Court upholds public's right to view police misconduct records
Sacramento Bee's SAM STANTON: "In a ruling that may open up police misconduct records statewide, a state appeals court has rejected an effort by the Walnut Creek Police Officers’ Association to keep records created before 2019 sealed from public view."
"The ruling by the 1st District Court of Appeal states that the argument being presented by the officers’ union “is without merit” and that records created before Senate Bill 1421 took effect this year are subject to disclosure."
"Police unions and some law enforcement departments in California have refused to release records covered under the law, arguing there is no provision that makes the statute retroactive."
L.A. prosecutors move to clear 54,000 marijuana convictions in California
From the LAT's ALENE TCHEKMNEDYIAN: "After recreational marijuana was legalized in California, prosecutors in Los Angeles County expected a “tsunami” of petitions from people looking to clear their old criminal records."
"But the process turned out to be cumbersome and difficult to navigate, so most people didn’t even try."
“Frankly, very few people took the legal action required to clear their records,” L.A. County Dist. Atty. Jackie Lacey said at a downtown news conference Monday. “And yet, the will of the voters was clear.”
PG&E, seeking new leadership, travels turbulent path
The Chronicle's J.D. MORRIS: "PG&E Corp. knows it needs new leaders to guide it through bankruptcy and potentially major structural changes, after its power lines were blamed for a series of devastating Northern California wildfires."
"But putting the right people in place is proving to be a bumpy ride for the San Francisco energy company and its subsidiary Pacific Gas and Electric Co."
"PG&E plans to replace at least half of its 10 board members but has repeatedly extended its timeline for nominating people. The company decided on Friday to push the deadline, which had been set for that day at 8 p.m., to Monday."
Senate fails to pass California disaster funds amid Puerto Rico-related standoff
The Chronicle's TAL KOPAN: "The Senate failed to advance a disaster-aid package Monday that includes billions for California wildfire recovery, prolonging a state of limbo for victims nationwide who are waiting for federal help."
"The Senate voted Monday evening on two approaches to disaster relief, and both failed, largely along party lines. Each bill needed 60 votes to advance, but neither reached even 50."
"The end result was that the Senate failed to move any proposal for more than $12 billion in relief for wildfires and other disasters from 2017 and 2018, a package that has been mired for months in a disagreement over money for hurricane-ravaged Puerto Rico. Senate Majority Leader Mitch McConnell of Kentucky made a procedural move to allow the bills to be considered again after more negotiations."
"Sen. Kamala Harris of California regularly points to how, as state attorney general, she wrestled $20 billion from the nation’s big banks in 2012 after the housing meltdown — after initially walking away from negotiations when the institutions offered $2 billion to settle. No attorney general secured more for their state from Wall Street after the mortgage crisis."
"But Harris rarely mentions something else that happened in 2012: Her office declined to sue OneWest, the California bank whose CEO was now-Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, an architect of the Republican tax cut law that Harris and other Democrats deride as being a giveaway to the wealthy."
Sacramento Bee's EMILY CADEI/RENEE C BYER: "Jessica Morse’s underdog campaign to oust Rep. Tom McClintock from Congress in 2018 was unsuccessful, but it helped land her a new job — in Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration."
"Newsom appointed Morse, of Pollock Pines, as Deputy Secretary of Forest Resources Management at the California Natural Resources Agency, the governor’s office announced last week. According to
the agency’s organizational chart, Morse will report to Secretary for Natural Resources Wade Crowfoot. The post pays $165,000. That’s nearly as much as the $174,000 she would have made as a member of Congress."
"Morse made climate change and its impacts on California’s forests a key focus of her congressional campaign in a district that encompasses Sierra Nevada communities from Lake Tahoe south to Yosemite and Kings Canyon."
Tesla fined for hazardous waste and emissions problems, EPA says
The Chronicle's BOB EGELKO: "Tesla Motors violated hazardous-waste and air-emissions standards at its electric-car manufacturing plant in Fremont and will pay $86,000 in penalties and equipment costs as part of a settlement, the Environmental Protection Agency announced Monday."
