Gov. Brown intends to officially declare today that California is in a state of drought, a move that can speed up aid to hard hit areas, impose rationing and transfer water to areas that need it most.
"From the Bee's David Siders and Jeremy B., White: "The declaration, which Brown is scheduled to announce at (9 a.m.) in San Francisco, comes during one of the driest winters on record in California, following two dry years that already have left many reservoirs depleted."
"U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein, Rep. Jim Costa, D-Fresno, and several state lawmakers began urging Brown last month to declare a drought emergency. Brown appointed a committee to review conditions on the ground."
For those who are hoping for rain, the outlook isn't bright.
From the Mercury-News' Paul Rogers: "In a new dose of bad news for a state growing increasingly concerned about lack of rain, California's historically dry weather is expected to last for at least another three months, federal scientists said Thursday."
"The dire forecast for the rest of the state's winter rain season came as federal officials classified much of California as being in "extreme drought." And the Obama administration declared 27 California counties, including most of the Bay Area, as "natural disaster areas," eligible for emergency federal loans for farmers."
Scarcity of water and politics are playing out in the Legislature, as two rival bond proposals --- each for about $6.5 billion -- await action as a potential alternative to the $11.1 billion water bond facing voters in November.
From Capitol Weekly's John Howard: "The ink was barely dry on the governor’s budget before new legislation emerged in the Legislature to rewrite a multibillion-dollar water bond on the November ballot."
"Sen. Lois Wolk, D-Davis, introduced SB 848 on Jan. 9, which would ask voters for permission to borrow some $6.475 billion for an array of water projects. The contents of the bill reflect discussions that have been going on for months in the Capitol and is similar to legislation authored earlier by Wolk."
"Two days earlier, Assemblyman Anthony Rendon, D-Lakewood, who is carrying a $6.5 billion water bond bill, AB 1331, put amendments into his measure in the Senate, which is considering his bill."
Meanwhile, back in Congress, California's delegation -- not known for its sense of unity -- are looking at ways to deal with the drought.
From McClatchy's Michael Doyle: "But as an official California drought declaration draws closer, members of the state’s often fractious congressional delegation are maneuvering once more. A freshman House Republican from the San Joaquin Valley has been quietly trying to write water legislation. The California Republican who leads the House water and power panel will be holding hearings. Democrats have formed a new water caucus, meeting for the first time this week"
“We’ll see whether or not we can come together on something that makes sense,” said Rep. Jim Costa, D-Calif."
Dozens of layoffs were announced Thursday by the owners of the Riverside Press-Enterprise and the Orange County Register, a cutback that removed numerous veteran reporters from the staffs.
From the LAT's Ken Bensinger: "The elimination of 71 employees, many of them seasoned journalists, marks a sharp reversal by Aaron Kushner, who controls Freedom Communications Inc., which owns both papers. The former greeting card executive had spent much of the last 18 months growing his publications, acquiring additional news outlets and hiring more than 100 reporters and editors in the process."
"Freedom's bold expansion had been heralded as a vote of confidence in newspapers at a time when advertisers are shifting away from print media. But the layoffs, which were announced to some staff members beginning Tuesday, came as a reminder of the challenges still facing the industry. Kushner announced the layoffs at his flagship Register in an email to staffers Thursday afternoon."
THhe state Board of Education has approved new rules governing an unprecedented fiscal change for California schools.
From EdSource's John Fensterwald: "After listening to nearly seven hours of 1-minute testimonies that were impassioned, instructive and inevitably repetitious, the State Board of Education, after little debate, unanimously approved temporary regulations Thursday fleshing out a historic education finance law. The new Local Control Funding Formula will not only transform how K-12 schools are funded, but also how student success is measured, and district budgets, with community involvement, are created."
"While the latest draft was passed intact, the regulations had gone through substantial revisions over the past five months, as staff of the State Board sought to bridge the disagreements between civil rights and parents groups and school officials. Both sides acknowledged the final version was clearer and surprisingly close to consensus."
