city approves 25-cent fee on disposable cups
AP's OLGA R. RODRIGUEZ: "Patrons of restaurants and coffee shops in Berkeley, California, who don't bring a reusable cup for their beverage will have to pay a 25-cent fee for a disposable cup as part of an ordinance approved by city officials to reduce restaurant waste."
"Berkeley's City Council voted unanimously Tuesday to approve the fee on single-use cups that will take effect January 2020."
""The goal is to transition Berkeley from throwaway to reusable food ware, to incentivize people to bring their own cup," said Councilwoman Sophie Hahn, who co-authored the ordinance with Mayor Jesse Arreguin."
Feuding USC trustees announce no changes after emergency board meeting
LAT's HARRIET RYAN/MATT HAMILTON: "Months of tension and turmoil on USC’s Board of Trustees prompted an emergency meeting Wednesday at the campus, with the university’s leadership a top item for discussion.
The meeting was called by board Chairman Rick Caruso, the billionaire mall developer who has been the target of growing criticism by a small but influential contingent of longtime trustees.
Those critics, who include fellow billionaires Ed Roski and Ming Hsieh, have suggested Caruso is not fit to lead the board because of his handling of a board dispute over the ouster of a popular dean."
READ MORE related to Education: How LA teachers scored a decisive political victory with strike -- LA Times's DAKOTA SMITH
Trump says he'll give SOTU after shutdown ends
AP's KEVIN FREKING/MATTHEW DALY/CATHERINE LUCEY: "President Donald Trump said Wednesday night he is postponing his State of the Union address until the partial government shutdown ends, yielding after a weeklong showdown with House Speaker Nancy Pelosi."
"Following a high-stakes game of dare and double-dare, Trump conceded that "no venue that can compete with the history, tradition and importance of the House Chamber" and that he was not looking for an alternate option after Pelosi served notice earlier Wednesday that he won't be allowed to deliver the address to a joint session of Congress next week."
"Pelosi had taken the step after Trump said he planned to show up in spite of Democratic objections to the speech taking place with large swaths of the government shut down."
READ MORE related to POTUS45: As protesters fill streets of Venezuela, Trump recognizes opposition leader as rightful president -- LA Times's TRACY WILKINSON/MERY MOGOLLON/CHRIS KRAUL; Trump bluffed hard on his SOTU, and Pelosi called it -- WaPo's AARON BLAKE
Michael Cohen delays Congressional testimony, citing threats from President Trump and his counsel, Giuliani
LA Times's CHRIS MEGERIAN: "President Trump's former lawyer, Michael Cohen, postponed his scheduled appearance on Capitol Hill, citing “ongoing threats” from Trump and spurring Democrats to suggest they might issue a subpoena to force his hotly anticipated testimony."
"A subpoena would aggressively signal Democrats’ intention to investigate the president and his inner circle. It could also, however, put them at cross purposes with federal prosecutors, who have relied on Cohen as a witness and may want to restrict his public testimony."
"Cohen’s announcement Wednesday came in a statement by his spokesman, Lanny Davis. It said Cohen, who has been at the center of criminal investigations involving the president, was withdrawing from a Feb. 7 hearing of the House Oversight Committee over threats from Trump and the president’s lawyer, Rudolph W. Giuliani, the former New York mayor."
