"The state Air Resources Board will outline this morning a plan to slash greenhouse
gas emissions 30 percent by 2020 and prepare the state for much deeper cuts in the
years beyond," reports Jim Downing in the Bee.
"The bottom line for consumers, according to the agency's analysis: Electricity and fuel prices will rise.
"But improvements in efficiency should, on average,
result in a net savings on household fuel and energy
bills will drop.
"'It's a plan that we believe will make our state more efficient
in ways that will also help us grow,' said Mary Nichols, chairman of the Air Resources Board.
"The cuts to climate-warming emissions are required under Assembly Bill
32, a state law passed in 2006 that committed California to the nation's most aggressive global warming strategy. The air
board's proposals are being watched closely around the country."
Capitol Weekly's John Howard looks ahead to November, and the people
behind two new clean-energy initiatives.
"Two major ballot initiatives, each emphasizing the
need for clean power and renewable energy amid the
public's rising concerns over greenhouse gases, will confront
California voters in November. On their face, they
appear to be straightforward environmental proposals.
But all is not what it seems.
"One initiative is being bankrolled by the nation's largest purveyor of vehicular natural gas. And though
it's being sold as an environmentally friendly initiative,
the measure's sponsor-as well as other energy purveyors-presumably could make millions of dollars if it is
approved by voters.
The other initiative, drafted by the Manatt Phelps
political law firm, would require all utilities-whether municipal or
private-to get at least half of their electricity from clean- and
solar-power sources by 2025. Two Manatt Phelps representatives --
former Sen. Martha Escutia, D-Commerce, and Fred Main, a former state
Chamber of
Commerce advocate-are taking the lead positions for Manatt."
CW reports on an apparent deal on the long-standing fight over metal recycling.
"The two-year fight over new metal recycling laws is a wild
tale that involves hostile amendments, gut-and-amends, committee
fights, floor battles and the often-invisible influence of powerful
lobbying firms on the
legislative process.
For now, at least, it appears a détente has taken hold, and the metal-theft struggle may finally be coming to an end. But
the uneasy coalition of forces that have tangled throughout
this legislative session is still fragile, and all
sides retain some skepticism about their new partners.
"We're continuing to watch it very closely," said Assemblyman Tom
Berryhill, R-Modesto, who used the old Ronald Reagan adage to describe
his relationship to the new coalition: "Trust but verify."
"No less a patriot than the governor himself is asking Californians to forgo home fireworks this
July 4 – though he expects the charities that sell them will
scream like a Piccolo Pete," report Andrea V. Brambila, Kevin Yamamura and Dorothy
Korber in the Bee.
"With hundreds of wildfires charring the state, Gov.
Arnold Schwarzenegger entreated citizens to skip the
pyrotechnics this exceptionally dry year. He spoke
Wednesday at a news conference in Big Sur, near the
Basin Complex fire where 19,100 acres have already burned.
"'I know that the people who are selling all this stuff
are going to go crazy now when I say this – but don't buy any of the fireworks,' the governor said.
"'You would help the fire department and the state and
law enforcement and everyone a tremendous amount,' he continued, 'if you want to contribute and make sure that those
fires go away and we don't have more fires coming up. So be careful. Don't buy the fireworks, don't go out and play with fireworks, because it's just too dry and too dangerous to do those things.'
"For charities that rely on fireworks sales to bolster
their shrinking revenue, Schwarzenegger's suggestion was incendiary."
"Folsom Fire Chief Dan Haverty said conditions in urban areas are dry but manageable
– especially given the important role of fireworks sales
to community groups.
"'Nonprofit organizations such as youth groups, and athletic
organizations are dependent on the sales for their
operations and they're very much advocates of those sales in the city and
county,' Haverty said."
The little league team cigarette drive is another popular
fundraiser...
CW's Malcolm Maclachlan reports on a security breach that compromised more than 5,000 Social Security Numbers of state employees.
"The state Department of Consumer Affairs has sent letters
to 5,000 employees, contractors and board members warning them
of a security breach that has compromised their names
and social security numbers.
"The breach occurred on June 5 or 6 when a Microsoft Word document was improperly transmitted
electronically outside of the department, said DCA
spokesman Russ Heimerich. The document also contained
the salaries and titles of everyone on the list, but
Heimerich noted that this is public information.
"'The thing that is troubling to us is that information
was coupled with their social security numbers,' Heimerich said."
"Senate Democrats blocked two appointees to the state's parole board and voted to confirm two others on Wednesday, continuing to battle with the Schwarzenegger administration
over the shape of the prison panel," reports Shane Goldmacher in the Bee.
"Senate President Pro Tem Don Perata, D-Oakland, has complained that the board – heavily populated by ex-law enforcement officials – has a low rate of granting parole.
"'There's something wrong with this system,' Perata said at last week's hearing. The board granted parole to 129 prisoners out of 5,520 scheduled hearings in 2007. Nearly one-third of those hearings were postponed.
"Already in 2008, the Senate Rules Committee has rejected four appointees
to Board of Parole Hearings, whose members decide when,
and if, California's life-term prisoners can be set free."
"A California assemblyman Wednesday officially abandoned a yearlong push to require nearly
every dog and cat statewide to be spayed or neutered, opting to target problem pets instead," reports Jim Sanders in the Bee.
"Assemblyman Lloyd Levine narrowly won approval by the Senate Local Government
Committee, 3-2, of a vastly different approach designed not to affect
pets that stay home and behave themselves.
