SB 277, the bill at the center of a highly-charged battle over enforced immunization, easily advanced out of the Senate Education Committee following amendments to allow children without vaccinations to be homeschooled in groups or in independent study From Patrick McGreevy, LAT:
“The measure cleared the Senate Education Committee on a bipartisan 7-2 vote after its authors agreed to changes that would make it easier for parents to home-school their children if they decided against immunization.
“The bill goes next to the Senate Judiciary Committee, a seven-member panel that includes five lawmakers who have voted for or are co-authors of the bill. The proposal must also pass the Appropriations Committee before it can reach the Senate floor and, if it passes there, transfer to the Assembly.”
Also at the Times, columnist George Skelton gave it to the vaccine skeptics with both barrels.
“[It’s] pathetic that more legislators aren't fully embracing a bill that essentially would tell parents: Vaccinate your kids against infectious diseases or they won't be allowed in school where they could jeopardize the health of other children…
“You parents who won't permit vaccinations because of a personal belief, well, you're free to practice that belief any way you'd like — as long as it doesn't threaten other people's kids.”
Meanwhile, lobbyists bore the brunt of some antivax righteous indignation when the Bee noted that the Joint Rules Committee had set up a special entry line for staffers and lobbyists. The article generated a volley of anger over ‘special interest privileges, ’ prompting one disgusted lobbyist to post, “I would totally cancel my subscription to the Sacramento Bee, if I had one” on her Facebook page. Ouch.
Special interest money – over $3 million of it - is pouring into the East Bay Special Election for the 7th Senate District. From Jim Miller at the Sacramento Bee (where we still have a subscription)
“As of Tuesday, wealthy Southern California businessman Bill Bloomfield, public employee unions, dentists and others had spent $3.04 million to help or hinder the prospects of Assemblywoman Susan Bonilla, D-Concord, or Orinda Mayor Steve Glazer since March 18, the day after the two finished atop a five-candidate field in the special primary election. That’s on top of the nearly $2.4 million in pro-Glazer, pro-Bonilla and other outside spending before the March 17 primary.”
A new poll from the PPIC finds that Californians are willing to borrow big to fund a school bond, even if Governor Jerry Brown doesn’t much like the idea. From John Myers at KQED:
“Wednesday night’s poll from the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California finds 55 percent of likely voters support the general concept of a school bond on the November 2016 ballot. Broaden the sample size to all adults, and PPIC finds even more — 66 percent — who like the idea.”
A bill extending ridesharing customers’ privacy rights stalled in committee this week, but its author, Assemblyman Ed Chau (D-Monterey Park) plans to bring the bill back for another vote – perhaps as soon as next week. From Samantha Gallegos at Capitol Weekly:
“Sponsored by the Consumer Federation of California, a non-profit consumer-rights advocacy group, Chau’s bill would set up privacy standards related to ‘personally identifiable data’ that TNCs — like Uber or Lyft — would be required to follow. Those standards don’t exist now, Chau said…
“Supporters of AB 886 said they would be willing to reexamine the scope of the bill’s definition of ‘personally identifiable data’ in order to move it forward.”
We all know the California Chamber’s “Job Killer” list – this session, the business group has introduced a friendlier companion: the “Job Creator” list. H/T to Steven Mikulan at Capital and Main for posting the list.
On their list: AB 52 Disability Access Litigation Reform (Gray, D-Merced); AB 588 Reduces Frivolous Litigation (Grove, R-Bakersfield); AB 1038 Flexible Workweek (Jones, R-Santee) and AB 1252 Protects Businesses from Proposition 65 Lawsuits (Jones, R-Santee)
Newsweek has an EPIC look at the drought with lots of great photos (and, can we complain, lots of really annoying ads that keep moving the damned story all over the page. Harumph.) From Elijah Wolfson:
“Felicia Marcus, chairwoman of the State Water Control Resources Board, is trying really hard to convince me that the California dream isn’t dead.
“We’re driving in my beat-up Volkswagen through the Central Valley, just south of Sacramento, and even here the effects of the drought are stunning: the hills to the west, usually soft and green, are burnt-crisp and yellowed. The fields spreading for miles in both directions are also toast; they look as if they would crumble under your feet. Here and there, crops still live, but they are hedged in on all sides by death.”
Honing in on one aspect of the drought, Matt Weiser (straight off the enviro beat at the Bee) looks at the viability of California’s Almond industry for National Geographic. (Again, more terrific photos.)
“’It just doesn’t make sense to be growing almonds where it takes so much water,’ says Tom Stokely, a policy analyst with the California Water Impact Network, a nonprofit group. ‘We certainly believe the governor should immediately put a halt to planting of new permanent crops.’
“It’s not clear whether Governor Jerry Brown has the legal authority to do that. But it’s not likely to happen—because drop for drop, almonds are better than almost any crop at converting water into money.”
And, finally: it’s not big news when a dog goes for a ride. It IS big news when he’s the one behind the wheel.
“Delays were caused on a busy stretch of the M74 motorway after reports of a dog ‘taking control of a tractor’.
“The incident - highlighted on Twitter by Traffic Scotland - took place at J13 at Abington, South Lanarkshire.
“It later emerged that a sheepdog called Don, owned by farmer Tom Hamilton, had leaned on the controls of his utility vehicle, taking it on to the road…
“While Mr Hamilton was examining a lamb he turned round to see the Gator utility vehicle crashing through the fence and heading down an embankment on to the northbound lane of the M74 with Don still sitting in it…
The Twitter posts from Traffic Scotland quickly went viral, with a flurry of dog-themed puns proliferating.
All ends well, with Don the Sheepdog none the worse for wear – he wasn’t even given a breathalyzer test!
