A signifaction reduction in certain deportations is expected, due to Gov. Jerry Brown's approving a day's reduction to the maximum penalty time possible for a misdemeanor crime.
Don Thompson reports for the Associated Press: "Rease is co-chairman of the legislative committee of California Attorneys for Criminal Justice, which represents defense attorneys and sought the change in state law."
"He estimated the change could affect thousands of people in California, based on the scores of cases he has seen mainly among farm workers in his county who have been convicted of misdemeanors for things like writing bad checks."
More cities in California will begin to impose fines for water waste to combat drought.
Paul Rogers reports in The Mercury News: "On Tuesday, the district's board will vote on whether to spend $500,000 to hire up to 10 new temporary employees to help enforce water use prohibitions across Silicon Valley."
"If the proposal is approved, as expected, the workers would respond in person to complaints about property owners wasting water. They also would send the information to whichever of the 12 cities or private companies sends the property owner their bill."
"Few Bay Area cities have begun to impose fines yet for wasting water, but if they eventually do, they could use the information to write tickets."
A bill signed yesterday by Brown will prohibit certain fines for not watering lawns during the drought.
Melanie Mason reports int he Los Angeles Times: ""Fines for wasting water make sense. Fines for not watering your lawn don’t," Campos added. "We shouldn’t punish people who are doing the right thing. We need every drop of water.”"
"The bill, AB 2100, echoes the executive action issued by the governor in April, which ordered homeowners' associations from fining residents for brown lawns. This new law would apply during local and statewide droughts."
Brown also approved a bill that limits full contact football practice for California teenagers.
David Siders reports in the Sacramento Bee: "The legislation comes amid increasing concern about brain injuries in football. Assembly Bill 2127, by Assemblyman Ken Cooley, D-Rancho Cordova, prohibits middle school and high school football teams from holding full-contact practices during the off-season and limits them to no more than two full-contact practices per week during the preseason and regular season."
"Nineteen other states have banned full-contact high school football practices in the off-season, according to a legislative analysis."
The governor vetoed one bill that would have leased Folsom prison land for a museum.
John Ortiz reports in the Sacramento Bee: "Brown said Monday that he rejected the measure because the state already has a process for leasing property to nonprofits."
“Rather than forcing the state to allow a little-known, non-governmental entity to use public property for up to 50 years, I would prefer that supporters pursue the existing authority provided in statute,” Brown wrote in his veto message.
"Gaines said in an emailed statement that she was “disappointed” by the governor’s veto. The measure received unanimous support in the Legislature, she noted, and Brown’s concerns “were never brought up at any time during the committee or floor process.”
A 2-cents-per-ounce tax on soda drinking in San Francisco would reduce consumption by 31%, according to a new study.
Heather Knight reports for the San Francisco Chronicle: "City economist Ted Egan said city residents drink a total of about 3 billion ounces of sugary drinks every year, and that the tax would likely raise the price of sodas by 23 to 36 percent. The price hike would encourage people to buy less soda, thereby lowering the rate of obesity and chronic disease, and reducing public and private health costs in the city, he said."
"The report is being cited by proponents of the soda tax, who will have a costly fight on their hands to persuade the required two-thirds of city voters to support the measure and make San Francisco the first city in the nation to levy a surcharge on sodas and other sweetened beverages."