"The EPA said it conducted unannounced inspections of the plant in 2017 and found that Tesla was failing to properly manage hazardous wastes, was not adequately determining whether some of its solid wastes were hazardous and was violating air emissions standards for equipment leaks. The state Department of Toxic Substances Control and the Bay Area Air Quality Management District also took part in the inspection."
"The company has now corrected those violations and has provided training in hazardous waste management to more than 1,100 paint shop workers, technicians and supervisors, the EPA said."
CW PODCAST: Samantha Gallegos, from hack to flack
Capitol Weekly STAFF: "These days, Samantha “Sami” Gallegos is the communications director for Assemblymember Lorena Gonzalez, D-San Diego, the high-visibility lawmaker representing the 80th AD. But before she went to work inside the Capitol, Sami covered the Capitol as a journalist."
"Sami was a Capitol Weekly intern, then later worked as a full-time reporter for CW before leaving nonprofit journalism for the glamour, glitz and unparalleled excitement of local TV’s ABC10."
"Sami joined the podcast with Capitol Weekly’s John Howard and Tim Foster to chat about making the transition from journalist to political pro, and what it’s like to run the communications shop for an elected official who gets plenty of attention all on her own."
State worker contract negotiations kick off with 3-minute meeting
Sacramento Bee's WES VENTEICHER: "State worker contract negotiations for the year officially began Friday with a three-minute meeting in a windowless room at CalHR headquarters."
"Three unions exchanged “sunshine package” proposals with CalHR. The proposals list in the broadest terms the types of benefits each side plans to address in negotiations. The unions used language such as “will propose general salary increases,” while the state simply listed all of the articles in each union’s contract without mentioning anything it is seeking."
"The procedure, created by the 1977 Ralph C. Dills Act, is meant to give members of the public a chance to comment on each side’s proposals. Several people in attendance Friday said they had never seen a member of the public at one of the meetings."
LA Times's MARK Z BARABAK/ELI STOKOLS: "Steve Scheffler, who represents Iowa on the Republican National Committee, has a warning for anyone in the party hoping to deny President Trump the 2020 GOP nomination."
"We want to protect the integrity of the caucuses and give people the ability to make their case,” he said, referring to the balloting that kicks off the election season next February. But, Scheffler went on, there will be zero tolerance for any Republican who comes to Iowa and “starts bashing the president and his policies."
“That,” he said, “will be dealt with.”
From AP's DON THOMPSON: "Sen. Kamala Harris of California regularly points to how, as state attorney general, she wrestled $20 billion from the nation’s big banks in 2012 after the housing meltdown — after initially walking away from negotiations when the institutions offered $2 billion to settle. No attorney general secured more for their state from Wall Street after the mortgage crisis."
"But Harris rarely mentions something else that happened in 2012: Her office declined to sue OneWest, the California bank whose CEO was now-Treasury Secretary Steven Mnuchin, an architect of the Republican tax cut law that Harris and other Democrats deride as being a giveaway to the wealthy."
Democrats are ignoring the Central Valley in the presidential race
Sacramento Bee's BRYAN ANDERSON: "Democratic presidential candidates are making their way to California. A dozen of them have visited the state a combined 38 times, and there is no shortage of trips on the horizon."
"But in their efforts to woo voters from the most populous state in the country, Democrats have largely ignored the Central Valley — a region with 6.5 million people and five large cities."
"A Sacramento Bee analysis shows none of the 16 declared candidates have held a rally in the valley. Instead, they’ve flocked to wealthier, urban communities like Los Angeles and San Francisco. California Sen. Kamala Harris became the first viable candidate to visit the region when she held a fundraiser in Sacramento Monday night."
Skimpy health plans touted by Trump bring back familiar woes for consumers
LA Times's NOAM N LEVY: "There used to be a lot of health insurance horror stories like Charley Butler’s."
