The clock is ticking for legislative action, with less than four days remaining before Friday’s midnight deadline to send legislation to the governor’s desk. Hundreds of bills await floor votes, including SB350, the bitterly-fought climate change bill that has divided Democrats. Jim Miller, Sacramento Bee:
“Senate Bill 350 remains the most debated measure heading into the final week. The bill by Senate President Pro Tem Kevin de León, and backed by Gov. Jerry Brown, aims to reduce motor vehicle fuel consumption and increase the use of renewable energy. After passing the Senate in June, the measure faces uncertain prospects in the Assembly, where more moderate Democrats representing inland districts have demanded changes.
“’How do we do it right and do it smart?’ Assemblyman Jim Cooper, D-Elk Grove, said in an interview Monday during the Sacramento Central Labor Council’s picnic at Raley Field, where hundreds of union members and their families turned out for a barbecue, speeches and the River Cats game. ‘There’s been some movement on it, but we still don’t have the full picture. Negotiations are still taking place.’”
As pressure builds from both sides, lawmakers representing low income constituents have found themselves in the crosshairs of advertising from both sides. A recent campaign targeted Latino and African-American lawmakers, asking them to stand up to Big Oil. Melanie Mason and Chris Megerian, LA Times:
"’Would these politicians be willing to confront the petroleum industry and fight for Latino families?’ the ad said in support of tougher environmental rules. ‘Help us make sure these elected politicians stay responsible to the community.’
“The five are among the Latino or African American Democrats representing low-income districts who have not taken a side in the fierce tug of war over climate change measures that has been dominating the Capitol…
"’What we would ask these legislators is to do the right thing,’ said Arturo Carmona of Presente.org, the Latino advocacy group that ran the newspaper ad. ‘They have an unprecedented and historic opportunity to stand with working families, with communities of color.’"
There is also no plan in place to fund roadway infrastructure and maintenance, despite the Special Session devoted to the problem. Jessica Calefati, Contra costa Times:
“[Governor] Brown hopes to raise $3.5 billion annually by boosting the gasoline tax 6 cents per gallon, increasing the diesel tax by 11 cents and creating a $65 vehicle registration fee. His plan is a watered-down version of a bill authored by Sen. Jim Beall, D-San Jose, that has already cleared the Senate's transportation committee.
“Because tax and fee increases require the support of two-thirds of lawmakers in the Senate and Assembly, Democrats seeking to raise taxes will need some GOP votes because Democrats lost their supermajorities last year in both houses of the Legislature. But Republican legislative leaders on Thursday wasted no time slamming even the scaled-down plan, saying it would hurt low-income Californians who can't afford the taxes they're paying now.”
And, while the governor’s road plan may not have the GOP on board, at least he has endorsements from the LA Times and the San Francisco Chronicle.
It may have taken a while, but the Proposition 39 Citizens Oversight Board will finally hold its first meeting. Oh wait, it actually took an Associated Press story pointing out that the Board had never met. Judy Lin, AP:
“A citizens board overseeing energy efficiency projects will meet for the first time Tuesday after The Associated Press reported that the panel had yet to meet three years after California voters approved raising taxes on corporations to create clean-energy jobs.
“The Proposition 39 Citizens Oversight Board was not expected to meet until October or November.
“…AP's review found only 1,700 jobs - a fraction of the promised jobs - have been created so far in three years, raising concerns about whether the money is accomplishing what voters were promised.”
Unlike other parts of drought-ravaged California, the Salinas Valley has remained lush – and fruitful - producing a huge percentage of the leafy greens eaten in America. But what if the aquifer that supplies all of that water goes dry, or becomes contaminated by saltwater intrusion? Rosanna Xia, Los Angeles Times:
“At a time when lakes have hit bottom, wells have run dry, and farmland 100 miles away in the Central Valley has gathered dust, the Salinas Valley remains an oasis — a green patchwork quilt of farmland unfurling roughly 90 miles along U.S. 101 north of Paso Robles to Monterey Bay, where the Salinas River meets the ocean.
“But the verdant landscape hides long-term troubles with the region's only water source.
“Unlike the Central Valley, which depends on snowmelt transported from faraway reservoirs, the Salinas Valley has prospered for decades relying solely on the groundwater hundreds of feet below.”
After years of stilted negotiations with previous administrations, California tribes appear to have found a sympatico partner in Jerry Brown. The four-term governor negotiated two gaming agreements in the past few weeks, a stark contrast from the tense struggles between the tribes and Gov. Schwarzenegger’s office. John Myers, KQED:
“’Understanding and respecting tribal government has been a good starting point for Gov. Brown,’ said Jerome Encinas, a lobbyist who has represented several of the state’s gaming tribes over the years.
“The governor has quietly negotiated the recent deals with little or no controversy, a far cry from his predecessors. Brown inherited decades of complex and somewhat conflicting priorities when it came to the state’s role in carrying out federal law that authorized tribal gaming in 1988.”
And it’s not Halloween yet, but we’ve already got a story about the Great Pumpkin – an 800-pound, navigable pumpkin:
“Todd Sandstrum has nothing to be ashamed about.
“Admittedly, his journey down the Taunton River on Saturday in an 817-pound pumpkin fell short of expectations.
“But the fact is, it appears Sandstrum is on his way to being recognized as having established a Guinness world record for longest journey in a pumpkin boat...”
“Sandstrum said he’ll transport his 800-plus-pound pumpkin on Sunday to the Bass Pro Shop in Foxboro for a couple of hours, to show appreciation for the store having donated the use of kayak paddles and padded seats — the latter of which helped cushion the discomfort of sitting in a very large fruit while leaning forward and paddling.
“The body of the pumpkin ultimately, he said, will be used for compost by a local farmer. But the seeds will be saved and planted next year.”
