A Superior Court ruling on a redevelopment lawsuit could free up some $3 billion for the state budget, but cities are pushing back - starting with Brentwood.
Eve Mitchell reports for Contra Costa Times: “Brentwood plans to appeal a court ruling that determined the city must pay $20 million to the state as a result of being on the losing side of a lawsuit involving redevelopment money that was spent to improve the downtown.”
“The appeal stems from a court ruling that determined the state Department of Finance did not violate Proposition 22, a voter-approved initiative that bars the state from taking local revenues, when it demanded that Brentwood pay back $20 million in redevelopment funds used to make city improvements that included better sidewalks, new utilities, tree planting and a park restoration.”
The Department of Corrections’ use of pepper spray and isolation on mentally ill inmates violates constitutional safeguards, a federal judge ruled.
Don Thompson reports for the Associated Press: “He offered a range of options on how officials could limit the use of pepper spray and isolation units when dealing with more than 33,000 mentally ill inmates, who account for 28 percent of the 120,000 inmates in California's major prisons.”
Tesla Motors could be cut from the state’s electric vehicle rebate program entirely.
John Howard reports for Capitol Weekly: “The plan, proposed by the staff of the Air Resources Board, stems partly from tight funding and partly from an effort to help rebates get into the hands of buyers in disadvantaged communities who live in areas with bad air quality or who can’t afford high-end electric cars such as Tesla, which serves an affluent market.”
State lawmakers are cracking down on the use of campaign cash.
Laurel Rosenhall reports for the Sacramento Bee: “Politicians facing criminal charges would not be allowed to use campaign funds to pay their legal bills under an amendment Sen. Jerry Hill said he plans to introduce in the wake of the indictment of his colleague Sen. Leland Yee on charges of corruption and conspiracy to traffic weapons.”
Legislation tightening campaign disclosure laws passed with amendments from the Assembly.
Fenit Nirappil reports for the Associated Press: “The Assembly agreed to the amendment by unanimous voice vote after SB27 fell one vote short of passing the Senate last month.”
“Sen. Lou Correa, D-Anaheim, introduced the bill in response to $15 million of anonymous contributions funneled through conservative nonprofits ahead of the 2012 general election. The money went to groups fighting against Gov. Jerry Brown's tax-hike initiative, which passed, and pushing for a failed initiative that would have restricted the use of union dues for political purposes.”
Sen. Alex Padilla is getting a boost in the secretary of state’s race because of Leland Yee’s departure, according to a recent Field Poll.
Christopher Cadelago reports for the Sacramento Bee: “Slightly less than half of the polling was conducted before news of Yee’s March 26 arrest at his home in San Francisco. In the nine days that followed, the proportion of those offering a favorable opinion dropped nine points to 15 percent, and 34 percent had an unfavorable view.”
“Despite his withdrawal, Yee’s name will remain on the June ballot, but he will not actively campaign.”
Senators investigating the nation’s seemingly vulnerable power grid went easy on utility executives and regulators.
Evan Halper reports for the L.A. Times: “The media, declared Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska), has “served to sensationalize the issue of physical grid security instead of helping protect the grid from attack.”
“Recent coverage of the April 2013 attack near San Jose, in which a pair of gunmen shot up several transformers at a substation and then escaped into the night, has unnerved utility officials and regulators. On Thursday, the FBI issued a news release asking anyone who may have information about the year-old attack to contact their nearest field office or call 911. The perpetrators, the release said, "should be considered armed and dangerous.”
Hilary Clinton offered a strong defense for women’s rights during a speech at San Jose University.
Bruce Newman reports for the Mercury News: “Clinton ran through a litany of the disparities in pay and power that favor men over women, noting at one point that women make up only 11 percent of the boards of tech companies. "We're making progress," she said, "but it's not fast enough. This is the unfinished business of the 21st century.”
A new home for the Oakland A’s and Raiders is getting help from Dubai’s future ruler.
Matthew Artz reports for the Oakland Tribune: “The crown prince of Dubai, an oil-rich Persian Gulf emirate, is 31-year-old Hamdan bin Mohammed Al Maktoum. His father, the ruling emir, Mohammed bin Rashid Al Maktoum, has a net worth in excess $4 billion, according to Forbes.”
“The inclusion of Dubai's future ruler would appear to lend credence to the mayor's claims about the viability of the multibillion dollar development, which could include new stadiums for both the Oakland Raiders and Oakland A's, as well as a hotel, shops and homes.”