"After the Montana truck driver was diagnosed with testicular cancer in 2016, his insurer balked at paying tens of thousands of dollars in medical bills and then moved to cancel his coverage over a preexisting medical condition."
"These practices were largely banned by the Affordable Care Act, or Obamacare, which set new national health insurance standards to protect consumers and bar discrimination based on preexisting conditions."
State fights to keep nepotism investigation out of employee's discipline hearing
Sacramento Bee's ADAM ASHTON: "The state is fighting to keep a nepotism audit out of an employee’s disciplinary hearing, arguing the public report is “hearsay” because it does not explicitly name a former government executive who helped her daughter get a job."
"The state revealed its stance on the audit of former Depart of Industrial Relations Director Christine Baker in an email last week with union attorneys at the California Statewide Law Enforcement Association."
"The document does not identify Baker by name, but Gov. Gavin Newsom’s administration last week confirmed it centered on Baker’s former department when she was its director."
Do you face gender-based pay discrimination? Jennifer Siebel Newsom wants you to complain
Sacramento Bee's SOPHIA BOLLAG: "If you’re a woman who’s not being paid as much as your male colleagues, Jennifer Siebel Newsom wants you to complain."
"In the first big initiative she’s undertaken since her husband Gavin Newsom became governor, Siebel Newsom on Monday launched a campaign to narrow the gender pay gap in California by educating employers on how to pay workers fairly and telling employees how to report companies that break the rules."
"Siebel Newsom says uplifting women and girls is her priority as California’s first partner, the title she uses instead of first lady."
Tartine's Vinny Eng was just named sommelier of the year. Why he's leaving it all, for a new start in politics
The Chronicle's ESTHER MOBLEY: "Vinny Eng would seem to have a good thing going. He’s the general manager and wine director of one of San Francisco’s most vibrant restaurants, Tartine Manufactory, and a key player in that company’s rapid expansion. In March, he was recognized as one of Food & Wine magazine’s sommeliers of the year — one of the major validations that someone in his field can achieve."
"But now Eng is stepping away from all of it — from Tartine, from restaurants, from wine."
"This week he starts a new role as organizing director for Suzy Loftus’ campaign for San Francisco district attorney. It might sound like a surprising move for a sommelier, but to anyone who knows Eng, this move into political life will make a kind of perfect sense. Over the last seven years, as Eng’s star has risen in the restaurant community, he has also become increasingly devoted to political activism, spurred in large part by the tragic death of his sister, who was killed by police officers in 2012."
Law firm manager says bank records show Avenatti misappropriated client's money
LA Times's MICHAEL FINNEGAN: "The accountant who recently took control of operations at Michael Avenatti’s longtime law firm says bank records support prosecutors’ allegation that the celebrity attorney embezzled money from a client."
"The sworn statement by Brian Weiss, the receiver overseeing Eagan Avenatti since February, came in a separate civil case as Avenatti made his first court appearance Monday in his wire and bank fraud prosecution in Santa Ana federal court."
"Dressed in a crisp business suit, Avenatti stood before U.S. Magistrate John D. Early as the judge informed him and several other accused criminals of their rights. Interpreters whispered Spanish and Vietnamese translations to the defendants who could not understand English."
Trump's border-closing threat stirs fear of economic backlash
AP's CEDAR ATTANASIO: "President Donald Trump's threat to shut down the southern border raised fears Monday of dire economic consequences in the U.S. and an upheaval of daily life in a stretch of the country that relies on the international flow of not just goods and services but also students, families and workers."
"Politicians, business leaders and economists warned that such a move would block incoming shipments of fruits and vegetables, TVs, medical devices and other products and cut off people who commute to their jobs or school or come across to go shopping."
"Let's hope the threat is nothing but a bad April Fools' joke," said economist Dan Griswold at the Mercatus Center at George Mason University in Virginia. He said Trump's threat would be the "height of folly," noting that an average of 15,000 trucks and $1.6 billion in goods cross the border every day."
