Governor Brown acted on 37 bills Monday, signing 32 and issuing a veto on five. Among the vetoes was a Mike Gatto (D-Glendale) bill that would have allowed drivers to use LA-area carpool lanes during off-peak hours. Patrick McGreevy, Los Angeles Times:
“Assemblyman Mike Gatto (D-Glendale), who filed the bill, noted that Caltrans has long allowed solo motorists in Northern California to use high-occupancy lanes outside of rush hours.
"’Traffic congestion is always bad during rush hour, but there is no need for it to be bad during non-traditional commutes,’ Gatto said. ‘It's disappointing,’ he said of the veto. ‘But I'm going to continue to work on ways to relieve the traffic burden in Southern California.’"
The governor signed another Gatto bill that will allow electronic traffic signs to be used for Yellow Alerts involving hit and run drivers. Chris Nichols, Capital Public Radio:
“The measure, AB 8, was authored by Assemblyman Mike Gatto, D-Glendale. Alerts will only be issued if a person has been killed or sustained a serious injury in a hit-and-run collision, according to the bill. A description of the car involved along with its license plate will be shown on the signs.”
As expected, House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy has launched a bid to succeed John Boehner as House Speaker next month. Jake Sherman, Politico:
“House Majority Leader Kevin McCarthy officially announced his bid for House speaker on Monday, promising to ‘lead the fight’ for conservatism while healing divisions in the conference.
“McCarthy's (R-Calif.) candidacy is no secret. The 50-year old has been calling lawmakers for days, asking for their support. He is positioning himself as both a fighter and healer — and someone who wants to bring Washington closer to the American people…
“McCarthy is all but certain to win the speakership. His only challenger is Rep. Daniel Webster (R-Fla.), whose district might be eliminated by the 2016 election.”
Realignment policies are credited with reducing the state’s prison population, but critics say that the reduction has come at the cost of higher crime. A new study by the Public Policy Institute of California finds mixed results. Christopher Cadelago, Sacramento Bee:
“’Realignment has largely been successful, but the state and county correctional systems face significant challenges,’ wrote Magnus Lofstrom and Brandon Martin, the authors of the study. ‘The state needs to regain control of prison medical care, which is now in the hands of a federal receiver. And the state and counties together must make progress in reducing stubbornly high recidivism rates.’
“The report found no dramatic change in recidivism rates. There also was no evidence that realignment has increased violent crime in California.
“The lone area where crime increased was in auto thefts. Researchers estimate that the overhaul led to car thefts increasing by more than 70 per 100,000 residents. The car theft rate is about 17 percent higher than it would have been without realignment, the report states.”
And, speaking of public safety, the Bee also offered a profile of Elk Grove Assemblyman Jim Cooper, former sheriff’s deputy, and one of law enforcement’s closest allies in the legislature. Jeremy White:
“Relics from his formative years now decorate Cooper’s Capitol office. A frame displays the badges he accumulated. A photo depicts a grinning younger Cooper lying in a pile of marijuana plants with a machete in one hand and a handgun in the other. A folder holds newspaper clippings about drug busts and a swastika-emblazoned business card for the United Southern Skins. With discernible pride, he shows off a printout of lyrics from Sacramento rapper C-Bo that mention ‘gunnin’ down Cooper.’
“He recalls being seen as part of an ‘an occupying army’ in communities that offered little positive reinforcement for the young.
“’We can do all these laws, we can do body cameras and accountability, but until we change and invest in these areas, nothing will change,’ Cooper said. ‘We talk about everything else but that.’”
Opponents of SB 277, the recently-passed bill that mandates vaccines for most schoolchildren, today submitted signatures for a referendum to repeal the bill. The signatures won’t be counted and verified for weeks, but political data guru Paul Mitchell did the math and says it ain’t gonna happen.
And finally, a happy birthday to Jerry Lee Lewis, born this day in 1935. The wildest of the early white rockers, Lewis earned the nickname “The Killer” with some of the most over the top performances of the era – occasionally ending shows by lighting his piano on fire or pushing it off the stage. In honor of his nascence, here’s a link to some great footage of Lewis in his prime, playing “Whole Lotta Shaking Going On” to a horde of screaming British teens on his 1964 UK tour. Enjoy!