"'It doesn't make a criminal out of law-abiding citizens,' Levine, D-Van Nuys, said of his recrafted Assembly Bill 1634.
"'I guess I would sum it up as 'three strikes' for dogs and cats,' Levine said of his new proposal, which would require
spaying or neutering only after multiple complaints
of misbehavior.
"Opponents argued that the state should kill AB 1634 and let cities and counties decide what restrictions,
if any, to impose."
"A pair of high-profile gambling measures that sought to expand Indian
casinos while outlawing electronic bingo machines for
charities were blocked by an Assembly committee yesterday," reports James Sweeney in the U-T.
"One of the bills, SB 1201, would authorize more than 60 tribes that signed gambling agreements, or compacts,
in 1999 to operate up to 2,000 slot machines each. Those deals included a statewide
cap that left many tribes, including Rincon and San
Pasqual of San Diego County, with fewer than 2,000 slots.
"The other measure, SB 864, would impose fines of $10,000 for each bingo machine operated off Indian reservations.
"Both bills were defeated, but could be reconsidered
this year.
"Sen. Jim Battin, a Palm Desert Republican who carried both measures,
told the Governmental Organization Committee that it
would rue the rejection of the bingo bill.
“'You are creating an industry that is going to flame
across California like you can't believe,' Battin warned."
"A bill approved by a legislative committee Tuesday
would require the state to build hatcheries to breed
threatened Delta smelt . Critics warn it may undercut the state Endangered
Species Act," reports the Bee's Matt Weiser.
"Senate Bill 994 by Sen. Dean Florez, D-Shafter, is backed by a who's who of powerful water agencies. A weighty list of
conservation groups has made the bill a top priority
to defeat this year.
"Smelt play a key role in Delta water management. Because
the fish lives for only a year and depends on precise
water quality conditions, its health hinges largely
on the timing and amount of water diverted from the
Sacramento-San Joaquin Delta.
"The finger-length smelt is unique to the Delta and is protected
by state and federal endangered species acts. Yet it
stands at the edge of extinction after four years of
population declines.
"Florez's bill would require the state to budget unknown permanent
funds for up to three hatcheries, and to build at least
one by 2010."
"Prosecutors can seize the personal assets of gang members to repay
communities they have terrorized, under a bill signed into law Wednesday by Gov. Arnold
Schwarzenegger," reports Harrison Shepard in the Daily News.
"The legislation allows state and local prosecutors
to file civil lawsuits against known gang members who
have already been subject to injunctions and take their
cash, homes, cars and other assets to fund community
projects such as graffiti removal or anti-gang programs.
"The bill was proposed by Los Angeles City Attorney
Rocky Delgadillo and written by state Sen. Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles.
"'This legislation strengthens our statewide anti-gang efforts by giving prosecutors more tools to fight
gang activity at the local level,' Schwarzenegger said in a prepared statement."
Meanwhile, in 2010 gubernatorial race news,
"State Attorney General Jerry Brown filed a lawsuit yesterday against the nation's largest home-loan lender, accusing Countrywide Financial Corp. of deceptively
pushing homeowners into risky, mass-produced loans that have caused thousands of Californians
to lose their homes," writes Jim Wasserman in the U-T.
"Brown joined Illinois, which filed a similar suit yesterday
against the lender. Both states are alleging that Countrywide's practices are liable for foreclosures that have damaged
their economies and housing markets.
"'Countrywide exploited the American dream of homeownership
and then sold its mortgages for huge profits on the
secondary market,' Brown said.
"He called Calabasas-based Countrywide, “in essence, a mass-production loan factory, producing ever-increasing streams of debt without regard for borrowers.”
"The suit, filed in Los Angeles Superior Court, seeks
unspecified financial damages for homeowners who lost
homes or money because of the company's loan practices. It also seeks penalties of $2,500 per violation."
"Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa said for the first time Wednesday that he would like to ask voters in November to consider a
half-cent sales-tax increase in Los Angeles County to pay for more
road and mass transit projects," writes Steve Hymon in the Times.
"'I'd like to get a sales-tax initiative on the ballot, but we have to build
a consensus on that first. I'm working on that as we speak,' the mayor said.
"An increase would raise the sales tax from 8.25% to 8.75%, which would tie the county with several other localities
that have the highest sales tax in the state.
"The idea of a November transportation tax has been
gaining ground with rising gas prices and increasing
public pressure for new transit lines, including the
Wilshire Boulevard "subway to the sea" and an extension of the Gold Line in the San Gabriel
Valley.
"Earlier this month, David Fleming, chairman of the Los Angeles County Business Federation,
said that as a Metropolitan Transportation Authority
board member, he intends to vote to move the sales
tax toward the November ballot. He just wants assurances
that the money won't be raided later for some other government purpose."
And finally, we bring you the story of the 15-year-old boy who got a restraining order against his mayor.
"The mayor of this northern Colorado city has a temporary
restraining order
against him after he was accused of throwing a 15-year-old boy to the
ground when the teen refused to stop riding a motorbike.
"Mayor
Ed Clark, who must stay at least 100 yards away from the boy, told the
Greeley Tribune he stopped the boy for his own safety
and did not hurt
him. He said he will fight the restraining order during
a July 7
hearing.
"The boy's father, Tim Stitt, plans to ask the judge to make the restraining order
permanent."
We're guessing a vote for reelection is out of the question.
